I genuinely never expected the skills I’ve developed from tutoring to trickle so gracefully into the rest of my everyday life, but they have and continue to do so in ways that I am honestly really grateful for.

Patience; the first one that comes to mind. When working with someone who’s trying their best to understand something and it’s just not clicking for them, you learn to slow down, listen and try a different angle without letting emotions take over. That same patience has carried over into the rest of my life; when plans switch up at the last minute, when technology decides to stop cooperating or when a friend needs some extra time to process something. I also find myself taking things in stride far more effortlessly than I used to.

Another awesome one’s been the ability to articulate things, way more clearly. Tutoring requires us to break down complex ideas into simple, understandable pieces and to pay close attention to what someone actually needs (rather than what we assume they need)!! That habit of speaking clearly and thoughtfully has helped me heaps in conversations with loved ones, and even in quick, everyday interactions. It’s been pleasantly surprising to me just how much smoother life can become when you have the ability to express yourself in a way that makes sense (the first time)!!

Last but not least, time management (might be the most practical skill I’ve gained). Balancing different students, preparing lessons and keeping track of daily, changing schedules has taught me how to stay organized, without stressing myself out. Now, when I look at a busy day, I can prioritize and easily map out what needs to get done and actually follow through without feeling bombarded. It’s made my days feel a lot more intentional and much less scattered.

Overall, I’m very grateful. ❤️

Thomas Koutavas

Hey everyone, today I had the amazing opportunity to observe Jemima’s session.

It was great to see how friendly her student was and how well they got along. Her student was very comfortable her student felt with her!. They had a great relationship and they got along really well.

They started by going through her students homework.

They went through different types of questions to work out what the difficulty of the questions. They did some easy questions a when her student felt more confident they then moved on to do some harder questions.

They went through some practice linear regression questions. They went through the structure of each question and the key terms of the question. They went through an appropriate solution she can follow.

They looked at the online textbook and worked through the theory and then applying the theory to different types of questions. They started by doing easy questions and then they moved to some harder questions when the student felt comfortable applying the theory.

When her student got stuck, Jemima would give her student some hints to help her. If her student made an error Jemima would then explain what error she made and would then go through the correct steps her student would need to follow.

Jemima gave her student some homework, based on what they went through in the session.

Overall, Jemima did a great job helping her student. It was a great session and such a pleasure to observe. Keep it up!

Ashley Cohen

Many students participate in sports, extracurricular activities, tutoring and volunteering opportunities on top of their normal school hours. This means that they must be organised with the free time that they do have to ensure that they keep up with their study and revision. So, here are some of my best study techniques for busy students:

1. The pomodoro technique is your best friend! Working in 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks enables students to remain motivated with their study by allowing them to work in short, energetic bursts.

2. Make the most of the ‘in-between’ time. If you have a particularly long commute or have some waiting time before an activity starts, you can use this time to go over some flashcards or read over a practice essay you have written.

3. Ensure you are using mobile apps like Quizlet or Anki to revise ‘on the go’. These apps also add an element of fun into your study by allowing you to create quizzes to revise for content-heavy subjects.

4. Teach someone your content! For example, if you are travelling home with a friend after a soccer game and you both want to study for English, why not talk aloud to one another about the text you have been assigned? Or you can even teach your sibling about your modern history content or talk through a chemistry module with them to break up the monotony of sitting at your desk.

5. Take time for yourself to relax and refuel. If you are a busy student spreading your time between sports, school, tutoring and other activities then staying hydrated, fuelling your body with good food and sleeping well helps you stay energised. Also, blocking out time in your schedule to have longer relaxation breaks where you are resting without having any commitments on is vital to recharge your mind.

