Today I observed Isabella working with a Year 11 student on area and perimeter. The session was well organised and demonstrated Isabella’s ability to explain mathematical concepts in a clear and engaging way.

One of the strengths of the lesson was Isabella’s ability to break complex problems into smaller and more manageable steps. Rather than jumping straight into formulas, she first ensured the student understood the difference between area and perimeter conceptually. She used simple explanations and diagrams to reinforce the purpose of each calculation, helping the student understand not just how to solve the questions, but why each method was used.

Isabella also made excellent use of the board throughout the session. She carefully drew shapes and labelled dimensions clearly, which provided strong visual support for the student. By working through calculations step by step on the board, she helped the student stay organised and follow the logic behind each solution.

Another positive aspect of the lesson was the way Isabella encouraged participation. She frequently asked the student questions throughout the working process rather than simply completing the questions herself. This kept the student actively engaged and allowed Isabella to check understanding as the lesson progressed.

When the student made mistakes, Isabella responded calmly and used them as teaching opportunities. She guided the student back through the process and helped identify where the misunderstanding had occurred, which created a supportive learning environment and encouraged confidence.

Demetria Koutavas

From observing Hugo’s Session, I got a good idea of how Hugo actively engages his younger students in sessions while still keeping a strong positive environment for his student to learn and grow their knowledge in.

Firstly, Hugo started with a friendly and open mood, and held that atmosphere throughout the whole session, allowing him to keep the student constantly engaged in the work, while also preventing the session from moving into slow paced and lacking in work and growth.

When it came time for the student to complete an extended exercise or task, Hugo ensured the student’s active concentration and completion of that task with a small, friendly incentive which still revolved around the topic (e.g. English).

For example, when Hugo asked the student to complete a series of questions, he mentioned that afterwards, they could “both write down long words and compare to see who won.” not only is this an engaging incentive for a younger student, it also encourages the student to revise the English work that they had just completed, so that they can positively compete.

Furthermore, by rewarding the student (choosing a shorter word than the student), it allows Hugo to much more easily link into doing more work with positive reinforcement; it invites the student into continuing to complete similar work as they understand it both more clearly, and believe in their own competence slightly more.

Overall, Hugo made friendly jokes, often relating to the topics at hand, at times when the session began to slow down, to keep the student engaged, and from there chained onto more exercises. He ensured an environment perfect for a student, especially a younger one, to learn and prosper their education with appropriate engagement choices at appropriate times all the while keeping a positive, forward attitude in between.

Felix Panizza

John began the session by reviewing and marking Samuel’s homework, identifying a few mistakes and explaining them thoroughly. They carefully worked through the errors to ensure Samuel understood the topic really well.

He then spent a large portion of the lesson reviewing Samuel’s Math exam from last term, focusing on equations and Algebra. This part of the session was very effective because it helped the student identify his mistakes and learn how to correct them. John carefully broke down the questions on the whiteboard to help the student visually and he was being patient and clear with the explanations. He also consistently linked the mistakes to the underlying mathematical concepts, helping the student recognise and refrain from recurring mistakes. Additionally, he reinforced the topic of expanding brackets, collecting like terms and cross multiplication with simplification by writing additional equations and algebraic questions on the board for the student to complete on his own. This encouraged Samuel to independently complete a few questions after using the modelling questions as a guide. This also helped build his confidence and ensured that he applies the methods independently.

The remainder of the session aligned with the student’s current class topic to ensure the student stayed up to date with school work and continued developing his mathematical skills.

Overall, John’s method of tutoring is very effective and he is a patient tutor who explains mathematical concepts thoroughly and in a way that is easy for the students to understand. His approach not only focuses on correcting students’ mistakes but helping them remember and apply the necessary methods independently with confidence.

Razan Rustom

A big part of tutoring is helping students feel confident in themselves. A lot of students come into sessions already thinking they are “bad” at a subject, especially maths or science. When students feel embarrassed or nervous about getting answers wrong, it becomes harder for them to learn. That’s why building confidence is just as important as teaching the content itself. A tutor who is patient and encouraging can completely change the way a student approaches schoolwork.

Building rapport with students makes a huge difference in how comfortable they feel during lessons. Simple things like remembering their interests, asking about their week, and speaking to them respectfully help create a positive environment. Students are more likely to ask questions and stay engaged when they feel supported instead of judged. Strong rapport also helps tutors understand how each student learns best, which makes lessons more effective and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Confidence grows over time through encouragement and small successes. Praising effort rather than just correct answers helps students develop a growth mindset and become more willing to try difficult questions. Tutors should remind students that mistakes are a normal part of learning and improvement takes practice. Even small improvements can have a big impact on a student’s motivation. At the end of the day, students learn best when they believe they are capable, and a supportive tutor can play a major role in helping them reach that point.

