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Physics · Maths · Middle school, high school, first year university

Maths and physics stay with us for life. Better to make friends with them early, and skip the endless battles.

One-to-one and small-group lessons, in person in Turin or online. I am an engineer with many years of experience in private tutoring. I do it mainly out of passion, and to pass on what makes these subjects fascinating. The equations you study at school are the ones we use in Formula 1.

Matteo Tomei in the pit lane at the Monaco Grand Prix, in team kit; behind him a car on track, the grandstands and the buildings of Monte Carlo.
Monaco Grand Prix, May 2024 — pit lane

Why choose me

An analytical but empathetic approach

  • Mantra

    Knowing how to do something is not the same as knowing how to teach it

    Everyone can understand a concept when it is explained in a linear and logical fashion. Often the frustration of not understanding comes from a lack of solid basics. Finding these gaps is the key to be understood.

  • Method

    Teaching how to study, not only what

    The key to giving nothing up while you study is organisation. As in Formula 1, every small detail, once it is organised and made efficient, lets you reach excellent results without frustrating sacrifices. Through my own studies I never gave up sport, because I was lucky enough to meet teachers who passed on the method before the concept. I am here to try to do the same.

  • Experience

    Solid technical background and experience

    Knowing a subject in depth, even in its most complex aspects, helps to guide the learning process towards the fundamentals that really matter, both at school and in working life. Brick by brick, we will build a structure with solid foundations, to carry with you for life.

  • Approach

    Modernity and Connection with students

    I am an engineer, but not long ago I was a student sitting in school desks. I always try to use empathy and connection, to convey concepts but also to put myself in the student’s shoes, to give a different point of view. If a subject is appreciated, it is learned effortlessly.

Subjects

Where do you want to start?

Every course starts from where you are, not from the chapter the class happens to be on.

  • Middle · Maths

    Maths — middle school

    Confident arithmetic, and word problems you understand before you solve them.

  • High school · Maths

    Maths — high school

    From algebra to integrals, rebuilding the basics while keeping pace.

  • High school · Physics

    Physics — high school

    The same equations I use at work, explained from where they come from.

  • University · Physics

    Physics 1

    Mechanics and thermodynamics, with the damped oscillator at the centre.

English and Italian

Lessons can be taught in English.

English C1/C2, used every day in an international technical environment. Useful for those attending an international school, or who have recently moved. I am not a native speaker: what we share is the subject-specific vocabulary, used with precision.

Method

Four essential steps

It is the same loop used to set up a racing car: measure, model, test, verify. Skipping the first step is why a lot of private tuition does not work.

  1. Measure

    A free introductory meeting to find out where the gaps really are. Not where they appear to be: where they are.

  2. Model

    We rebuild the missing foundations rather than chasing tomorrow’s test. It is the part that takes patience, and it decides everything else.

  3. Test

    Guided exercises, then exercises on your own with annotated corrections. Watching someone solve is not enough: you have to get it wrong and see where.

  4. Verify

    Timed mock tests or exams, with the mistakes gone through one by one. It is the only way to know whether it worked.

Questions

What people usually ask

What happens in the first lesson?

The first meeting is free and lasts about half an hour. Its purpose is to find out where the real difficulty is: we look at your recent work together, I ask you to solve something and watch how you reason. At the end I tell you what is needed and how long it will take — including if the answer is that you do not need a private tutor.

How much does it cost, and are there packages?

The rate depends on the school level and on the format, one-to-one or small group. We agree it after the first meeting, once I know what is actually needed: quoting before that is guesswork. Small groups cost less per student and work well when two or three of you share the same gap.

Do online lessons actually work?

Yes, on one condition: the right tools. I use a graphics tablet and a shared whiteboard, so I write by hand exactly as I would on paper and you watch every step appear. At the end you get the full whiteboard. For most topics it is as good as being in the room.

Can lessons be taught in English?

Yes. I work in English every day in an international technical environment, and the English vocabulary of physics and maths is the one I use professionally. This helps students at international schools, and anyone recently arrived who studies in English but has to sit an exam in Italian — or the other way round. I am not a native speaker: what we share is the language of the subject, used precisely.

What is the cancellation policy?

A lesson can be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance, at no cost and with no explanation needed. Under 24 hours it counts as taught, unless something serious comes up — illness, emergencies.

Can we prepare for a test or exam at short notice?

It depends what lies underneath. If only the last few steps are missing, two or three focused sessions get you there. If two years of foundations are missing, a week will not recover them: we can limit the damage of the next test and then work on the rest. I will tell you which it is beforehand, not afterwards.

Where do in-person lessons take place?

In Turin and the surrounding area. Online lessons are the most popular, to save on travel time and costs. In-person lessons can be arranged if necessary for particular reasons.

The first meeting is free, and it is for my benefit too.

I need it to work out whether I can actually help. If I think I cannot, I will say so: that is more useful than a package of lessons that leads nowhere.