Hey everyone!

I got the opportunity to observe Sam and his student Ned learning about simultaneous equations, functions and trigonometry in advanced maths. I liked that Sam also included a brief introduction to matrices and how they could be used to solve simultaneous equations. It made the session less tedious on the brain while adding a bit of fun to the session. When explaining functions, Sam started with a quick review of the basics to check Ned’s knowledge and made good use of verbal encouragement to increase his confidence. He also used examples that utilised skills that overlap different topic areas to help Ned consolidate his knowledge of maths (e.g. using examples from trigonometric graphs when teaching concepts about functions). Sam took the time to answer Ned’s questions in detail and used a variety of multiple-choice, short-response and verbal explanations to supplement Ned’s learning.

A highlight of the session for me was that Sam linked graphical and algebraic meanings very well, and it was clearly beneficial for Ned to be able to visualise the meanings of what he was working out on paper. This is something that I will aim to include more purposefully in my future sessions, as I have noticed visualising is an extremely effective tool that I use often, but is not something I have systematically taught to my students.

It was amazing to see how much they achieved this session, thanks for letting me observe!

Derus Kung

The academic demands of the HSC places adolescents under sustained physiological and psychological pressure, often leading to elevated anxiety. During assessment blocks, students commonly show an increase in cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, alongside faster resting heart rate and heightened sympathetic nervous system activity shifting the body into ‘flight-or-fight mode’. These physiological changes can disrupt sleep, intensity emotional reactivity and reduce the ability to concentrate for long periods, factors that directly affect exam preparation.

As workload and academic pressure increases, exercise is typically one of the first routines to decline. Most students already begin year 12 with limited movement levels, as only 11% Australians adolescents aged 15-17 meet physical activity guidelines, meaning further reductions during exam periods only amplify the body’s stress response. With lower movement associated with anxiety, poorer sleep, and greater physiological tension. In contrast, adolescents who maintain regular movement show more stable emotional and physiological responses during high-pressure academic periods. Studies involving students under school-related stress have shown that those engaging in consistent exercise report lower daily anxiety and more reliable performance on tasks involving memory and attention. Further, Aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce cortisol within 30-45 minutes of completion, contributing to a calmer physiological state during subsequent study periods This highlights the critical role of exercise in managing anxiety during exams. Maintaining regular exercise during these stressful times helps to offset the physiological stress rather than adding to it.

Daniella Antoun

If you asked any Year 12 Physics student which module keeps them up at night, the answer is almost always Electrodynamics. It is the point in the HSC syllabus where intuition usually packs its bags and leaves. Unlike projectile motion, where you can watch a ball fly through the air, this unit demands you visualise invisible fields, wrestle with the abstract concept of “flux,” and trust that a changing magnetic field really does create a current.

The complications are real. You are asked to mentally rotate 3D axes, apply Lenz’s Law to hypothetical coils, and calculate forces that don’t seemingly come from anywhere. It feels frustratingly theoretical until you realise that without these specific headaches, modern life effectively stops.

This unit isn’t just about passing exams; it is the manual for our entire power grid. Every time you flip a switch and the lights actually turn on, you are witnessing the direct application of electromagnetic induction. The precise interplay between stators and rotors in our generators, the step-up/down transformers sending power across towns, and the motors spinning in our electric cars all hinge on the laws we scribble down in class. Isn’t this exciting?

Studying this forces a strange kind of humility. When you finally grasp how Faraday or Maxwell unified electricity and magnetism (after decades of thinking, and trial and error with experiments), you realize the sheer intellectual horsepower required to discover these things. They didn’t have sensors or simulations, but raw logic and obsession.

We often take the hum of a refrigerator or the charge in a laptop for granted. But once you struggle through the content of Electrodynamics, you stop seeing them as abstract. You start seeing them for what they are: the product of human brilliance taming the fundamental forces of the universe. This is the point of Electrodynamics.

Phillip Preketes

Hey everyone, I had the amazing opportunity to observe Airi’s high school maths session.

It was great to see how friendly her student was and how well they got along. Her student was very comfortable with Airi! They had a great relationship and they got along really well. They started the session by going through the Cambridge maths textbook. They went through some trigonometry content before they did some practice questions. Airi explained to her student how to find sine, cos and tan in right angled triangles. They applied trigonometry to an unknown length on both a long and short sided triangle. Airi started with some easier trigonometry questions and once she thought her student really understood the concept and how to apply it she then started to give her student some medium and then harder questions. They eventually ended up doing some extension textbook questions.

