Starred First Cambridge graduate teaching History, English and Politics at all levels!

Learn more about Joseph

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

  History was always my favourite subject at school, and as soon as I decided to take a gap year, I knew one of the things I wanted to do on it was to teach history.

• 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 teach history at all levels, but most of the time, it is GCSE students who get in touch. I've taught a wide variety of topics over the past year: Mao's China, medicine in Britain, the Cold War, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, to name only a few. My main interest is in twentieth-century history, meaning I definitely prefer some topics, such as the Cold War, over others, like the history of medicine. That said, it is my role as a tutor to master the topics my students are studying, whether I like them or not; and that, indeed, is the part of the tutoring challenge I have appreciated the most.

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

  I wouldn't say I was inspired by any particular teacher, though I have certainly had some good ones over the years. It strikes me that the best teachers are those who combine a deep knowledge of and enthusiasm for their subject with clear, easy-to-follow explanations. It doesn't matter if you know everything; if you have no idea how to explain it to others, then you will be a poor teacher. Likewise, if you know nothing, you will have nothing to explain. That is why it is so vital to combine the two skills.

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

  I think the most important thing is to be friendly and open. As a tutor, it is your job to give people the confidence they need to succeed. Students should never be afraid to ask questions or to be wrong about something; you only learn by making mistakes. That is why it is so important to create a friendly learning environment in which questions can be asked and answered without fear or favour; and the only way to do that is by building a strong rapport with your students.

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

  It is often asked: why study history? It is a fair question, because it is perfectly true that you will rarely be asked, on a day to day basis, to explain Hitler's rise to power or the causes of the Cold War; I am not going to pretend otherwise. But just because you're unlikely to be asked about the content, that does not mean studying history is a waste of time. Indeed, when asked precisely this question, a teacher of mine once replied that history is useful above all for the skills it gives you, not the content it teaches you. The study of history is concerned primarily with the analysis of historical arguments: with the ability to stack and weight evidence and come to clear, accurate, well-supported conclusions. These are skills which can be applied to any profession. Let's say you want to go into the law: the subject matter will be different, of course, but the overall process is the same-identifying, analysing and making arguments. It is the same with any other job where speaking, reading and writing skills are important; and that is most jobs. The ability to call out weak arguments and build strong ones is essential in anyone who wants to succeed; and history will help you acquire it. History is not just a subject; it is a way of thinking, too.

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

  Every student is different, and the hardest thing about teaching is finding the approach that works best in each case. Everybody learns differently: some learn verbally, through discussion and debate; others learn visually, through pictures and images; and so the list goes on. That is a challenge which I will continue to face as long as I continue tutoring; but it is a challenge which, with an open mind and a constant willingness to listen, is always surmountable.

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

  History is my passion. I strongly believe that it is only by studying the past that we can understand the present. Take the war in Ukraine. It is impossible to understand that conflict without tracing the roots back to the past-and the distant past, at that. As Churchill once said: 'The farther back you look, the further ahead you can see.' But it's not just a question of the relevance of history to current events. In any society, you need people who can think logically, analyse situations dispassionately, grasp what evidence is weak and which is strong-and these are all skills which you can develop with the study of history. That, fundamentally, is why I think it is important to teach history; that, fundamentally, is what gives me my sense of mission.

• What makes you a Superprof?

  I am a 'Superprof' because I know and love my subject and know how to communicate that knowledge and passion to my students; and there are no more relevant characteristics than those.