With education constantly changing, maths tutoring has become an essential tool for helping students overcome challenges and build confidence. One effective strategy is explicit instruction, where tutors clearly explain mathematical concepts before guiding students through practice. This approach lays a solid foundation for students to tackle more complex problem-solving tasks with confidence.

Another increasingly popular method is incorporating real-world applications into maths lessons. When students can see how mathematical concepts apply to their everyday lives-whether it’s budgeting, measuring, or understanding data-they are more likely to engage with the subject and see its relevance. Real-world examples not only make learning more interesting but also empower students to use maths as a practical tool.

However, tutoring in maths isn’t without its challenges. Many students face issues such as maths anxiety, gaps in foundational knowledge, or learning styles that don’t align with traditional teaching methods. Addressing these challenges requires tutors to be flexible, creative, and patient, often tailoring their approach to each individual student. Strategies like breaking problems into smaller steps, using visual aids, or incorporating games can make a significant difference.

Despite these difficulties, the one-on-one attention provided in tutoring sessions can lead to remarkable growth. Personalised support allows tutors to identify and address specific areas of need, giving students the confidence to face new challenges. Over time, this tailored guidance helps students not only improve their skills but also develop a more positive attitude toward maths.

In a world where maths is often seen as intimidating, tutors have the unique opportunity to make it accessible and enjoyable. By fostering understanding and building confidence, tutors play a vital role in helping students navigate the complexities of mathematics and unlock their potential.

Pasquale Simone Mendoza

Today, I had the opportunity to observe Demetra’s Year 10 English session at 4-5pm, where she worked closely with her student on a practice exam paper.

The session was very effective, and tailored to reinforce key skills for essay writing and exam preparation, with an emphasis on connecting to the question, managing time effectively, and presenting clear handwriting under exam conditions. Demetra’s approach was both engaging and highly effective, making the session incredibly productive.

Demetra began by guiding the student through the practice exam paper, focusing on deconstructing the question to understand its key demands. She emphasised the importance of tailoring responses directly to the question, ensuring that every paragraph built upon a clear and relevant argument. This approach helped the student see the value of structuring their essay logically and aligning each idea with the essay’s purpose.

As they worked through the example, Demetra provided specific feedback from previous exams, using it to highlight areas for improvement while celebrating the student’s strengths. For instance, she reminded the student about the importance of using sophisticated language techniques like allusion and contrast to elevate their writing. Demetra also took the time to discuss strategies for weaving these techniques seamlessly into analysis, making the writing both insightful and concise.

Time management was a central focus of the session. Demetra broke down the exam into manageable chunks, explaining how much time should be allocated to planning, writing, and reviewing.  She even introduced practical strategies, such as creating quick essay plans and showing a personal perspective in your own writing to create flair, and maintain consistency in essay writing.

Finally, Demetra stressed the importance of clear handwriting in exams, encouraging the student to practise writing legibly and efficiently. She reinforced how neat presentation could help convey clarity and professionalism, leaving a positive impression on markers.

Demetra’s ability to blend the academic stress a student can feel during exam periods with a supportive teaching style was highly effective. Her student left the session equipped with practical strategies, a stronger understanding of essay writing, and greater confidence to improve on their mistakes. It was inspiring to see her techniques in action and how they truly empowered her student to succeed.

Eleni Nicholas

I wanted to talk about how AI, and ChatGPT can greatly enhance tutoring by automating the creation of worksheets, questions, and study plans tailored to each student’s needs. For example, by typing in a few easy prompts of exactly what you need, ChatGPT can generate customised worksheets that target those areas for improvement, create a range of questions, easy to hard. This can save us so much time and provide a steady stream of relevant practice materials without too much outside /extra time and manual preparation. I found this particularly useful with a year 1 English comprehension student I had last term. I would ask ChatGPT to create a short paragraph using his key spelling words, and this made it really easy to create targeted reading practice that reinforced his vocabulary/school spelling lists while keeping him engaged. It streamlined my lesson preparation, allowing me to focus more on guiding his understanding of the content rather than wasting time crafting my own paragraph from scratch. This approach supported creating a customised lesson that was both effective and enjoyable for him.

AI can generate questions at various difficulty levels, to adapt to a student’s progress. It also can assist with providing tutors with a roadmap for each session, to ensure we get through all the content in the term, and ensures all time is used effectively. Instead of wasting anytime planning the next few weeks out / searching for resources, a few minutes typing prompts into AI, and it is done. This means we can spend more quality time working through questions together, teaching content and preparing for exams.

By automating these resources, AI allows tutors to focus on interactive teaching and addressing complex concepts rather than preparing repetitive tasks. AI-generated materials also help maintain consistency in learning, providing an accessible and flexible framework that complements the tutor’s guidance and support.

Shyla Gloster

I have a Year 9 English student at the moment who really struggles with enhancing his vocabulary and improving his essay/short story writing because of this. Hence, I thought I would share a few tips and tricks of how I’ve tried to work on improving his vocabulary to solve this issue.

