Information About Richard - Tooting trainer - (27 reviews)
Profile Picture
References
This is how 2 referees rated Richard:
Reliability
Trustworthiness
Professionalism
Badges
Specialisms Taught
HTML/CSS |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
| Expert | £30.00 |
PHP |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
| Expert | £30.00 |
JavaScript |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
| Expert | £30.00 |
C |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
| Expert | £30.00 |
C++ |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
| Expert | £30.00 |
Java |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
| Expert | £30.00 |
Python |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
| Expert | £30.00 |
MySQL |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
Assembly |
Hourly Charge |
| Beginner | £30.00 |
| Intermediate | £30.00 |
| Advanced | £30.00 |
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Personal Description:
I am a freelance software developer and trainer with over 40 years experience of hard-core programming, providing personal tuition services in computing, programming and IT-related subjects. I took my first steps in programming in 1981, have been a professional software-developer since 1987, and have been teaching programming in corporate, academic and one-to-one contexts since 1992.
Along with my teaching work, I develop sophisticated software and web-sites for my clients, and have been published several times in respected publications such as Dr Dobbs Journal of Programming, Application Development Advisor, Visual Systems Journal and Computing. I am a BBC 'preferred supplier', a Professional Life-Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (the world’s largest and oldest scientific and educational computing society), and I published a book in 2016 explaining the processes and technicalities that lie behind the publication of e-books (i.e. for Amazon's Kindle product).
I cover a wide range of languages to expert level, including (in no particular order): JavaScript, Java, PHP, Python, SQL, HTML/CSS, VB, C/C++ and assembly language. I also cover, to very great depth indeed, the principles and practice of software design, implementation and development (known popularly as Object Orientation and Software Engineering), along with web-site design and implementation.
I can, should you choose to purchase my contact details, provide a wealth of information that corroborates the above assertions.
Training Experience:
I have provided private-tuition services since 1992, and was a lecturer at Roehampton University from September 1998 to October 1999, where I taught basic and advanced programming, computer architectures and operating-system theory. I have provided corporate training-services since 1999, during which time I have delivered over 110 courses in programming and software design and development, for companies in the aircraft industry, computer gaming, banking, web development and the BBC, to name but a very few.
Training Approach:
My approach to teaching and training pivots on the two most important factors - understanding-of and passion-for one's subject. I demonstrate the power, beauty and creativity of the science, while placing a firm emphasis on explaining concepts in the simplest and most day-to-day terms.
Clients cite frequently the original and clear explanations that I use, along with my ability to bring the subject to life and the depth of my technical understanding. Delegates on the corporate training courses I deliver give feedback scores of 85% and higher consistently.
Do note that I offer a progressive discount for block bookings. That is, if you make a one-off payment in advance for a number of sessions, the total you pay is ever-more discounted according to the number of sessions you book. For example, you save £2 if you make a one-off payment in advance for the two sessions, but will save £5 if you make a one-off advance payment for three sessions, and so on.
Tutor Resources: (free to download)
Please login or register to download tutor resources.
Native Language: English (British)
Availability: Weekends / Weekdays (all times)
References Available: Yes (✔ On File)
Availability: Weekends / Weekdays (all times)
References Available: Yes (✔ On File)
Qualifications:
- Leicester University (1985) - Ba (Hons) Psychology (Bachelors) (✔ On File)
Richard's Feedback
| Total Amount Of Feedback: | 27 |
| Total Positive Feedback: |
RichardFrom Ilezanda (1/5): The 1 impression was so weird also all the time write me a big notes as I didn’t know how to ready and asked for the money , so rude but away , I m not recommended Richard **Removed By Admin** to nobody
Reply from: Richard:Potential clients should disregard Ilezana’s patent nonsense. I never provided her with any tuition, nor did I receive any money from her; she was, however, one of the most troublesome clients I have ever encountered.
I stipulate that all on-line clients pay me (by electronic transfer) before not after the session - I have had problems in the past with post-session promises of electronic payment that never arrives. Ilezanda refused to pay in advance, and started accusing me of having received her ‘finders fee’ payment. Obviously, First Tutors receive that payment because that is how they make money, but Ilezanda was having none of it and she started demanding that I reimburse her.
