From Engineer
to Educator

My story

I worked as an engineer for several years before making the move into education. It wasn't a sudden decision — I'd always been drawn to teaching, to the moment when something complex becomes clear for someone who'd been struggling. Engineering gave me a deep love of applied mathematics. Teaching gave me a way to pass that love on.

When I started tutoring, I noticed something consistent across almost every student I worked with: their difficulty wasn't with maths itself — it was with confidence. They'd had one or two bad experiences, fallen behind, and decided that maths "wasn't for them." My job, more often than not, is to dismantle that belief.

Thirteen years and hundreds of students later, that's still the most satisfying part of what I do. The academic results follow. The confidence comes first.

My approach

I don't believe in rote learning or blind procedure-following. Real mathematical understanding means knowing why something works, not just how to execute a procedure. That's the foundation I build with every student.

I start every new tutoring relationship with a diagnostic — figuring out exactly where the gaps are, what misconceptions have formed, and what the student's relationship with maths looks like emotionally. You can't effectively teach a student until you understand how they think.

From there, sessions are structured around building solid foundations, then extending them — always at a pace that keeps the student feeling capable and progressing. I use a mix of explanation, guided problem- solving, and independent practice, adjusting in real time based on how the student is responding.

Who I work with

I tutor students across every age and stage — from primary school children building number sense for the first time, to Year 13 students fighting for University Entrance. I've also worked extensively with international curriculum students: IB, Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels, and UK A-Levels.

I'm based in Auckland and offer in-person sessions locally. For students outside Auckland, I tutor online across New Zealand — all you need is a device and a reliable connection.