Unseen texts can feel intimidating for Year 12 students, (Human Experiences: Section 1) however they’re one of the most powerful ways to showcase independent thinking and authentic analysis. In the Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences, unseen tasks assess how well students can apply their understanding of language, representation, and the rubric to a completely new text. As a tutor, teaching this skill is about balance—building confidence in technique while training students to think critically under time pressure.

The first step is demystifying the rubric. Students must be fluent in its language: “human qualities and emotions,” “anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies,” and “individual and collective experiences.” Using these terms naturally in their responses helps them sound evaluative and conceptually aware. Encourage them to link every observation about the text—whether a metaphor or tone shift—back to these ideas. For example, if a poem uses fragmented syntax, guide them to explain how this represents the fractured nature of memory or trauma.

Teaching unseen responses also means prioritising technique over plot. Train students to annotate quickly for language devices: imagery, juxtaposition, tone, structure, symbolism, and perspective. I often use the acronym SITTS (Structure, Imagery, Tone, Technique, Symbolism) to help them organise their first read. Then, they can link each technique to a human experience, such as resilience, isolation, or belonging, to form a coherent thesis.

Timing is equally critical. In an exam, students should allocate roughly five minutes to reading and annotating, ten to planning, and twenty to writing. Practice drills with short extracts build fluency in these stages. I also model paragraph structures using PEEL—Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link—to keep ideas focused and analytical.

Eleni Nicholas

Today,  I observed Thomas tutor Lucas who is currently in year 9. Thomas tutored him maths today, in preparation to his exam which is scheduled for next Monday. In order to ensure lucas is well prepared, Thomas really focused on all the topics that will appear in his exam which included area and space, measurement and bearings.
Thomas and lucas worked on questions together ranging from more simple and straight forward questions to more complex and challenging questions based on the topic. Since this was Lucas’s first session back since the 2-week school holiday, some of the content was forgotten. Thomas focused on reminding lucas on the formulas and how to work them out by using the board to draw questions and formulas and step-by-step working out to clearly see how the answer was gotten. Thomas used the textbooks available at the centre to get a variety of questions based on the topic and challenge lucas in order to be fully prepared for next Monday.
Lucas initially struggled with understanding the sides of a triangle and understanding the reasoning of why sides are equals and how to work out the angles of the triangle and external angles. Thomas thoroughly explained the concept by breaking down the steps and drawing the triangles in a simpler form in order to be clearly recognised and not confused. By the end of the session, lucas was feeling much more confident and answering the questions more independently.
to finish the class, Thomas providing lucas with various questions to help his at home preparation, the homework included all the topics included in the exam and focused specifically on the content that he struggled with.

Daniella Antoun

I observed Ashleys English session. They started going over the mod c text and explored the context of the writer. This provides a basis for the meaning behind the poems and allows the deeper meaning behind the writing to be revealed. Ashley explained why this is important and gave insights into the main themes of the poems, such as motherhood and nature. By doing this before diving into any of the poems, the student is able to have a greater understanding of the intent behind the writing and instantly recognise patterns between the different poems that can be used to form a synthesised argument in an essay. She moved through the session very clearly which allowed the student to grasp the new content easily. They started going through the poems and picked out important techniques and quotes. She also helped him unpack the deeper meaning behind these quotes and linked it back to the context that they were discussing earlier. She asked the student about what they thought the meaning behind the poem was and helped them to pick out techniques to depeen their understanding overall. They went through the poem line by line to help ensure the student grasped the poem and identify the most significant lines of the poem. She gave the student time to take notes and write down their thoughts when they needed. They also revised poetic techniques that may be used in the poetry which was implemented when they analysed the poem.

Maddie Manins

At the RAAF Base Richmond Airshow, I saw the F-35A Lightning II up close for the first time. Watching it take off and manoeuvre at high speed was incredible, but what stood out most was how much engineering is behind every part of the aircraft. It felt like seeing years of theory applied in real time.

