Sophie’s tutoring session went exceptionally well, with a strong focus on ensuring the student gained a clear and confident understanding of the topic of surds in mathematics. From the beginning of the session, Sophie demonstrated a well-structured and thoughtful approach. She began by clearly outlining all the fundamental rules of surds, including how to simplify them, rationalise denominators, and operate with both like and unlike surds. Her explanations were clear, concise, and tailored to the student’s current level of understanding, which helped create a supportive learning environment.

Throughout the session, Sophie consistently checked in with the student to make sure they were keeping up with the content. Rather than simply presenting information, she encouraged active engagement by asking purposeful questions that tested comprehension. This allowed her to identify any areas of confusion early and clarify them in real time, ensuring the student remained on the front foot and did not fall behind.

What stood out was Sophie’s ability to encourage the student to think independently and apply the rules in a variety of contexts. By using a range of examples and providing opportunities for the student to attempt questions on their own, she built their confidence and understanding. Sophie patiently guided the student through each step when needed, reinforcing key concepts and celebrating their progress.

The session concluded with a short recap to consolidate learning and ensure the student felt confident moving forward. Sophie also offered strategies for approaching similar problems in the future. Overall, the session was highly productive and showed Sophie’s strong ability to communicate complex ideas in a student-friendly way, foster engagement, and support academic growth.

Jordan Udler