Close Up Magic Program: Introduction to the Art of Astonishment (Cards, Coins and Everyday Objects)

Find out more about Tai

• 1) When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I develop an interest in tutoring Math and Physics after attending post-secondary studying mechanical engineering. What captured me in post-secondary was seeing how information transformed and combined to each other. For example, Physics and Math was no longer words and symbols but now it's a gearbox and that gearbox would evolve to component on a bike. It is seeing this process that really inspired me to be a tutor in Physics and Math to try to help student understand the bigger picture and connect the dots better.

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I really enjoy tutoring Physics and Math because to me they are the foundation and building block of science and teaches a fundamental process of problem solving. Physics teaches you to look at the big picture and make assumption where it is needed and is logical. Math teaches you to be more technical and always rely on numbers. I think when solving any problem, it is very important to be technical as well as make assumption where it is needed or lacking information.

• 3) Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  My role model is Jack Ma. I have a lot of respect for him because the problems that he solves are not only for one or two person or for his financial gain but it is a problem that as a society we will have to face and we would be beneficial in reaching the solution earlier. He is a people person and he believe in everyone and how everyone can be successful if they put their mind and effort to it. Jack Ma also does not side with big businesses, he believes in globalization, utilizing the internet and equality for female around the world. He inspired me to solve bigger problem, always have people at heart and stay on the side of what is right and good for everyone.

• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  I believe the qualities required to be a good tutor are patient, listening skill the ability to see the problem from the student's perspective. It is not always about what is the information or how it was taught to the student. A lot of time it's why did the student not understand or grasp the concept. As a tutor it is important to listen to the student to see which piece of the puzzle is missing. It is important to be patient and explain the concept slowly and in multiple iteration so that the student can follow. The students often time will have a different perspective on the topic at hand and when this happens it is important for the tutor not to push his or her perspective on the student but look at the question from the student angle and solve the problem for the student with the starting point from that perspective.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  A valuable anecdote for education is Albert Einstein Quote on education "Everyone is a genius but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid". Know your strength and know your weakness. Nobody is good at everything and no one is bad at everything. The key is knowing what to do when you are facing your weakness. To know that you need to find the proper people and resources available to help you overcome your obstacle. To recognize and acknowledge the difficulty in reaching out. This ability to recognize your weakness and reach out for help is the best advice I can give any student that is currently struggling in education.

• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  The difficulties that I was facing in Physics and Math at introductory level was trying to understand why I was learning such complicated procedure that didn't seem to connect together to solve any problem that I knew. This was a barrier in learning for me because it slowed down my drive when I was facing difficult problems. The voice in the back of my head would say "when would you use this". This really turn around for me when I study the applications of these principals in real life examples. Learning about torque through diagram in Physics is one thing but being able to apply the principal when building mechanical equipment is another story. It is really ironic that when you go deeper in learning and transition between theory and application, it's not harder but actually easier because now you have all the pieces to the puzzle and you can see the bigger picture

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I have a passion for engineering and teaching is a core part of it in the bigger picture. I love to come up with new solution and use technology to improve modern life quality. I believe information and resources should be shared, this is how the world revolves and everyone move forward. Teaching is an amazing way to pass on information. I think of the world as a system and we are a team. There are a number of problems we are trying to solve and the more people we have the faster we are to potentially solving the problem. On that note the smarter we are the more we are able to affect that speed of us coming toward the solution. This is why I love teaching.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof (besides answering this interview questions :-P)?

  I am a Superprof because I believe in globalisation, technology and finding innovate solution to spread knowledge. Globalisation and technology are what drives and connect everyone together, I want to contribute my part by using technology such as Wolframalpha, using resources such as MIT or Oxford to help my student obtain the highest success possible. I aim to find innovative solution in teaching method such as using more visual learning then verbal and written and focusing on more examples versus theoretical.