She then started accusing me of being rude to her, yet refused to cite an example of when I actually had been rude. The fact is that I communicated with her only through the First Tutors system and email, and close examination of those messages shows that I was a model of probity and professionalism at all times, as I am with all clients.
The principal obstacle here is Ilezanda’s truly abysmal grasp of English, which is why her messages to me were barely comprehensible, and is why she had great difficulty understanding anything that I said to her. This is what she means by ‘I didn’t know how to ready’ (‘didn’t know how to read’) - an admission that shows she is ill-equipped to discern rudeness in an email, assuming that it is even present.
Finally, I have no idea what she means by ‘weird’. I corresponded with her in exactly the same manner as I do with all other clients, and none of those many hundreds of people (across three decades) have ever complained about the tone of my messages – indeed, almost one hundred percent of them have been delighted with the service I provide, as the large amount of very positive feedback on my First Tutors account here demonstrates.
Notably, First Tutors refused to help me in any of this, such as contacting Ilezanda to point out that they not I had received the finders fee, or indeed by deleting her inaccurate and untruthful feedback…
I stipulate that all on-line clients pay me (by electronic transfer) before not after the session - I have had problems in the past with post-session promises of electronic payment that never arrives. Ilezanda refused to pay in advance, and started accusing me of having received her ‘finders fee’ payment. Obviously, First Tutors receive that payment because that is how they make money, but Ilezanda was having none of it and she started demanding that I reimburse her.
She then started accusing me of being rude to her, yet refused to cite an example of when I actually had been rude. The fact is that I communicated with her only through the First Tutors system and email, and close examination of those messages shows that I was a model of probity and professionalism at all times, as I am with all clients.
The principal obstacle here is Ilezanda’s truly abysmal grasp of English, which is why her messages to me were barely comprehensible, and is why she had great difficulty understanding anything that I said to her. This is what she means by ‘I didn’t know how to ready’ (‘didn’t know how to read’) - an admission that shows she is ill-equipped to discern rudeness in an email, assuming that it is even present.
Finally, I have no idea what she means by ‘weird’. I corresponded with her in exactly the same manner as I do with all other clients, and none of those many hundreds of people (across three decades) have ever complained about the tone of my messages – indeed, almost one hundred percent of them have been delighted with the service I provide, as the large amount of very positive feedback on my First Tutors account here demonstrates.
Notably, First Tutors refused to help me in any of this, such as contacting Ilezanda to point out that they not I had received the finders fee, or indeed by deleting her inaccurate and untruthful feedback…
From Daniel (/5):
Reply from: Richard:Potential clients should also disregard Daniel's feedback score of 4/5. Daniel cancelled his initial session with me, and so I never provided him with any actual tuition. That is he provided a score having no knowledge of my efficacy as a tutor.
I have no idea why he did this. Moreover (and astonishingly), First Tutors refuse to remove his entirely inappropriate feedback.
I have no idea why he did this. Moreover (and astonishingly), First Tutors refuse to remove his entirely inappropriate feedback.
From Ellen (/5): Richard is an amazing tutor, who has taken me from very little coding knowledge to being a professional developer. His explanations for things are brilliant, and he really goes the extra mile to ensure understanding. Richard shows examples of problems and how to solve them, as well as teaching me how to use things like the browser debugger. He will also give me practice problems so that I can practice in my own time, and he also gives a sub-domain so that I can access the code we have worked on anytime. All of this was instrumental to me switching to a career as a developer. One thing that stands out about Richard is his passion for programming - it is infectious, and he is always keen to show you as many things about programming as possible. Over the time I've had tutoring with him, Richard has taught me things in Javascript, C, C++, Python and SQL, as well as sessions about computer architecture and operating systems, which really showcases the range of knowledge that he has. Richard is a tutor that will truly go above and beyond for his clients, and he is incredibly generous with the time that he spends on updating sub-domains and writing follow-up emails - he is also more than happy to answer any questions I have between sessions via email. Essentially, I cannot recommend Richard's tutoring enough, he is fantastic.
Reply from: Richard:I respond to client feedback only rarely, but this is an opportunity to underscore one part of Ellen's very positive review. To wit: under my tutelage, Ellen has progressed to the point of now enjoying success as a professional programmer with a large and well known company.
