I was able to observe a 2-hour long high school student session which covered the subjects of Business and Maths.

The first thing I observed was how the tutor chose to separate the session to ensure that the student stayed consistently interested throughout the session. The first tactic was to split the session into two smaller 1-hour sessions, one which covered maths and the other, business. The tutor did this by utilising one of the mini games the centre has to offer, Spot It. This allowed the student to reset their concentration by taking a brain break and switching over to a different topic.

As I did not do Business within my high school years, it was interesting to see what the subject entailed and how tutoring can assist with this understanding. During my observation, I saw the student working through a past paper and worked alongside the tutor to better their understanding. One of the ways the student did this, was by cross-checking what their teacher had told them with the tutor’s understanding, which helped solidify their understanding and confidence in the topic. This was something I do not come across often, with my students mainly relying on my insights rather than their teachers, revealing that I should be consistently asking my students about what their teacher said and make sure their understanding is consolidated.

During the maths session, the tutor used a variety of teaching methods to best convey the information to the student. This involved using the whiteboard, verbal communication and working out on paper to ensure that the student understand the topic they were working on. This is a method I carry throughout my tutoring sessions, and it was beneficial to see another tutor use this and see the student being highly receptive, which consolidated my confidence in utilising this multi-method approach.

This demonstrates how a multi-method and multi-perspective approach to tutoring is highly beneficial, and can help keep students engaged for a more prolonged time period.

Edie Dennis