The F-35’s shape and surface materials are carefully designed to reduce its radar signature, which is a clear application of physics and materials science. Its engine produces enough thrust to push the aircraft past the speed of sound while maintaining precise control. Seeing it climb almost vertically and turn so smoothly was a powerful example of how aerodynamics and control systems come together in practice.

The aircraft’s ability to combine data from multiple sensors to give pilots a complete picture of their environment also impressed me. It takes inputs from radar, infrared, and other systems, then fuses them in real time. It reminded me of tutoring, where connecting different ideas often helps students understand the bigger picture more clearly.

Watching the F-35 reinforced why I want to become a pilot after finishing university. My engineering studies are giving me a strong understanding of the science and technology that sit behind modern aviation. Seeing the aircraft in action made those concepts feel relevant and practical. As a tutor, I think sharing real experiences like this can help students see where their learning can lead, whether in aviation, engineering, or another field.

Cameron Rolph

Tutoring for many students can be a daunting experience as fears of judgment or the pressures from modern society may get the best of them. However as tutors we must always remember that keeping a happy, enthusiastic attitude can allow our students to gain their confidence within the classroom.

It is always important to keep an open mind within sessions, accepting creative insight from students and seeking new ways to apply them within their work. At the end of the day their work is what makes them unique and will always be visible when it comes to exams. Whilst guiding your student to the right outcomes it is important to never condemn ideas or inspirations which your student may have early on within the drafting process, however consider ways to develop these ideas to become a band six response. No idea is ever too silly, there is always potential, and it is important as tutors we should support and guide our students to showcase their individuality within their work.

Likewise within tutoring sessions it is important to keep your student motivated and engaged to continue working to their best! Some options which are always effective are the use of uno card games or opting to play a game of spot it. This allows students’ minds to relax and grant them some time to recharge and get back into it.

Furthermore, tutors should always support and guide students within their sessions. It is important as a tutor to understand the most effective ways in approaching questions depending on your students. All students learn differently, for that reason it is important that tutors adapt to the situation considering the most appropriate style of teaching for their student.

This tutoring is a skill which is developed over time, as tutors we grow and continually connect with our students, understanding their strengths and weaknesses to bring them academic success. These few tips are essential in ensuring communication and collaboration within the tutoring environment.

Flora Carabitsios

Going further that just the “how has your week been” at the start of a tutoring session is a great way to actually getting to know your students and build a relationship with them. Understanding their hobbies and things that they like to do outside of school can be a great way to do this. This helps every student look forward to coming to tutoring each week, rather than it feel like a chore and improves their focus throughout the session. As a result of this, students work more effectively throughout the session because they want to be there. Additionally, building a relationship helps to develop communication and confidence in the student. If they feel comfortable, they are more likely to ask questions that they need to without fear of being judged. Due to this, tutors are able to more effectively assist students in where they need help, which improves their learning and confidence in the subject. They are more likely to accept and learn from the feedback they you give if you have formed the basis of trust and respect, and you are able to provide this in a way that is tailored to the way that they learn best. Overall, learning about your student can provide important insight into their learning and creates a positive environment for them to learn.

Maddie Manins

After teaching math students over hundreds of hours, I’ve realised that success in maths has much less to do with talent and more to do with the problem attacking mindset and approach. In my experience, most students don’t struggle because they are naturally “bad at maths”, rather, they can often struggle because they’ve lost their confidence. As cliche as it sounds, once you start believing you can improve, I have witnessed students getting everything easier. Throughout my time tutoring, I have also learned that there’s no single right way to understand or learn a topic, some people need diagrams, others need analogies, and sometimes it takes a mix of both. Practice works best when it’s focused and attuned, most notably the strategy I end up using most often is finding a way it could relate to real life. I also found that not just doing dozens of random questions, but instead identifying where you went wrong and fixing that part goes a long way too. Progress isn’t always straight onwards and upwards either; you might hit a plateau (or horizontal asymptote), and that’s completely normal. What matters most is consistency and celebrating small wins along the way. Every time you finally get a question right or understand something that confused you before, that is the real progress. The truth is, anyone can get better at maths – it just takes patience, curiosity, and a willingness to keep trying, even when it feels tough.