1. Use Words in Context
One thing I’ve noticed is that students remember words better when they see them in action. Instead of just giving definitions, I highlight words in stories or articles and encourage them to use these words in sentences. For example, if we’re reading a short story, I might ask, “How would you describe the character using this new word?” or “Whats a synonym for this word that also works?”

3 Reading in your spare time.
I always encourage students to read as much as they can. I’ve found that recommending books or articles that align with their interest like fictional books or sports related texts keeps them motivated.

4. Revisit and Reinforce
I’ve learned that repetition is key. I like to start each session with a quick review of words we’ve covered before with vocabulary worksheets or in comprehension practice sets. Sometimes, we’ll even turn it into a fun quiz or casual chat where they can practice using the words.

5. Noting down new words
One thing I always encourage is for students to notice new words in their daily lives, on TV, in the book their reading on social media and write them down and look up their definitions. Then they can bring these new worlds to the session and try to implement the new vocabulary into their writing.

6. Re-writing sentences with synonyms
I will often have students re-write a sentence using better vocabulary, where I get them to replace basic language with synonyms that exhibit a higher level of sophistication to enhance their writing and elevate imagery in short stories, textual analysis of poems or evidence in essays.

Bianca Douroudis

Today, I had the opportunity to observe Isabella working with Jasmine, her Year 12 student, as they tackled a past exam paper on non-linear relationships. This session highlighted Isabella’s ability to guide her student through challenging mathematical concepts while maintaining a clear focus on exam success.

Isabella’s teaching stood out for its structured approach. She started by helping Jasmine identify the key components of each question, ensuring she understood what was being asked before attempting to solve it. Isabella consistently encouraged Jasmine to break problems into smaller parts, which made even the most complex equations more manageable. This method not only improved Jasmine’s confidence but also reinforced her problem-solving skills.

A notable aspect of the session was Isabella’s emphasis on real world connections. To explain non-linear relationships, she introduced relatable scenarios, linking the abstract mathematical concepts to practical examples. This approach made the content more engaging and helped Jasmine see its relevance beyond the classroom.

Isabella also excelled in providing practical advice for tackling exam papers. She demonstrated effective techniques for managing time, such as prioritising higher-mark questions, and explained how to present answers clearly to maximise marks. Additionally, she offered detailed feedback on Jasmine’s work, highlighting strengths and providing constructive tips on areas that needed refinement.

Throughout the session, Isabella maintained a calm and supportive demeanor, ensuring Jasmine felt comfortable asking questions and expressing uncertainties. She celebrated small wins, like when Jasmine applied a new concept correctly, which motivated her to stay focused and keep improving.

This observation underscored the importance of blending subject knowledge with practical exam strategies. Isabella’s thoughtful and thorough approach showed me how to combine clear guidance with real-world connections to empower students. It’s a technique I’m excited to adopt in my own tutoring sessions.

Demetria Koutavas

Tutoring is as much about personal connection as it is about academic support. One element I’ve found particularly impactful is the ability to provide tailored feedback to students. When done effectively, it can transform a student’s learning experience, turning confusion into clarity and fostering a sense of achievement.

Tailored feedback goes beyond simply correcting mistakes. It involves helping students understand the “why” behind their errors and guiding them towards strategies to improve. For example, in subjects like Legal Studies, offering insight into a marker’s perspective, explaining how to structure responses, and highlighting key terms can help students bridge the gap between understanding content and excelling in assessments. Similarly, in maths, constructive feedback might include breaking down a solution into steps or rephrasing a concept in relatable terms.

One of the most rewarding aspects of providing feedback is watching students gain confidence. Many students hesitate to engage with challenging material for fear of making mistakes. By framing feedback positively and focusing on their progress, tutors can create a safe environment where students feel encouraged to take risks and learn from them. It’s not just about the grades, it’s about cultivating a growth mindset.

I’ve also learnt the importance of feedback being actionable. Telling a student their argument is “too vague” doesn’t help unless paired with guidance, like how to expand on their points or include specific evidence. Constructive feedback empowers students to actively engage in their learning process, making them partners in their own academic growth.

Ultimately, effective tutoring isn’t just about delivering information, it’s about meeting students where they are and equipping them with the tools to succeed. Tailored feedback remains one of the most powerful strategies to ensure students leave each session feeling more capable and confident.

Demetria Koutavas

One of the most inspiring aspects of tutoring is witnessing the transformative power of personalised learning. Unlike traditional classroom settings, tutoring offers a more intimate and tailored approach to education, where individual strengths, weaknesses, and interests can take centre stage. This personalised attention often has a profound impact, not only on a student’s academic progress but also on their confidence and passion for learning.

During a recent tutoring session, I observed how a student, who initially struggled to comprehend complex texts, thrived when provided with strategies that resonated with their learning style. We worked on breaking down dense passages, identifying themes, and connecting them to real-world contexts. By reframing the material to align with their personal interests, the student became more engaged and began approaching texts with curiosity rather than apprehension. This reminded me of the importance of meeting students where they are and fostering a learning environment that feels approachable and relevant.

