Mary tutored year 12 English focusing on Module A: Language, Identity and Culture. This student was catching up on an Asian Australian poem, ‘Home’ by Miriam Wei Wei Lo, which she had missed out on in class. This student was practicing her analytical skills, particularly focusing on identifying techniques. Once Mary helped her student identify these techniques through prompting, they discussed the purpose of the techniques and their impact on the audience.

In addition, Mary incorporated the poet’s context in order to understand the cultural references throughout the text. Alongside this, the incorporation of syllabus terminology linked the texts to ideas surrounding paradoxes and anomalous expereinces. Finally, Mary linked the text to the themes of the module; specifically focusing on the cultural links to the idea of home and how one can define what home is.

In order to consolidate the student’s knowledge Mary was testing them on specifically the five kinds of sensory imagery throughout the hour. Going through them whilst analysing, once more in the middle of the session and finally at the end of the hour as a form of recall. Overall, Mary’s session was insightful in terms of her strategies for prompting answers out of her student as well as consolidating knowledge through recall.

Angelique Lambrinos