I had the pleasure of observing my good friend Chloe tutor and her student in Mathematics.
Chloe appeared to be tutoring her Year 9 student, focussing specifically on two main topics – factorising and financial mathematics. They were working through textbook questions as well as printed worksheets / past paper questions. I commend Chloe for her unique ability to inspire efficiency within her lessons. This was made clear when I noticed her marking her student’s work, while at the same time her student was working on a new question. In this way, Chloe was able to get through an array of questions and maximise productivity throughout the lesson.
In alignment with her diligent and productive nature, Chloe tutors in a way that is highly engaging. By asking her student questions and prompting thought she was able to solidify her understanding of certain concepts, rather than solely telling her student the answer. This interactive method of promoting thought is necessary when teaching students as it allows the development of active recall and critical thinking.
Chloe’s optimism provided a sense of reassurance to her student, particularly when she appeared to be worried about an upcoming exam and the style of questions that she will be examined on. Chloe’s ability to reassure her student through positive reinforcement, in alignment with her direct way of communicating, provide her students with confidence and allow them to understand and retain information. As tutors we must all be able to provide this reassurance to our students and aim to inspire confidence within them.
It is clear that Chloe is a highly skilled tutor and places much emphasis on the success of her students. Overall, I believe that it would be wise for other tutors to adopt Chloe’s innate ability to be efficient, coupled with her ability to effectively communicate with others in the pursuit of their learning.
James Petrakis