This experience also highlighted the critical role of feedback. Encouraging open dialogue, where students feel safe to express confusion or share insights, transforms the learning process into a collaborative effort. In this session, I noticed the student’s growing willingness to ask questions and challenge interpretations, signalling their active engagement and increasing confidence. It underscored the value of creating a space where mistakes are viewed as stepping stones, not setbacks.

Beyond specific strategies, tutoring also provides an opportunity to inspire students on a broader level. One of my favourite aspects is introducing approaches such as growth mindset principles, which emphasise effort and persistence over innate ability. When students begin to see challenges as opportunities to grow, their academic and personal development flourishes.

Reflecting on these moments affirms that tutoring is more than just helping students meet academic benchmarks but it’s about nurturing critical thinking, resilience, and a love for learning. These are skills that extend beyond any syllabus and prepare students for lifelong success, making tutoring not just a profession but a deeply rewarding endeavour.

Isabella Naumovski

Today I had the pleasure of observing Mia’s session with her Year 3 English and Maths student. During the English portion of the session, they were working on reading comprehension and how to understand a variety of texts and different keywords. In the maths section of the session they worked on questions to do with shopping, understanding how much change should be given back, therefore working on both the application of her addition and subtraction skills.
Mia started by providing a long fictional passage for her student to read out loud. When Mia noticed longer words that the student did not understand, she provided a definition and how to use that word in a sentence. For example, the word exaggerate, Mia talked about how that meant to describe something as being bigger/worse than it actually is. She then provided the sentence ‘he is exaggerating his movements so we can see him’. By doing this, she made sure her student could expand her vocabulary and fully understand the exert. After reading the passage, they answered a variety of questions. When her student was struggling to answer certain questions, Mia guided her to the section it was asking about and asked her to reread it. This way the student was able to answer the question by herself, enabling her to work on her ability to comprehend information from text.
I really liked how Mia had an extremely welcoming and fun nature with her student. This created a warm environment where the student knew she could ask Mia questions when she began struggling. I also took note of how interactive Mia was with her student. She consistently asked questions to make sure the student was understanding the questions given to her. This is a skill I will definitely use in future sessions.

Lily Powell

As a tutor, an observation I’ve made is how impactful personalisation can be in education. Each student provides a different perspective in tutoring. They each enter the learning space with unique strengths, challenges, and aspirations. Recognising each one of these is key in producing meaningful learning.

Personalisation in each lesson does not mean rewriting the curriculum for every student, it is about finding ways to make learning resonate on an individual level. For example, I recently worked with a student struggling with essay structure. Instead of reiterating generic writing rules, we discussed their favorite novel and mapped its plot points to mirror the structure of an argument. Suddenly, the “introduction, body, conclusion” formula clicked, not as a rule to follow but as a natural progression of thought they could relate to.

This approach isn’t just about focusing on their academic skills, it also extends to building their confidence. Many students approach tutoring sessions with a fixed mindset, convinced they’re “bad at math” or “not a natural writer.” Personalisation allows us to dismantle these mental blocks. By celebrating small victories—solving a challenging equation or drafting a strong thesis—we shift their focus from perceived inadequacies to visible progress.

Personalisation within the session also fosters a sense of trust between tutor and student. This is extremely important as this impacts how your student will listen to the advice you’re giving them on how to improve. When these students see how their tutors are willing to invest a level of understanding of their needs and interests, they’re more likely to engage actively. Trust turns the session into a collaborative effort rather than a one-sided lecture, creating a space where students feel safe to explore and even make mistakes.

Ultimately, tutoring isn’t just about helping students pass tests or complete assignments; it’s about equipping them with the skills and confidence to succeed beyond the classroom. Personalisation ensures we do so in a way that feels meaningful, impactful, and empowering.

Kassandra Pegios

One of my students always comments on me asking ‘why’ after they decide on a specific calculation for a maths problem. The reason I do this is to help the student break down the question into smaller individual tasks and ensure they understand the reasons they are doing each step. Furthermore, asking ‘why’ prompts them to explain their thinking processes back to me. If they are able to explain it, this is a good indicator that they understand it.

I often find that students themselves may think that they understand something that they do not fully. This often comes around due to rote learning, specifically for maths, where they learn the process to do something but not really the reason why this process is the way it is. However, this understanding is an integral part of learning because it reinforces the requirement for critical thinking when it comes to a new question that may need a slightly different process. For example, in algebra, most students learn that you must do the opposite calculation to both sides of the equation, then the number will disappear. But what is happening is that we are making this part of the equation equal to zero (for subtraction and addition) or one (for division and multiplication), and we need to do the same thing to the other side to keep the equation unchanged. Explaining algebra to students in this way allows them to relate processes they have done in the past (such as simplifying fractions) to a new idea. Furthermore, it allows them to apply it to new situations, such as if I were to ask how to ‘remove’ a power, or when there are different numbers involved.

Thus, I believe it is essential to always ask ‘why’.

Riva Burkett