This is particularly gratifying for me. I enjoy massively what I do anyway, but my job-satisfaction factor goes off the scale when a client goes on to secure a professional position in software development (Megan, whose review is further down on this page, followed the same path). Ellen is a sterling example of how I can take a person on a far-reaching exploration of the warm ocean of creativity that we call programming, such that a very promising career ensues for that individual.
Note to self: next Christmas, ask Santa for lots more Ellens.
This is particularly gratifying for me. I enjoy massively what I do anyway, but my job-satisfaction factor goes off the scale when a client goes on to secure a professional position in software development (Megan, whose review is further down on this page, followed the same path). Ellen is a sterling example of how I can take a person on a far-reaching exploration of the warm ocean of creativity that we call programming, such that a very promising career ensues for that individual.
Note to self: next Christmas, ask Santa for lots more Ellens.
From Annika (/5):
From Mustafa (/5): Pessimistic attitude. He keeps saying things like "If you don't have it in you, then you can't learn it". What is the point of him being a tutor if the student is already supposed "have it in him"!?
Reply from: Richard:Potential clients should disregard Mustafa's feedback for the following reasons:
1) I attempted to tutor Mustafa's son Yusuf, not Mustafa himself. Mustafa's evaluation of my services is therefore second-hand and so is not wholly reliable.
2) I did not 'keep on saying' that 'you need to have it in you'. I pointed out just once during a phone call with Mustafa that success in teaching programming depends primarily upon the degree of aptitude in the tutee, and I made the same observation just once during Yusuf's sole tuition session with me.
3) I cannot kick a ball to save my life - that is simply the way that nature made me - thus it would be pointless for a football coach to attempt training me in the hope that I might play for England. In no way does my rock-bottom aptitude for football negate the idea of being a football coach. Equivalently, minimal aptitude for programming in some people does not negate the idea of teaching those that do have some aptitude.
4) To assert that aptitude matters in programming is to state fact, and so Mustafa confuses 'pessimism' with 'realism'. Stating fact simply communicates reality; any disappointment that recipients of such communication feel is a reflection on the recipient not the tutor.
1) I attempted to tutor Mustafa's son Yusuf, not Mustafa himself. Mustafa's evaluation of my services is therefore second-hand and so is not wholly reliable.
2) I did not 'keep on saying' that 'you need to have it in you'. I pointed out just once during a phone call with Mustafa that success in teaching programming depends primarily upon the degree of aptitude in the tutee, and I made the same observation just once during Yusuf's sole tuition session with me.
3) I cannot kick a ball to save my life - that is simply the way that nature made me - thus it would be pointless for a football coach to attempt training me in the hope that I might play for England. In no way does my rock-bottom aptitude for football negate the idea of being a football coach. Equivalently, minimal aptitude for programming in some people does not negate the idea of teaching those that do have some aptitude.
4) To assert that aptitude matters in programming is to state fact, and so Mustafa confuses 'pessimism' with 'realism'. Stating fact simply communicates reality; any disappointment that recipients of such communication feel is a reflection on the recipient not the tutor.
From Dave (/5): Richard is an excellent tutor. He's helped me understand key programming concepts by explaining them step by step in a considered manner and has accompanied our sessions with challenging but fun take home exercises which aim to cement your knowledge.
I plan on having many future sessions with Richard, his knowledge and understanding of my chosen language of JavaScript is vast and his passion for his craft is infectious.
I plan on having many future sessions with Richard, his knowledge and understanding of my chosen language of JavaScript is vast and his passion for his craft is infectious.
From Dana (/5):
From Connor (/5): Richard is an outstanding tutor with an unbelievable passion for programming which is just infectious! He has a wealth of knowledge of multiple languages but most importantly he has a deep understanding of good design so not only will you improve at the language you're studying but as a rounded programmer who is able to adapt to a multitude of languages using good design principles. As an electronic engineer I love the way Richard is able to link the software to the computer architecture to help give a deeper understanding of how the two interact and how good design principles can be used to optimise the code.
Richard really does go above and beyond for his clients and I simply cannot praise or recommend him enough!
