Observing Alex’s tutoring session for the Year 12 Maths Standard Program. During the second hour of his session, they went through trial exam questions. After allowing the students time to solve questions, he would ask whether they are finding any questions challenging. After a small discussion, and a breakdown of the topic in question, he would help the students find the answer out for themselves. This allows the students enough time to think about the question, and gives them the opportunity to answer it themselves. I also noticed how he used targeted questioning to check the student’s knowledge and encouraged them to explain their reasoning rather than simply providing answers.

After checking the students working out, Alex also identified common mistakes and addressed them through worked examples, helping the student build confidence. Through the exam, he highlighted exam strategies and techniques to improve on time management and to show clear working out. This observation showed me the value of combining topic revision with regular exam practice to strengthen both subject knowledge and exam performance; something I am going to incorporate within my own program sessions.

James Bletsas