Kristina McLean

Many students often struggle with certain topics, they list Math topics like fractions or decimals or film analysis in English, but the real challenge sometimes is the thinking or learning style behind it. Some students tend to rush because they are scared of being wrong. Some overthink because they want everything perfectly done. Others memorise because it feels safer and quicker than understanding. These habits may be invisible to them but they sure are obvious to a tutor.
A tutor’s job is to decode those learning patterns by observing the gaps and weaknesses of their students and help them adjust while still considering their way of learning by breaking it down. This could be in a fun, visual way or by practical exercises. Students then become more strategic and often start leading discussions. This enables the tutor to finally learn that the student is adapting because tutoring is not about giving the answer to the student but rather teaching them a new way to see themselves as capable learners and give them options to see which learning style suits them best.

Razan Rustom

Understanding the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is essential for tutors to holistically support students in their learning. No student is the same, and it’s important to understand how students learn best to enhance the effectiveness of each lesson.

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside the student. It’s driven by rewards, expectations, and pressure: getting a high grade, earning screen time, impressing a parent, or avoiding consequences. These motivators can be helpful when a student feels stuck or uninterested. They provide structure, accountability, and a clear reason to begin a task. But they also have limits. Extrinsic motivators often create short bursts of effort rather than sustained curiosity, and once the reward disappears, so does much of the drive.

Intrinsic motivation, however, grows from within the student. It appears when they feel curious, engaged, or personally connected to what they’re learning. A student might enjoy solving puzzles, feel proud of improving, or recognise how a skill supports their future goals. Intrinsic motivation encourages deeper learning, persistence, and confidence, but it can take time to develop, especially if a student has experienced frustration or self-doubt.

So why is every student different? Because motivation is shaped by countless factors: personality, past experiences, family expectations, confidence levels, and even subject preference. A reward that energises one student may do nothing for another. A topic that sparks curiosity in one learner may overwhelm someone else.

That’s why effective tutoring isn’t one-size-fits-all. Tutors must identify what each student values, what obstacles they face, and what kind of support helps them feel capable and empowered. The goal is to use extrinsic motivation strategically while nurturing intrinsic motivation over time.

Jessica Ciappara

Parents often worry that their child is falling behind, especially when grades dip or confidence drops. It is a phrase that carries a lot of stress but in reality it rarely means what people think. At First Education we see students at every stage of their learning and the good news is that falling behind is almost always fixable. In many cases it is far less dramatic than it feels.

Students fall behind for many reasons that have little to do with ability. Sometimes it is missing a key concept early in the term. Sometimes it is a busy schedule, an illness or a change in routine that interrupts learning. As content becomes more complex, even a small gap can grow if it is not caught quickly. The important thing to understand is that these gaps are not a measure of intelligence. They are simply moments where a student needed more time or support than the classroom could offer.

Tutoring helps by slowing the pace and identifying exactly where the misunderstanding started. Once students rebuild the missing skills they often catch up faster than expected. We see this frequently with students who have been confused for weeks. When the right explanation clicks they move forward with much more confidence.

Another part of the solution is helping students feel comfortable admitting what they do not understand. Many young people keep quiet at school because they do not want to look behind compared to their peers. In one on one support they can ask questions, revisit older skills and learn without pressure. As their confidence grows they become more engaged in class, which naturally leads to improved results.

It is also worth remembering that progress is rarely a straight line. Students move through phases of growth, consolidation and challenge. A dip in performance is usually a sign they are encountering new material or developing more advanced thinking. With guidance and consistent practice they can work through this stage and come out stronger.

Falling behind is not a permanent label. With targeted support, patience and the right strategies, students can regain their footing and often exceed their previous level.

Freddie Le Vay

As a tutor, I spend a lot of time encouraging my students to build healthy study habits, but one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned myself is the importance of taking breaks. It’s easy to fall into the mindset that productivity means constant focus, constant movement, constant output. But the truth is, neither students nor tutors are designed to operate at full speed all the time.