Richard really does go above and beyond for his clients and I simply cannot praise or recommend him enough!
From Megan (/5): Richard is an excellent tutor and I feel extremely fortunate to have found him and had the opportunity to work with him.
Richard's style of teaching is both thorough and inspiring (impressive considering how despondent I was feeling about the subject matter when I started working with him). Richard's passion for programming shines through in his tuition and he really brings the subject to life. He is particularly good at explaining the concepts behind the code in a way that is easy to understand even for a beginner. Whereas some online resources seem to just teach the code itself and it's syntax, Richard goes far beyond that. Whilst it is JavaScript that I have been working on with Richard, I feel that his tuition has given me logical thinking skills which will benefit me in programming generally, not just with JavaScript.
I must also mention that during the time I have been working with Richard he has frequently gone above and beyond what could be expected from a tutor. You can tell that he genuinely cares about the subject matter and providing an excellent service. Setting up online tuition with a tutor you haven't met in person for a subject you are finding difficult can seem a daunting experience, but Richard made the whole thing very smooth and comfortable with detailed explanations of what he would provide and how he worked and prompt and friendly communications. He is very easy to get along with, and that makes working and learning that much easier and more enjoyable.
In short, I cannot recommend Richard highly enough to anyone looking for tuition.
Richard's style of teaching is both thorough and inspiring (impressive considering how despondent I was feeling about the subject matter when I started working with him). Richard's passion for programming shines through in his tuition and he really brings the subject to life. He is particularly good at explaining the concepts behind the code in a way that is easy to understand even for a beginner. Whereas some online resources seem to just teach the code itself and it's syntax, Richard goes far beyond that. Whilst it is JavaScript that I have been working on with Richard, I feel that his tuition has given me logical thinking skills which will benefit me in programming generally, not just with JavaScript.
I must also mention that during the time I have been working with Richard he has frequently gone above and beyond what could be expected from a tutor. You can tell that he genuinely cares about the subject matter and providing an excellent service. Setting up online tuition with a tutor you haven't met in person for a subject you are finding difficult can seem a daunting experience, but Richard made the whole thing very smooth and comfortable with detailed explanations of what he would provide and how he worked and prompt and friendly communications. He is very easy to get along with, and that makes working and learning that much easier and more enjoyable.
In short, I cannot recommend Richard highly enough to anyone looking for tuition.
From Maureen (/5): My son started doing his sessions with Richard just this summer as a full beginner.
It's still early days but as a parent, I find the regular updates and comprehensive feedback very useful to assess progress.
It's still early days but as a parent, I find the regular updates and comprehensive feedback very useful to assess progress.
From Andrew (/5): Richard is an experienced tutor great at explaining the concepts of programming to beginners. He is able to bring real world knowledge as to why things should be done in a certain way.
From Martin (/5): Richard has a very deep understanding of javascript and will always make sure he answers any questions you put to him and make sure you understand any topic covered in the session.
He sets up a sub domain on his personal site so that you can always reflect on previous lessons and with the coding challenges he sets between sessions you realise how much you can do with a little bit of syntax and being taught the right way to think about coding problems.
Every session ive had has also gone over the time paid for and richard has never made that an issue.
Overall a good bloke and educator.
He sets up a sub domain on his personal site so that you can always reflect on previous lessons and with the coding challenges he sets between sessions you realise how much you can do with a little bit of syntax and being taught the right way to think about coding problems.
Every session ive had has also gone over the time paid for and richard has never made that an issue.
Overall a good bloke and educator.
Reply from: Richard:To elucidate Martin's comment about sub-domains: I always create a sub-domain for every on-line client I have, within the domain of my principal web site (the address of which I cannot give here). This sub-domain is entirely private to the client in question and cannot be located using a search engine.
Following each session with a given client, I create a new page on that sub-domain, in which I place any code I wrote on my machine during that session (with annotations that clarify things).
I do this out of courtesy and at no extra charge to my on-line clients because it enables them to access the code for a given session whenever they need to, and because it would be impossible otherwise for them to acquire the code in question. That is, taking screen-shots would hardly be a practicable solution for the client, and it is impossible (in the case of JavaScript tutoring) to send JavaScript code via email. This is because most if not all mail servers now refuse to forward emails containing JS code because hackers have used that in the past as an attack vector.
