Tira began the session by explaining the concept of Show Don’t Tell with Alyssa. She provided practical examples that make this technique easy to grasp. She thoroughly broke down each step in story telling and used visual techniques to allow the student to strengthen their vivid description and apply it to structured narrative writing. She also illustrated her points by allowing the student to use memories from her favourite movie scenes and what makes those scenes really stand out from the rest. They analysed a paragraph about a forest at night which involved heavy description and emotion to prove how important description is in order to attract audience or readers. Tira’s exceptional teaching of this concept really guided the student through rich detail, sensory detail and clear modelling and it was wonderful to see the student grasping the idea and begin to love writing. They ended the session with a small spelling quiz where the student performed well.

Razan Rustom

Being able to explain a tricky concept to yourself in simple language is a skill. It demands a deep understanding: you can only condense an idea clearly if you grasp the reasoning behind it, not just the buzzwords. This habit moves students beyond memorisation which often feels like progress but can be a trap. Reciting a textbook can give the illusion of knowledge without true comprehension, and exam-focused memorisation is usually short-lived: you drill facts in, keep them for a few days, then they fade.
Explaining a topic without jargon increases the chance you’ll remember it, because you’re anchoring the idea to what you already know rather than storing an abstract string of complex terms. Simple explanations also make transfer easier: when the logic is broken down into plain steps, you can apply the same reasoning in new situations instead of relying on memorised procedures. Finally, simplifying exposes gaps in your thinking; if you can’t explain it, you know exactly where to study next.
I apply this process into my tutoring sessions be helping my students along this path. I ask them questions to help them develop their critical thinking and ask them to explain the concept to me simply is though I didn’t understand. I have found this to be a highly effective method of improving student understanding and memory.

Riva Burkett

Over the past year of tutoring, one idea has consistently resurfaced in my sessions: progress in learning rarely arrives in big, dramatic breakthroughs, it come quietly through small wins. I’ve started calling this the micro-confidence effect. It’s the way a student’s belief in their ability goes from wanting to master entire topics at once, but from understanding a question they once found intimidating, completing homework without help, or correctly explaining a concept back to me.

Recently, I worked with a Year 8 student revising Linear Relationships. At the start of the session, she was hesitant, often answering with “I’m not sure” even when she was on the right track. But as we broke down each question into small, achievable steps, she started recognising that she could do it. By the end, her confidence had not only improved, the way she addressed difficult questions changed.

This has reminded me that tutoring is not simply about delivering content, it’s about shaping a student’s mindset. When students experience steady micro-successes, they become more willing to try, take risks, and engage deeply, especially in topics they’ve labelled as “hard.” Over time, this shift can be transformational, and so crucial to learn in the early years of their schooling, successfully setting them up for their senior years of high school.

As tutors, we often prioritise curriculum goals, exam preparation, and content coverage. But I’ve come to believe that one of the most valuable strategies we can adopt is intentionally designing opportunities for these small wins. Breaking tasks into shorter sections, celebrating incremental progress, and helping students recognise growth cultivates the motivation that content alone cannot create.

In an education system that often measures success with big tests and big numbers, micro-confidence is easy to overlook. But in my experience, it’s one of the most important parts in helping students not only improve academically but enjoy learning again.

Nicole Stamatelatos

What’s Changed in the New 2028 Biology Syllabus
The new Biology syllabus, set to be implemented in 2028, brings several key changes to the course structure, offering a more integrated and modern approach to learning. Here’s how the new syllabus compares to the previous one:

Year 11 Course:
Old Syllabus (2017):

Module 1: Cells as the Basis of Life

Module 2: Organisation of Living Things

Module 3: Biological Diversity

Module 4: Ecosystem Dynamics

New Syllabus (2028):