Some of my most effective sessions have come after giving a student a few minutes to reset, stretch, breathe, grab a drink, or simply step away from a tricky problem. Breaks help reduce stress and allow the brain to process information in the background, often leading to those “lightbulb moments” once we return to the work. I’ve seen students come back more confident, more attentive, and more willing to engage with challenging material.

As tutors, we should also model what we teach. When I pace myself, schedule pauses between sessions, and allow room to breathe, I show my students that rest isn’t a reward, it’s part of learning. Breaks make us sharper, more patient, and more effective. In the end, taking time away from the desk is often what brings us closer to mastering what’s on it.

Avigal Holstein

I have always felt that asking questions is one of the most valuable parts of tutoring. When I ask a student a question, it places them in a moment where they have to stop, think, and engage with the material in a real way. It puts them on the spot, but in a positive and productive sense. I never want a session to feel passive or like the student is simply being spoken at and in my opinion questions help prevent that. They make sure the student is mentally involved and that the time we spend together is genuinely useful.

When I ask questions such as “How did you get that answer?” or “Can you explain that step to me?”, I can quickly see how well the student understands what we are working on or why and where in their thinking they were wrong. Sometimes a student might nod along because they do not want to admit they are confused, however direct questions can reveal those moments. They show me where to slow down, where to repeat something, or where to build on what the student already knows.

I also encourage my students to ask me questions of their own. I believe strongly that a student who asks questions is a student who is thinking. When they ask for clarification or want to check whether they are on the right track, it shows they are trying to piece the topic together for themselves. That type of curiosity tells me they are not just memorizing information but actually trying to understand it.

If no one in the session is asking questions, the learning becomes flat and one sided. It might as well be a recording of someone reading through the content with no interaction at all. Real learning needs dialogue and I think that questions create that dialogue. They facilitate proper understanding of a topic, confidence, and ensure the student and tutor are on the same page.

Alexis Papas

Maths isn’t just another school subject; it’s the operating system beneath almost every decision we make. Kids need it for reasons that go well beyond passing tests. The point is straightforward: learning maths trains the mind to interpret the world in a structured, testable way.

Start with the basics. Numbers describe reality. Whether a child is comparing prices, measuring ingredients, or keeping track of time, they’re already using maths. Without a solid foundation, these everyday tasks become guesswork. With it, decisions become clearer, quicker, and far less prone to error.

Maths also develops a specific style of thinking: breaking problems into parts, testing assumptions, and checking results. These skills don’t stay in the classroom—they shape how kids approach planning, disagreements, creativity, and risk. A child who can reason through a maths problem is practising how to reason through life.

There’s also the job market. Modern work relies on quantitative skills more than ever. Coding, engineering, finance, medicine, architecture, data analysis, every one of these fields depends on mathematical logic. Even careers that feel distant from maths, like design or journalism, increasingly rely on data and measurement. Kids who grow up comfortable with numbers aren’t just “good at maths”; they’re prepared for an economy where analysis is expected.

Finally, maths teaches something subtle but crucial: certainty must be earned. You don’t declare an answer correct, you prove it. That habit builds intellectual honesty. Kids learn that confidence comes from evidence, not assumption.

The case for maths is practical, cognitive, and long-term. Teach kids maths because it’s how they learn to think, decide, and navigate a world built on numbers.

Saoirse Early

In the one-to-one session on percentages, Anthea revisited what a percentage represents and confirmed the student’s prior understanding. She used a bar graph to illustrate how 100% can be partitioned into parts, which helped the student clearly visualise the relationship between percentages, fractions, and whole quantities. Throughout the worked examples, she encouraged the student to verbalise their reasoning, allowing her to respond directly to misconceptions and build confidence.

She did many things well that assisted the student’s learning:

Integrated a bar graph effectively to support conceptual understanding.

Used focused questioning that prompted the student to explain their thinking.

Adjusted the pace according to the student’s needs and provided targeted prompts.

Maintained clear, real-world contexts that made percentage calculations meaningful.

Mary Diamond