Today, I got the chance to sit in on Sienna’s tutoring session with her Year 4 Maths/English student, Evie. Sienna did such a great job keeping Evie engaged and focused the whole time. She picked up really quickly when Evie was getting a bit tired and would let her have a small brain break or switch to a quick chat before getting back into the work. She also kept checking in with little quizzes to see if Evie could answer things on her own after an explanation.

They worked on time questions (reading clocks), and Sienna explained everything really clearly. She broke down the difference between the minute and hour hands and showed Evie exactly how to read an analogue clock based on where the hands were pointing. While they went through the questions, she constantly made sure Evie understood what she was saying, and she used real-life examples like, showing the time on her own watch or poiting to the clock in the room to help things click.

Overall, it was a really positive session. Sienna was patient, encouraging, and really responsive to what Evie needed in the moment. Evie stayed focused, asked lots of questions, and genuinely seemed to enjoy the lesson. It was great to see how well Sienna connected with her and kept the learning fun and understandable.

Bianca Douroudis

Most high school students do not struggle with the actual content of their subjects. They struggle with the simple act of beginning their work. When an assignment is due the next day or a test is coming up, the hardest part is often opening the book or writing the first sentence. The Two Minute Trick is a practical method that removes this barrier by lowering the mental pressure associated with starting. The idea is straightforward. Commit to doing only two minutes of work on the task in front of you. Tell yourself that after two minutes you are free to stop. This small commitment works because it removes the feeling of needing to complete a full study session and instead replaces it with a small, manageable action. Procrastination usually occurs when the task feels large or mentally demanding. By reducing the task to two minutes, the mind no longer tries to avoid it. Once you begin, momentum usually takes over and the work becomes easier to continue. Two minutes of reading often becomes ten. Writing a single sentence often becomes a full paragraph. Solving the first question in a worksheet often leads naturally to solving the next few. Even if you stop at two minutes, you still benefit because you completed the most important step, which is the act of beginning. The long term habit of starting builds consistency, reduces stress and results in better performance during busy periods. Students can apply this method immediately by choosing one subject, opening their notes and working for two minutes on a small part of the task. This could be reading a single page of a novel, attempting the first equation in a homework set or reviewing one concept from a science topic. The Two Minute Trick is effective because it removes the mental resistance that prevents progress and replaces it with simple action that is easy to repeat every day.

Samin Sadaf Hossain

I got to observe Maya’s Chemistry session. While I don’t take chemistry, I found her methods of tutoring very insightful ! The bulk of their session was going through practice questions the student had trouble with at home. Since the test was coming up, Maya focused on helping her understand exactly where and why she lost marks and how she could improve her answers. Rather than blatantly correcting the students mistakes, she would ask for their thinking process and prompt them to think why it was wrong. As such, I think it helped the student develop their critical thinking in regards to that question. By coming to the conclusion themselves, it is more likely that they wont make the same mistake in the exam. When they finished going through the exam, Maya would direct the student to more practice questions on the topics she was least confident with. As they worked through each question, the tutor broke down the tricky parts into simple steps and used quick diagrams to show what was actually happening in the reaction or calculation.

She also gave small exam tips along the way, like how to structure long-response answers or what key words markers look for. The student became more confident as she realised most of her mistakes were small and fixable. The whole session felt really supportive and practical and it clearly helped the student understand what to do differently next time.

Annaliese Lakis

Burnout can be of high risk for school students, especially year 11 and 12s when the workload starts to build up. Managing these changes to workload can be highly stressful, however, there are many strategies to reduce this. Mostly, it is important to have stints of intense focussed work, followed by intentional rest breaks.

Firstly, it is important to reduce procrastination when you are studying by breaking tasks into smaller tasks and using the Pomodoro technique can be beneficial for this. This is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5 minute break. It supports concentration while preventing exhaustion.

Secondly, one should establish boundaries around study time. It can feel exhausting to spend all day studying, but periodically going on your phone for lengths of time because it feels like you are in work mode the entire day. Instead, utilising the Pomodoro techniques for a few hours may be more effective. It will also allow you to maintain a work-life balance and experience hobbies you enjoy, such as socialising and enjoying time in nature.

Thirdly, schedule proper rest. Sleep is essential for memory, mood, and energy, yet it’s often the first thing sacrificed. Aim for consistent sleep routines and avoid late-night cramming whenever possible. Rest also includes taking guilt-free breaks: go for a walk, listen to music, or spend time with friends. Short periods of genuine downtime can dramatically reduce burnout.