Sophie McGrath

Today, I observed Vicki tutor a Year 7 student on Shakespeare’s play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and her strategy made the student less intimidated by Shakespearean play format and helped her actually enjoy the play/English literature.

Instead of jumping straight into analysing quotes and literary techniques, Vicki focused on making the story enjoyable first. She described the play as “basically magical chaos,” which instantly made the student laugh and relax. Rather than treating Shakespeare like something overly serious and untouchable, she approached it as entertainment, which helped the student engage much more naturally with the text.

One thing that stood out was how interactive the lesson was. Vicki encouraged the student to read parts of the script aloud and even act out certain scenes. This made the dialogue feel less confusing and helped the student understand the emotions behind the words. The scenes involving Puck were especially effective because the humour and trickery kept the student interested throughout the lesson.

Vicki also constantly connected the play back to modern experiences. She compared the relationship drama in the play to “friendship group chaos,” which made the themes much easier for the student to understand and relate to. Instead of feeling like an old text with no relevance, the play started to feel surprisingly modern.
This is also building essential skills that will help the student all throughout highschool, where we try to appreciate texts context in the modern world, particularly how texts have universal themes. The universal themes make texts timeless, meaning they can have relevance to the human experience, regardless of context. This is why we can still analyse texts from the 15th/16th century today, and they still teach us some valuable lessons about the human experience.

Overall, observing this lesson showed how important engagement is when teaching Shakespeare to younger students. Vicki’s relaxed and interactive approach helped turn a difficult text into something fun, memorable and much less intimidating

Mary Diamond

Learning is one of the most valuable skills a person can develop. It is not limited to classrooms or formal education; it happens every day, often in small and unnoticed ways. Whether you are picking up a new hobby, improving at work, or understanding the world more deeply, learning shapes how you grow and adapt. One of the most effective ways to learn is to stay curious. Curiosity pushes you to ask questions instead of accepting things at face value. When you wonder why something works or how it is done, you open the door to deeper understanding. This mindset turns everyday experiences into learning opportunities.

Another important habit is consistency. Learning does not happen all at once; it builds gradually over time. Spending even 20 to 30 minutes a day on a skill, reading, practicing, or reviewing, can lead to significant progress. Small, regular efforts are often more powerful than occasional long study sessions. It is also helpful to embrace mistakes. Many people fear failure, but mistakes are actually one of the best teachers. When something goes wrong, it highlights what needs improvement. Instead of avoiding errors, try to analyze them. Ask yourself what went wrong and what you would do differently next time. Different methods of learning can also improve results. Some people learn better by reading, others by watching, listening, or doing hands-on practice. Mixing these approaches helps reinforce knowledge in different ways. For example, combining reading with practice can make new information easier to remember.

Finally, reflection is key. Taking time to think about what you have learned helps solidify it in your memory. You might write notes, summarise ideas, or simply review your progress at the end of the week. Learning is not a destination, it is an ongoing process. The more you engage with it, the more confident and capable you become in handling new challenges. By staying curious, consistent, and open to mistakes, you can make learning a natural and rewarding part of your life.

Alicia French

Physics in Years 11 and 12 is not just about formulas, forces, electricity, or motion. It is one of the strongest subjects for teaching students how to think clearly under pressure. At this level, students are asked to move beyond memorising answers. They must interpret evidence, test assumptions, build models, and decide whether a conclusion is actually supported by data.

This matters because real life rarely gives neat questions with obvious answers. In physics, a student might predict how an object will move, design an experiment, collect measurements, notice errors, and then revise their explanation. That process is critical thinking in practice. It teaches students to ask: What do I know? What am I assuming? Is this result reliable? What else could explain it?

Years 11 and 12 physics also builds comfort with uncertainty. Students learn that being wrong is not failure; it is often the beginning of better reasoning. A failed experiment, an unexpected graph, or a calculation that does not fit the evidence forces students to slow down and think more carefully. That skill is useful in university, work, relationships, finance, health decisions, and public debate.

Another major benefit is problem-solving discipline. Physics problems often require students to break complex situations into smaller parts, identify relevant information, ignore distractions, and justify each step. This helps students become less reactive and more analytical.