I am grateful to Martin for pointing out my provision of personal sub-domains for clients.
Following each session with a given client, I create a new page on that sub-domain, in which I place any code I wrote on my machine during that session (with annotations that clarify things).
I do this out of courtesy and at no extra charge to my on-line clients because it enables them to access the code for a given session whenever they need to, and because it would be impossible otherwise for them to acquire the code in question. That is, taking screen-shots would hardly be a practicable solution for the client, and it is impossible (in the case of JavaScript tutoring) to send JavaScript code via email. This is because most if not all mail servers now refuse to forward emails containing JS code because hackers have used that in the past as an attack vector.
I am grateful to Martin for pointing out my provision of personal sub-domains for clients.
From Dhanushka (/5): Richard helped our son get to grips very quickly with some of the most complex C++ concepts he was struggling with in his university module. We would characterise Richard as extremely thorough, patient and responsive to our son’s learning needs. We will certainly be calling on Richard for future assistance and would very much recommend him as an excellent tutor.
From Matt (/5): Richard’s teaching experience, industry and product knowledge are top level.
From William (/5): Find richards sessions very insightful. Hes very passionate about programming and that shines through in the lessons. Can see genuine progression each time. Would definitely recommend.
From Henry (/5): I have been working with Richard to learn the fundamentals of Python. We have been working together for a few months now and I would highly recommend Richard.
From Redinciuc (/5): I recommend Richard as a tutor. There is only so much you can learn on your own and having someone explain concepts you are not too sure about sure helps!
From Ania (/5): Richard is a brilliant teacher with vasts amounts of technical knowledge. It is important for a teacher to be able to explain their teachings on the level of the student- this is something Richard was extremely good at. I feel I expanded my technical terminology since starting the lessons and talk about code more confidently on a day to day basis.
I would recommend him as a tutor to anyone either:
1. Starting out in the industry who wants to grasp the fundamentals of computer programming.
2. Already developing/working and wanting to expand their knowledge base.
3. If you are stuck on a particular project and need help.
Happy coding!
I would recommend him as a tutor to anyone either:
1. Starting out in the industry who wants to grasp the fundamentals of computer programming.
2. Already developing/working and wanting to expand their knowledge base.
3. If you are stuck on a particular project and need help.
Happy coding!
From Andrew (/5): I had a very specific programming project with which I needed help and Richard gave me very valuable insight and detailed analysis of the issue. Vety helpful and thorough in his explanations.
From Sara (/5): I contacted Richard to help me with Javascript. He has a lot of experience and its knowledge was visible since the first time we met. Richard explains everything really clearly and makes sure that I always understand all the topics.
He is very professional and a fantastic tutor. Highly recommended!
He is very professional and a fantastic tutor. Highly recommended!
From Caroline (/5): Richard was excellent. He really helped my son, who feels much more confident with C programming now. Many thanks Richard.
From Ingrid (/5): Nice guy, has a very deep understanding of programming, and really knows his stuff. Very professional, and an excellent teacher. Very good at explaining things. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill tutor.
From Aisha (/5): Richard is an excellent tutor - patient, reliable and gives detailed and clear explanations. I am very satisfied with my tuition.
From Medea (/5): Richard is an excellent tutor, experienced, very reliable and knowledgeable.
He goes the extra mile to help you understand a problem.
Thanks Richard.
He goes the extra mile to help you understand a problem.
Thanks Richard.
From Matthew (/5): Excellent tutor, could not have hoped for better. He is clear and confident in his explanations, as long as you have the will to learn you will go far with him.
From Simon (/5): Richard is an excellent tutor. His teaching style is very visual and he clearly understands the code and the problems that beginners have. He has also been very flexible with his time.
From Emma (/5): Richard is an excellent tutor who teaches with enthusiasm and patience, nothing is ever too much to explain and I feel extremely comfortable asking if I do not understand something. Due to Richard's excellent knowledge he is able to explain anything that we stumble across and he uses easy to understand examples in order to explain difficult things. I am very happy with the tutoring that Richard provides.