When people talk about tutoring, they often imagine big breakthroughs, test scores jumping by twenty marks, students suddenly mastering a difficult topic or that dramatic “lightbulb moment” and yes, those moments are brilliant. But any tutor will tell you the real magic lies in something much quieter, the small wins.

Small wins are the subtle signs of progress that students hardly notice but tutors see instantly. The student who normally shrugs and says; “I don’t know”, suddenly tries to explain their reasoning. The one who panics at equations pauses, takes a breath and gives it a shot. The student who usually arrives exhausted from school cracks a tiny smile when they realise they remembered last week’s lesson.

These moments might look insignificant, but they’re actually the foundation of long term academic confidence.

Progress in learning rarely arrives in a straight line. It comes in the form of tiny steps, some so small they feel invisible. But here’s the secret, small wins create momentum. When a student realises they can solve one question, they start believing they can solve the next. When they successfully rewrite one paragraph, the next one feels less intimidating and when they feel just a little bit proud of themselves, that pride compounds over time.

As tutors, we get a front row seat to these transformations. We see the student who once dreaded English starting to share ideas eagerly. We watch the quiet one speak up. We see the maths anxious student slowly, quietly becomes the student who explains methods to a friend. These moments might not make headlines but they matter more than any grade ever will.

In tutoring, small wins aren’t just progress. They’re proof that the student is growing in ways that will last far beyond any exam.

Isabella Naumovski