Even students who do not become scientists gain something lasting. They learn how to question claims, evaluate evidence, recognise weak reasoning, and make decisions based on logic rather than guesswork. In a world full of misinformation, fast opinions, and shallow answers, physics gives students a mental toolkit that is practical far beyond the classroom.

Studying physics in senior high school helps students become better thinkers, not just better students.

Phillip Preketes

Tutoring English has shown me that the subject is often misunderstood by students as something rigid, when in reality it’s deeply interpretive and personal. Many students come in thinking there is always a single “right” answer, especially when analysing texts. What I’ve observed, however, is that their initial ideas are often insightful, they just lack the confidence or structure to express them clearly. A large part of tutoring English, then, becomes about validating their interpretations while guiding them to refine and support those ideas with evidence.

One of the most noticeable challenges is helping students move from basic comprehension to deeper analysis. They can usually summarise what happens in a text, but struggle to explain how or why it matters. I’ve found that breaking this barrier requires shifting their focus from “what” to “how”—how language creates meaning, how techniques shape tone, and how context influences interpretation. Once students begin to see texts as constructed rather than just written, their responses become more sophisticated and original.

Another key observation is how much vocabulary and expression impact performance. Some students understand a concept but can’t articulate it effectively, which limits their marks. Teaching them how to write analytically, using precise language, embedding quotes, and structuring arguments, often leads to noticeable improvement, even if their underlying ideas haven’t drastically changed.

Perhaps most importantly, tutoring English has highlighted the emotional side of the subject. Students can feel exposed when sharing interpretations, especially if they’re unsure. Creating a space where their ideas are taken seriously encourages them to engage more openly. Over time, I’ve seen that confidence in expressing an opinion is just as important as understanding the text itself, and often the key to genuine progress.

Lara Venn Jones

As a student, organisation was never something that came naturally to me. Whether it was procrastination, overestimating how much I could get done in a night, or simply not sticking to a schedule, I often found myself working reactively rather than proactively.

Ironically, it wasn’t school that taught me how to be organised it was tutoring.

At school, the consequences of disorganisation are largely individual. If you fall behind, miss a task, or leave things until the last minute, the impact tends to circle back to you. There’s a level of flexibility in that kind of independence, but also a kind of complacency. You can afford to be disorganised because, ultimately, you’re the only one directly affected.

Tutoring shifts that paradigm entirely. Being late to respond to a message doesn’t just inconvenience you; it affects a student waiting for clarification, a parent trying to coordinate schedules, or a centre manager relying on your reliability. Missing a session or failing to prepare doesn’t just mean lost marks, it means lost trust.

That shift in accountability forces a different mindset. Organisation becomes less about personal discipline and more about responsibility to others. In balancing university and tutoring, I’ve had to develop systems that I previously avoided, keeping track of sessions, planning ahead, responding promptly, and structuring my week with intention.

More than anything, tutoring has shown me that organisation isn’t just a skill, it’s a form of respect. Respect for other people’s time, expectations, and trust.

Cara Charalambous

When an individual studies, the brain triggers neuroplasticity which strengthens neural connections to form new neural circuits. These connections get stronger over time with repetition which allowing nerve impulses to travel faster and more efficiently. Music has been seen to have a noticeable influence on neuroplasticity by stimiulating brain regions that are responsible for emotion, memory and attention which facilitates the the creation of neural pathways and simultaneously strengths existing ones. With this being said, it has been shown that not all music is beneficial and the general literature consensus concludes that the best music to listen to is instrumental, low volume and predictable.

Lyrical music has been shown to have negative effects on cognitive performance as it often creates a distracting environment. The addition of another cognitive load puts stress on the language processing sensors of the brain hindering memory and reading comprehension. However, depending on the task being completed lyrical music may be beneficial, primarily in the context of less demanding tasks such as organising notes due to its ability to boost mood and therefore increase motivation.

Alternatively, more instrumental music such as classical, lo – fi beats or jazz creates a calmer environment, reducing cortisol allowing the brain to focus freely on an individual task without any other elements of distraction or neural load. In addition to this the complex tempo of instrumental type music synchronises the brains hemisphere through a phenomenon known as neural entrainment in which brain waves align with the melodic and rhythmic patterns of the music. This is known to improve focus and memory acting as a simple performance boost.

The type of music an individual listens to whilst studying, if chosen well, can have significant positive impacts on neuroplasticity and thus the brains ability to perform whilst studying. However if chosen poorly, music may hinder performance, primarily through the distraction of lyrics. It is important to consider the type of music you are listening to ensure you are benefiting the most from studying,

Deuchar Dezarnaulds