Observation

I was observing Toby's tutoring session today for Maths. I thought his session was run really well and I particularly appreciated the way he structured the session around completing a practice paper. As the student was confident and comfortable with the content, Toby instructed him to test his knowledge by completing a past paper. This not only gave the student the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a distraction free environment, but also allowed Toby to identify any areas where they were less confident and needed some support. I really liked this approach as often practice paper questions are a different skill than normal textbook questions and can require a lot more problem solving. Therefore, it really tests the students knowledge and understanding.

Throughout the session, Toby gave the student enough time to attempt each question independently, checking constantly to ensure the student was on the right track. If he noticed he needed to step in and explain something or if the student flagged he was confused, Toby made sure to outline what the student needed to achieve full marks in the question. He asked questions along the way to check the students understanding and made sure their working out was adequate.

I also liked that Toby used the practice paper to identify mistakes and turn them into learning opportunities. When the student made an error, he was patient and gave them the opportunity to look back over their solution before stepping in if the student was not able to recognise the mistake.

Overall, I thought Toby ran a well-structured and productive session. Using the practice paper gave the lesson a clear focus as the student was comfortable with all the content.