I was lucky enough to observe Kate’s session with her maths student. I was really impressed with how she effectively used the centre resources, seeking out specific documents to match areas her student needed help with. She also made sure that her student would have adequate homework and practice materials over the course of the week, and pointed out specific questions that might challenge him. When she was going up to print, I admired how she kept the student engaged, working on a challenging question so he would always be working over the course of the session.
I also admired how she used clear, plain language and asked specific questions to point him towards the correct answer. She defined all the terms she was using, and stopped to check if he was understanding and taking in the information. When he made mistakes, she wouldn’t immediately correct him, but would instead ask questions so that he understood where he had gone wrong. She would also work the questions out in real time in front of him, explaining as she went.
She was extremely efficient at planning the session time, and ensured they were moving on quickly from complex questions so they didn’t waste time on unnecessary content.
Finally, I was intrigued by how she managed the personality and unique needs of the student. The student was reasonably shy and not very communicative, and would not always make it clear if he was understanding something. Kate relied on aspects of body language and small comments he made, and made sure to check in quickly. She was sensitive to his signs of frustration, such as sighing, and handled them gently and empathetically. She attempted to motivate him by making jokes, and it was clear they had a close relationship.

Jemima Smith