Cells as the Basis of Life

Cells to Systems

Evolution and Ecosystems

What’s Changed?
The new Year 11 syllabus consolidates the original focus areas and introduces a more integrated study of biology. The former “Organisation of Living Things” module is now merged into the broader focus on Cells to Systems, which helps students understand how cells form the basis of more complex biological structures. The addition of Evolution and Ecosystems in the new syllabus creates a stronger focus on ecological principles and evolutionary biology from the outset.
Year 12 Course:
Old Syllabus (2017):

Module 5: Heredity

Module 6: Genetic Change

Module 7: Infectious Disease

Module 8: Non-infectious Disease and Disorders

New Syllabus (2028):

Heredity

Diseases

Biodiversity

Biotechnology

What’s Changed?
In Year 12, the new syllabus streamlines the content by combining the modules on Genetic Change and Non-infectious Diseases into broader categories. The new Diseases module encompasses both infectious and non-infectious diseases, providing a more holistic approach to understanding health and disease. Biodiversity and Biotechnology are introduced as separate modules, reflecting the growing importance of biotechnology in fields like medicine and agriculture, as well as the need for conservation in an increasingly threatened world.

Summary of Key Differences:
– More Streamlined Structure: The new syllabus is more streamlined, with fewer modules that integrate related concepts. This reduces fragmentation and creates a more cohesive learning experience.
– Emphasis on Biotechnology: The new syllabus places a larger emphasis on biotechnology, reflecting its increasing relevance in modern biology.
– Evolution and Ecology: The integration of evolutionary biology and ecosystems into the
– Health and Disease: The revision of disease-related modules combines infectious and non-infectious diseases, reflecting current health challenges.

Mary Diamond

I got to observe Fred teach a Year 11 Chemistry session. While I personally do not take Chemistry, it was interesting to see how he structured his session and helped his student understand a subject as complex as Chem. It was their last session before the test, so Fred made sure to focus on the topics she had expressed she felt less comfortable in. I was really impressed with the way he had prepared worksheets on the topics he knew she struggled with before the session so that no time was wasted and they could jump straight into practice questions ! I appreciated that he would mimic a real exam by giving her questions and a time-limit to stick by. He would also complete the question himself at the same time. When the time was up, he would read her response and compare it to his own to show where she went both right and wrong in her answer. By writing his own response, it helped the student have a tangible “perfect” answer to look back on when studying as well.

Additionally, when the student showed confusion he would break down the query into a diagram alongside much simpler language. Even though I never did Chemistry for my HSC, I could still understand the rationale behind his explanations because of how easy he made it sound ! The diagrams helped a lot as well ! He was encouraging without being overbearing, and he maintained a relaxed tone that made the student feel comfortable asking questions without fear of judgement. By the end of the session, I could see a noticeable improvement in her confidence, and she expressed that she felt much more prepared for her test.

Overall, Fred’s session demonstrated thoughtful preparation, strong communication skills, and an ability to adapt his teaching style to the student’s needs.

Annaliese Lakis

The HSC is a challenging and stressful time for many students, with increasing workloads, long hours of study, and the pressure to perform. It’s natural to feel anxious, but managing stress effectively is key to staying focused and performing your best.
One of the most effective strategies is to organise your time. Create a study schedule that allows for regular breaks, which helps prevent burnout. Prioritise your tasks, focusing on the most important subjects first, and be realistic about how much you can achieve each day.
Physical activity is another powerful tool for reducing stress. Whether it’s a walk, yoga, or a workout, regular exercise helps reduce tension and boosts your mood by releasing endorphins. Aim for at least 20 minutes of physical activity daily.
Sleep is crucial too. While it may be tempting to pull all-nighters, proper rest is essential for concentration and memory retention. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Finally, talk to someone if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Whether it’s a friend, family member, or a tutor, sharing your concerns can help lighten the load.
By taking care of both your mind and body, you can manage anxiety and stress, and tackle the HSC with confidence!

Anthea Preketes

When it comes to learning, what separates students who thrive from those who struggle isn’t always talent or intelligence, it’s mindset. As tutors, helping students develop a growth mindset can be just as important as teaching content.