Airi then made sure she gave her student some trigonometry questions for homework, so her student can practice what they went through in their tutoring session at home. Once her student had finished each question Airi marked it. She then went through any mistakes her student had made. She then explained in detail the correct solution. She also would write out her working out and draw triangles and diagrams to help her student visually understand the solution. Airi told her student that if she had any questions she should bring them in next week and Airi will explain the correct solution.

Airi and her student then went over some school homework questions that her student was stuck on. They went through different ways to approach the question. They also went through some trigonometry word problems.

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

Ashley Cohen

Exam season is extremely nerve-racking and has a way of turning even the most organised students into late-night snackers powered by caffeine and instant foods. When deadlines pile up like crazy and revision notes blur together through the non-stop studying, choice of food often becomes an afterthought. But what you eat during exam season can seriously affect how well your brain performs, how steady your energy feels, and even how well you sleep.

Healthy eating during exams isn’t about strict diets but rather about giving your brain the fuel it needs to work at its very best. Your brain uses a lot of energy, and it relies heavily on glucose from food. The key is choosing foods that release energy slowly, rather than causing sharp spikes and crashes like typical enjoyable snacks and drinks. Whole grains like oats and whole-wheat bread help keep concentration levels stable for longer study sessions.

Protein is another excellent choice. Foods like eggs, yogurt, beans, nuts, fish and chicken help keep you full and support brain function. Pairing this with things such as hummus with whole-grain crackers or peanut butter on toast can help you stay focused and avoid constant snacking.

Fruits and vegetables are often overlooked when stress levels rise, but they’re filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support memory and immune health. Berries, greens, bananas and oranges are especially helpful and easy to grab between study blocks. Even adding a side of vegetables to meals can make a difference.

Moreover, hydration is just as important as food. Dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue, and poor concentration which all are quite unhelpful during exams. A great tip is to keep a water bottle nearby while studying, and try to limit excessive caffeine. While coffee and energy drinks may feel helpful in the moment, too much can increase anxiety and disrupt sleep.

Finally, it is essential not to skip meals!! Skipping breakfast or lunch might seem like a time-saver, but it often backfires by reducing focus and increasing irritability (and it feels terrible to be constantly starving). Simple, quick meals are enough such as smoothies, overnight oats, soups, or wraps!!! ☺️

Amanda Susanto

In the world of tutoring, we often obsess over metrics: marks on a practice paper, the number of vocabulary words memorised, or the speed at which a student solves a quadratic equation. However, the most profound moments in a session rarely involve a grade. Instead, they are the moments of realisation after a mistake when the student pieces it all together.
True learning isn’t a linear climb; it’s a series of plateaus followed by sudden leaps in understanding. As tutors, we are often tempted to bridge that gap for the student by providing the answer. But if we give the solution up so quickly, we rob them of the cognitive struggle required to own the knowledge.

A successful session is less about being an encyclopedia and more about being a scaffold. When a student is stuck on a maths question, the goal isn’t to tell them the answer straight away. The goal is to backtrack, and ask heaps of questions to guide them through their difficulties to then be able to answer the rest of the question by themselves. When a student finally connects the dots themselves, their brain undergoes a visible shift. Their posture changes, their eyes brighten, and suddenly, the “impossible” task becomes a puzzle they’ve solved. This builds academic resilience.
To foster these moments, we must as tutors embrace the “Comfortable Silence.” Giving a student ten extra seconds to process a prompt can be the difference between them relying on us and them relying on themselves. Our value isn’t in how much we know, but in how effectively we guide a student to realise how much they are capable of knowing.

Nicole Stamatelatos

Hey everyone, today I had the opportunity to observe Airi’s year 7 maths sessions.

It was great to see how friendly her student was and how well they got along. Her student was very comfortable with Airi! They had a great relationship and they got along really well. They started the session by doing a maths NAPLAN test. Airi got her student to do the test under timed conditions and under exam conditions. Once her student had finished the test Airi marked it. She then went through any mistakes her student had made. She then explained in detail the correct solution. She also would write out her working out and draw graphs and diagrams to help her student visually understand the different ways she ca solve each question. Airi then gave her student some NAPLAN style maths questions to complete for homework. Airi told her student that if she had any questions she should bring them in next week and Airi will explain the correct solution.

Airi told her student tips for completing tests under exam conditions. She spoke about having self confidence, trying your best and the importance of not putting too much pressure on yourself. She also explained how the NAPLAN maths exam used multiple choice questions and that if she got stuck, she should not spend a long time trying to solve that question. Instead she should move onto the next question. She said to always put an answer down as her student has a twenty five percent chance of getting the right answer. Airi also spoke to her student about using the elimination method to remove incorrect answers as often a couple of the answers are very wrong and a couple of the answers are close. She also said to pick the best answer.