Starsky

I had to great opportunity to observe a session today!

Start of lesson:
– Start tutoring with catch up talk — building relationship and understanding where the student is at with what they have learnt recently and what they’re learning now
– Discuss with the student what they want to learn/focus on this session
– Check if they did last weeks homework

During lesson
– Talk through questions, giving examples, checking understanding at each step
– Ask little questions needed as steps to check understanding not skipping straight to the answer
– Offer resources if the student doesn’t have something to work on or is unsure what to do
– Read the question aloud with student
– Ask the student definitions of harder terms to confirm they know what they mean
– Show written examples talking through steps rather than always verbalising how to work it out (writing on big whiteboard, small whiteboard, piece of paper)
– Use relevant terms when explaining and answering questions to familiarise the student with them
– Mix up the question difficulty so the student doesn’t always feel its too easy or too hard
– Develop an understanding of the best methods the student learns through (e.g. examples, repetition, manipulative’s, etc)
– Find what the students are passionate about and show an interest when they talk about it/ try to link work to it if possible

End of the lesson
– Confirm seeing them next week
– Comment on what was done this lesson
– Assign homework/ give tips for what they should work on in the upcoming week before the next session
– Congratulate them for their work effort during the lesson

– Tutor practice
– Make sure you know the answer before the student so when they tell you, you know if it is correct or incorrect and know the steps so you can quickly tell them where they went wrong
– Point to specific parts your talking about and use body language when explaining
– Admit if you accidentally say something is wrong when they actually were correct (explain why they were correct and why you thought it was incorrect)

Kaeley Pitt

Tutors play an important role in supporting students who are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. The first step is to create a calm, understanding environment where students feel comfortable expressing their concerns. Taking the time to listen and show empathy can make a big difference. Tutors can also help students manage stress by breaking larger tasks into smaller, achievable goals and setting realistic study plans. Encouraging regular breaks, healthy study habits, and positive self-talk can further build resilience.

When appropriate, tutors can remind students that it’s okay to ask for help and direct them to wellbeing or academic support services offered by their school or university. Ultimately, showing patience, understanding, and encouragement can help students regain confidence and motivation.

Katie Waller

Discursive writing is one of the most versatile forms in the HSC English exams. It asks students to explore a concept rather than argue a single position, allowing them to weave together personal voice, cultural commentary and intertextual references. Teaching it well means demystifying the balance between reflection and argument, and showing students that style is just as important as substance.

I often begin by showing students a strong exemplar. A text like this will open with an anecdotal hook and uses a conversational, self-deprecating voice to build rapport with the reader. Pointing out these features helps students see that discursive writing is not confined to formal essays: it thrives on voice, tone, humour and curiosity.

A key technique to teach is the extended metaphor. In the exemplar, the metaphor of “tasting every chocolate” runs through the piece to tie together otherwise eclectic paragraphs. Extended metaphors provide cohesion and give students a way to make abstract ideas more vivid.

Another powerful device is variation in sentence length. Students often default to long, formal sentences; showing them how a short sentence like “Not anymore.” can punctuate a paragraph for emphasis teaches them control of rhythm.

For structure, I encourage students to think in mini-essays or vignettes: each paragraph can stand almost on its own, united by the central idea. Including an abstract or playful sub-headings (like “Taste Every Chocolate”) is especially effective in Advanced English, demonstrating deliberate crafting of form.

Reflection is essential. Linking their stylistic choices to a prescribed Module C text—for example, Zadie Smith’s That Crafty Feeling—shows students they understand how form influences meaning.

When teaching, model how to brainstorm topics by pairing personal anecdotes with a broader insight: a failed netball trial as a gateway to discussing resilience, or an awkward speech contest leading into authenticity.

Ultimately, successful discursive pieces read as if the writer is inviting the reader into a lively conversation. By combining voice, metaphor, structure and reflection, students can create authentic, insightful responses that satisfy both Standard and Advanced outcomes.

Eleni Nicholas