I was able to observe Hugo’s year 8 maths session today ! What really stood out to me was his way of explaining the question in a way his student could understand. From the very beginning, when his student showed confusion, he was able to rephrase the question or break it up into smaller steps she was able to do. Rather than simply providing the answer, he guided the student through the reasoning process, asking questions that encouraged critical thinking and independent problem-solving. I also appreciated the way he was able to do this without sounding strict or intimidating. He was able to explain the steps to her in a friendly way, still maintaining banter while doing so. It was obvious to me how much she seemed to enjoy the sessions with him ! His patient and friendly demeanour helped maintain a supportive learning environment and encouraged the student to stay engaged and ask questions without hesitation or without feeling embarrassed.

Another strength I noticed was Hugo’s ability to identify where the student’s misunderstanding stemmed from. Instead of moving on quickly, he paused to address these gaps directly, reinforcing the foundational skills needed for the topic. His flexibility was evident as he was quick to adjust his methods depending on how the student responded or what resonated with her.

Overall, Hugo’s teaching style was interactive, student-focused, and built understanding rather than memorisation. It was clear that the student walked away happy and much more confident with the topic !

Annaliese Lakis