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, strategies and perseverance. Students with this mindset see challenges as opportunities, mistakes as lessons and feedback as guidance. In contrast, a fixed mindset, believing intelligence is innate can lead to frustration, avoidance of difficult tasks and fear of failure.

In tutoring, mindset work can be subtle but transformative. Celebrating efforts rather than just results is a simple yet powerful strategy. For example, praising a student for tackling a tough math problem, even if the solution isn’t perfect, reinforces the idea that persistence matters more than immediate success. Over time, these small affirmations help students build resilience and confidence.

Another effective approach is encouraging reflection. Asking questions like, “What strategy worked best here?” or “How could you approach this differently next time?”, shifts the focus from right or wrong answers to the learning process itself. Students start to see mistakes not as setbacks but as opportunities to grow.

Ultimately, fostering a growth mindset changes the way students engage with learning. They become more motivated, self directed and willing to take risks. Tutoring, then isn’t just about transferring knowledge it’s about shaping attitudes, building confidence and helping students realise their potential.

When students believe they can improve, the possibilities are limitless.

Isabella Naumovski

It is the dreaded science question in the HSC, a page full of lines that reads Evaluate…. for 7-9 marks. There is little to no guidance on how to answer this question and many students often don’t practise these due to the daunting nature of blank lines staring back at you. However I hope to provide some guidance and a methodical way to answer these questions.

Planning is the most important thing in this scenario. It might seem obvious but planning helps to break mental blocks by just putting words on the page. In this way, you somewhat start the question breaking that ‘blank page’ fear. Secondly, planning also shows the marker that you have thought about this question. Markers will see your planning and before going into reading your response, will have a positive assumption that you have a meaningful thought out response.

The first thing you should look at when planning is the HSC verb. This sounds a lot like it’s straight out of a textbook but the HSC verb is really important. The verb will tell you how much depth is required whether it be an ‘outline’ or ‘describe’ but also whether a judgement is required such as ‘evaluate’ or ‘assess.’ Understanding the HSC verbs is crucial when answering long response questions as entire marks can come from one point such as a judgement or including the effect.

The second thing you should look at is the breakdown of marks in the question and then ask what does this mean? Maybe a 7 mark evaluate question is one mark for a judgement and 3 points of evidence. Breaking this down further so that each point of evidence is 2 marks each accounting for the cause and effect of each example/point. Understanding what each mark corresponds to will help to keep your responses as concise as possible.

The next thing you should think about is structure: How can this be structured in a way to show the marker I know what they are asking for. A very important consideration is: Could this be in a table? In science, the amount of words won’t get you the marks, it is the clarity and how organised your points are. Therefore, tables can be really great ideas where they use half the amount of words but maximise the marks in an organised fashion.

Alana O’Sullivan

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

I had the opportunity to observe a amazing session today! It was great to see how friendly her student was and how well they got along. It was great to see how her student was very comfortable with Jemima ! They had a great relationship and they got along really well.

They started by going through any questions the student had. They then went through her students homework from last session.

They looked at the online textbook and worked through the theory and then applying the theory to different types of questions. They started by doing easy questions and then they moved to some harder questions when the student felt comfortable applying the theory. Jemima gave her student homework based on the style and type of questions they worked on during the tutorial.

They worked on the highest common factor and the lowest common factor. Then also worked on algebra. Jemima printed worksheets from the textbook for them to practice. It was great to hear Jemima’s explanation of each concept. She was very clear and engaging. She used the big whiteboard to show her working out so her student could visually see how he could solve the question.

It was great to see how engaged Jemima’s student was. He was doing a great job answering all of her questions. When her student got stuck, Jemima would give her student some hints to help him.

If her student made an error, Jemima would then explain the reason he made the error and what he needed to do to fix the error. She would go through the correct solution and the steps her student would need to follow.

Overall, Jemima did a great job helping her student. It was a great session and such a pleasure to observe. Keep it up!

Ashley Cohen