Fourth, take care of your physical health. Regular movement, even a 10-minute stretch or walk, can lower stress hormones. Eating regularly and choosing balanced meals stabilises energy levels and prevents the fatigue that contributes to burnout.

Riva Burkett

In every tutoring session, there’s a moment when a student suddenly realises the problem wasn’t the subject – it was the strategy. They weren’t “bad at maths” or “not a science person.” They just hadn’t been taught how to learn effectively. And that’s the gap tutoring quietly fills: it builds the meta-skills schools rarely have time to develop.

Most students approach study like a marathon of memorisation. They reread notes, highlight everything in neon, and hope repetition equals understanding. But high-performance learning is a completely different game. It’s about retrieval, not review; structure, not stress; clarity, not cramming.

A good tutor trains students to reverse engineer every subject. Instead of starting with content, we start with the question style. What patterns do examiners use? Where are the predictable traps? What does a full-mark explanation actually look like? Once a student understands the “exam grammar,” even complex topics become manageable.

The second shift is teaching students to break out of passive study. Retrieval practice, micro-quizzing, spaced repetition, and verbal explanation all activate the brain in ways rereading never will. A student who can teach a concept back in their own words has already won half the battle.

But perhaps the most transformative part of tutoring is confidence. Not the empty, motivational-poster kind—real confidence built on mastery. When a student realises they can solve something that once felt impossible, it rewires their entire mindset. They start taking intellectual risks. They become curious again. They stop fearing mistakes.

Tutoring isn’t just about higher marks; it’s about creating independent learners. The goal is simple: to make the tutor unnecessary. Because once a student understands how to accelerate their own learning, they don’t just succeed in school – they succeed everywhere.

In a world obsessed with outcomes, tutoring reminds us that the real power lies in process. Teach a student content, and they’ll pass a test. Teach a student how to learn, and they’ll thrive for life.

Oliver Fletcher

In my time working as a tutor for young students, I have picked up on some useful strategies that make sessions more effective and enjoyable.

It might seem simple, but the foundation of effective teaching lies in truly understanding your students and their unique learning needs. Equally important is the level of respect you earn from them. The relationship between a tutor and their student plays a crucial role in shaping the learning experience. I always make it a priority to get to know my students from day one, engaging with their interests and taking the time to understand what inspires and challenges them, in order to figure how they can work best. I find that this strategy is often overlooked and can be ignored after the first 15 minutes of a session, but it can really make a significant difference.

It’s also essential for students to engage with the right vocabulary regularly. Helping them become accustomed to the language fosters positive habits and boosts their confidence when tackling new ideas. When students have the words they need, they can express their thoughts and articulate their ideas with assurance.

Another effective approach, that I believe is even more important with younger learners in particular, is to recognise and celebrate the effort they put into their tasks, regardless of the outcomes. If a student has put in a lot of effort to complete a task, positive reinforcement can go a long way to motivate them. Helping students connect their hard work to acknowledgement is a crucial step in nurturing an active learning environment. While encouraging more effort is vital, it’s equally important to provide them with motivation to keep trying. Praise and recognition are powerful motivators that students already appreciate; so by adjusting their focus from simply being correct to putting in their best effort can be so beneficial.

Gemma Vinciguerra

Recently, I had some time to research different methods of tutoring. One particular method that has reshaped the way I work with students is the Socratic method. Instead of giving answers directly, this approach focuses on asking thoughtful, guiding questions that help students uncover solutions on their own. It might sound simple, but it completely transforms the learning experience.

The Socratic method specifically relies on human curiosity. When a student makes a mistake, rather than correcting it immediately, I ask questions like, “What made you choose that step?” or “Does this result make sense with the question?” These prompts encourage students to pause, reflect, and become active participants in understanding their own thinking. Over time, they start asking themselves these questions naturally, and that’s where the real growth happens.

One of the biggest advantages of this method is that it builds confidence. Students don’t feel like they’re being lectured; instead, they feel like partners in a conversation. They learn that it’s okay not to know the answer right away, as long as they’re willing to think it through. This is especially powerful during high-pressure periods like exams, when the ability to reason independently becomes just as important as knowing the content.

The Socratic method also strengthens long-term retention. When students actively work through a problem, the solution sticks far better than if I simply explained it to them. They form mental connections, spot patterns, and develop problem-solving habits they can apply across subjects.

