Observation

During my observation of of Hugo tutoring Mia for the English Advanced HSC, I noticed how effectively he used questioning, discussion and structure feedback to strengten her understanding. The session focused on analysing a prescribed text and improving Mia's ability to develop a clear argument in response to an essay question. Hugo began by asking Mia to explain what she thought the question was asking. This allowed him to assess her initial understanding before offering guidance, rather than immediately giving her an interpretation.

When Mia found it difficult to connect evidence to her argument, Hugo broke the process into smaller steps. He asked her to identify a relevant quotation, explain the technique used and then discuss how it supported the central idea of her paragraph. His questions encouraged Mia to reach the answer herself and made the task appear more manageable. Hugo also provided specific feedback on her responses. Instead of simply saying and asked her to revise it. This created a supportive environment where Mia appeared comfortable making mistakes and attempting improved answers.

Another effective aspect of the session was Hugo's use of examples. He modelled how to transform a basic explanation into a more analytical response, but then gave Mia a different quotation to analyse independently. This ensured that she could apply the process herself rather than just copying his answer and memorising an essay. Nea the end of the session Hugo then got her to analyse and summarise the paragraph structure and the key improvements she needed to remember.

I can apply several of these strategies to my own maths tutoring. Before demonstrating a solution, I can ask students to explain what they understood about the question and identify the information provided. I can also break complex problems down into smaller stages and use guiding questions instead of immediately supplying the answer.