As a tutor, our role goes beyond simply answering a student’s questions and explaining concepts. We are there to motivate, guide and empower our students, helping them to unlock their full potential and reach their academic objectives. To maximise each tutoring session, it is integral to have a strategy, to keep the sessions engaging and to tailor each session to our different students’ unique needs. One key way tutors can maximize their tutoring sessions is by setting clear goals for each session. Before each session, take a few minutes to set specific, attainable goals. Ask yourself: What do I want my student to comprehend at the end of the session? What skills do I want to narrow in on? These goals can vary from mastering particular concepts to developing study techniques they can employ in their own personal study time. Having a clear focus empowers both the tutor and their student to stay on track within the session, giving the student a sense of accomplishment at the end of each lesson. Moreover, a tutor can engage with their students’ learning style to maximise their session. Each student learns differently, with approaches ranging from visual and auditory learners to reading/writing learners. Take time to understand how your student learns best and mould your teaching methods accordingly. For a visual learner, for example, the whiteboard may be a useful tool to explain key concepts in an engaging manner. Similarly, a reading/writing student may prefer timed tasks such as practice responses within the lesson to ensure adequate understanding of the information. On a broader sense, tutors should engage in reflection across their working period to recentre their understanding of their goals. Primarily, tutors should ask themselves are the methods working? Are they meeting their goals? In considering this, they should adjust their strategy accordingly to keep each individual student on track.

Georgina Maxwell