Overall, the Socratic method is about empowering students to trust their own minds. By turning each question into a gentle nudge rather than a direct instruction, tutoring becomes not just a transfer of knowledge but a way of teaching students how to think.

Katreen Diab

As the end of term and Christmas holidays approach, students can find it hard to stay motivated and focused on completing their work, especially when there are so many exciting things happening outside the classroom. I’ve found with my younger students that some effective strategies to maintain productive and enjoyable sessions include incorporating a range of activities that can be personalised to the individual student’s interests and learning needs, whether that’s through games, creative tasks, movement breaks or real-world examples that feel meaningful to them.

This positive environment also strengthens the relationship between tutor and student, which is essential for a successful tutoring experience. There are many ways to foster this connection, one of which I’ve seen through supporting students as they make mistakes, problem-solve and overcome challenges. By knowing when to step in with extra guidance and when to encourage independence, I’m able to help build self-confidence and resilience—skills that benefit students not only during tutoring sessions, but also at home and in the classroom.

Different ways to keep students on track include setting small goals to maintain motivation and focus, and making sure that the student actively participates in setting these in a way where they feel in control of their learning. Additionally, offering choice in every activity furthers the relationship-building between student and tutor whilst encouraging a sense of ownership, autonomy and genuine engagement with the task. As the end of year comes to an end, it’s important to remind our students of how far they’ve come this year and acknowledge their hard work and commitment to their learning. This can be communicated to parents and teachers through brief progress updates or informal check-ins, allowing for continuity, shared understanding and aligned support across home, school and tutoring environments. Overall, by maintaining a positive, student-centred approach, we can continue to foster confidence, curiosity and long-term learning success.

Annabelle Molloy

It hits you at weird times — scrolling through old photos, passing by a park full of kids in uniforms, or hearing a bell ring somewhere in the distance. Suddenly, you realise you miss school. Not necessarily the homework or exams, but the world that came with it.

School has a rhythm you don’t understand until it’s over. Waking up early felt annoying at the time, but now there’s something comforting about the predictability — the same walk to class, the same group of friends waiting near the lockers, the same teachers who somehow knew when you were having a bad day.

You start to miss the in-between moments the most. The five-minute chats before class. The inside jokes that lasted for years. The way a whole classroom would collectively sigh when a teacher mentioned a surprise test. The rush to finish assignments in the library during lunch. Even the days that felt boring or frustrating now feel like they belonged to some bigger story.

Life after school becomes more independent, but also more scattered. People drift. Routines change. And suddenly the thing you once counted down to escape becomes something you want to step back into, even just for a day.

But missing school isn’t really about the building or the timetable. It’s about missing a time when life felt simpler, even if you didn’t realise it then. It’s about missing the friends you saw every day without effort, the structure that kept you grounded, and the sense that you were all growing up together.

It’s okay to feel nostalgic. Missing school means you had moments worth remembering — moments that shaped you. And even though you can’t go back, those memories stay warm, familiar, and yours forever.

Sara Theocharidis

In a world where everyone seems exhausted, stressed, or stretched too thin, a new trend has been quietly reshaping the way people think about rest: micro-adventures. Unlike big holidays that require planning, money, and time off work, micro-adventures are tiny bursts of exploration you can do anytime — after school, after work, or even during a free hour on the weekend.

The idea is simple: you don’t need a plane ticket or two weeks of leave to feel alive again. You just need something small that breaks your routine.

A micro-adventure can be as easy as watching a sunrise from a local lookout, taking a different route home, trying a new café in a suburb you’ve never visited, or going for a night walk with music you love. It can be a quick beach dip before dinner, a picnic in your backyard, or sitting somewhere new with a sketchbook or journal.

What makes micro-adventures powerful isn’t their size — it’s their interruptions. They interrupt stress, autopilot living, and the heaviness that comes from doing the same thing every day. Psychologists call this “pattern breaking,” and it refreshes the brain in ways traditional rest sometimes can’t.

Micro-adventures also give you a sense of presence. When you’re standing on a hill watching the sky change colours, or walking down a street you’ve never seen before, your mind naturally shifts away from deadlines, tasks, and notifications. You become more observant, curious, and grounded.

The best part? Anyone can do them. They’re free, accessible, and don’t require planning or perfection.

If life has been feeling flat lately, try one small adventure this week. Leave ten minutes earlier in the morning, explore somewhere unfamiliar, or watch the stars for five quiet minutes.

You don’t need a holiday to feel human again — just a moment outside your routine

Sara Theocharidis