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

Ashley Cohe

As a new school year begins, there’s always a noticeable shift in energy among students. Fresh notebooks, new teachers, and unfamiliar routines bring a mix of excitement and hesitation. I’ve found that this period is less about jumping straight into intense study and more about turning the excitement into motivation in order to set the tone for the months ahead. How students approach the start of the year often shapes how confident and consistent they feel later on.
One thing I find that is extremely important is to start off small. After a long break, expecting yourself to be instantly productive can feel overwhelming. Instead, easing back into learning with manageable goals, such as revising one topic a week or setting aside short, focused study sessions, helps rebuild momentum. These small wins remind students that progress doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful. Another key part of finding motivation is reconnecting with purpose. At the start of the year, I encourage students to reflect on why they’re studying certain subjects and what they hope to achieve by the end of the year. Whether it’s improving confidence, reaching a specific grade, or simply feeling more organised, having a clear reason makes the effort feel worthwhile. When motivation dips, coming back to that “why” can be grounding.

I’ve also noticed that mindset plays a huge role during this transition. Many students worry about being “behind” before the year has even properly started. I try to remind them that everyone begins at a different pace, and that learning is not a race. Consistency always outweighs intensity. Showing up regularly and putting in steady effort is far more powerful than short bursts of stress-driven study.
Ultimately, the start of a new school year is an opportunity to reset. It’s a chance for students to build habits, confidence, and motivation gradually, without pressure. When they focus on progress rather than perfection, the year ahead feels far more achievable.

Katreen Diab

Being productive isn’t about studying for ten hours straight or pulling all-nighters before an exam. It’s about using your time properly and building habits that actually work long term. Anyone can feel “busy”. Not everyone is productive.
The first thing I’ve learnt is that clarity creates productivity. Before you even start studying, know exactly what you’re doing. Instead of saying, “I’m going to study Business,” say, “I’m revising financial strategies and answering two past HSC short-answer questions.” Specific tasks stop you from wasting the first 30 minutes figuring out what to do.
Time blocking is another game changer. I work in focused blocks — usually 45 to 60 minutes — with short breaks in between. During that time, my phone is on Do Not Disturb and nowhere near my desk. Multitasking is a myth. If your brain is switching between TikTok and a textbook, you’re not studying properly. Deep focus for shorter periods beats distracted studying for hours.

Active study always wins over passive study. Reading notes feels productive, but it’s low impact. Instead, test yourself. Write answers without looking. Teach the content out loud. Do past paper questions under timed conditions. If you can’t recall it without your notes, you don’t truly know it yet.
Your environment matters more than you think. A clean desk, good lighting and minimal noise make it easier to lock in. Productivity isn’t just discipline — it’s design. Set up your space so focusing becomes the easiest option.
Another big tip is starting before you feel ready. Motivation usually follows action, not the other way around. Tell yourself you’ll do just ten minutes. Once you start, momentum builds naturally.

And finally, protect your energy. Sleep properly. Eat properly. Train. See your mates. Burnout isn’t productive. Sustainable effort is. At the end of the day, productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters, consistently. Build small, focused habits, and the results compound over time.

Sara Theocharidis

Getting back into the school routine after holidays always feels harder than it should. You go from sleeping whenever you want, training when you feel like it, and living on your own schedule to alarms, timetables and deadlines. The shift feels abrupt. But I’ve learnt that the difference between starting the term stressed and starting it confident usually comes down to one thing: preparation.The first thing I fix is my sleep. There’s no point expecting yourself to wake up at 6:30am on the first day if you’ve been going to bed at 1am all holidays. About a week before school starts, I gradually move my sleep earlier, even by 30 to 45 minutes each night. It sounds simple, but once your sleep is sorted, your focus, mood and energy improve almost immediately.

Next is resetting my environment. A clean desk, organised notes and fresh books genuinely make you feel more in control. Clutter creates distraction. I also skim over last term’s work so the content feels familiar again. You don’t need to relearn everything; just refreshing the structure of topics helps you avoid that “I’ve forgotten everything” panic on Day 1.
Planning is another big one. Before the term starts, I look at each subject and think realistically about what it demands. Which subjects need weekly revision? Which require consistent practice? Understanding the workload helps you build a routine that’s sustainable rather than overwhelming.
Mental preparation matters too. Remind yourself why you’re doing this. Whether it’s your ATAR, university goals or personal standards, clarity gives you motivation when discipline feels hard.
Most importantly, start small. Build momentum instead of chasing perfection. Consistency beats intensity. With the right preparation, returning to school feels less stressful and far more controlled.

Sara Theocharidis