Recently, I had some time to research different methods of tutoring. One particular method that has reshaped the way I work with students is the Socratic method. Instead of giving answers directly, this approach focuses on asking thoughtful, guiding questions that help students uncover solutions on their own. It might sound simple, but it completely transforms the learning experience.

The Socratic method specifically relies on human curiosity. When a student makes a mistake, rather than correcting it immediately, I ask questions like, “What made you choose that step?” or “Does this result make sense with the question?” These prompts encourage students to pause, reflect, and become active participants in understanding their own thinking. Over time, they start asking themselves these questions naturally, and that’s where the real growth happens.

One of the biggest advantages of this method is that it builds confidence. Students don’t feel like they’re being lectured; instead, they feel like partners in a conversation. They learn that it’s okay not to know the answer right away, as long as they’re willing to think it through. This is especially powerful during high-pressure periods like exams, when the ability to reason independently becomes just as important as knowing the content.

The Socratic method also strengthens long-term retention. When students actively work through a problem, the solution sticks far better than if I simply explained it to them. They form mental connections, spot patterns, and develop problem-solving habits they can apply across subjects.

Overall, the Socratic method is about empowering students to trust their own minds. By turning each question into a gentle nudge rather than a direct instruction, tutoring becomes not just a transfer of knowledge but a way of teaching students how to think.

Katreen Diab

As the end of term and Christmas holidays approach, students can find it hard to stay motivated and focused on completing their work, especially when there are so many exciting things happening outside the classroom. I’ve found with my younger students that some effective strategies to maintain productive and enjoyable sessions include incorporating a range of activities that can be personalised to the individual student’s interests and learning needs, whether that’s through games, creative tasks, movement breaks or real-world examples that feel meaningful to them.

This positive environment also strengthens the relationship between tutor and student, which is essential for a successful tutoring experience. There are many ways to foster this connection, one of which I’ve seen through supporting students as they make mistakes, problem-solve and overcome challenges. By knowing when to step in with extra guidance and when to encourage independence, I’m able to help build self-confidence and resilience—skills that benefit students not only during tutoring sessions, but also at home and in the classroom.

Different ways to keep students on track include setting small goals to maintain motivation and focus, and making sure that the student actively participates in setting these in a way where they feel in control of their learning. Additionally, offering choice in every activity furthers the relationship-building between student and tutor whilst encouraging a sense of ownership, autonomy and genuine engagement with the task. As the end of year comes to an end, it’s important to remind our students of how far they’ve come this year and acknowledge their hard work and commitment to their learning. This can be communicated to parents and teachers through brief progress updates or informal check-ins, allowing for continuity, shared understanding and aligned support across home, school and tutoring environments. Overall, by maintaining a positive, student-centred approach, we can continue to foster confidence, curiosity and long-term learning success.

Annabelle Molloy

It hits you at weird times — scrolling through old photos, passing by a park full of kids in uniforms, or hearing a bell ring somewhere in the distance. Suddenly, you realise you miss school. Not necessarily the homework or exams, but the world that came with it.

School has a rhythm you don’t understand until it’s over. Waking up early felt annoying at the time, but now there’s something comforting about the predictability — the same walk to class, the same group of friends waiting near the lockers, the same teachers who somehow knew when you were having a bad day.

You start to miss the in-between moments the most. The five-minute chats before class. The inside jokes that lasted for years. The way a whole classroom would collectively sigh when a teacher mentioned a surprise test. The rush to finish assignments in the library during lunch. Even the days that felt boring or frustrating now feel like they belonged to some bigger story.

Life after school becomes more independent, but also more scattered. People drift. Routines change. And suddenly the thing you once counted down to escape becomes something you want to step back into, even just for a day.

But missing school isn’t really about the building or the timetable. It’s about missing a time when life felt simpler, even if you didn’t realise it then. It’s about missing the friends you saw every day without effort, the structure that kept you grounded, and the sense that you were all growing up together.

It’s okay to feel nostalgic. Missing school means you had moments worth remembering — moments that shaped you. And even though you can’t go back, those memories stay warm, familiar, and yours forever.

Sara Theocharidis

In a world where everyone seems exhausted, stressed, or stretched too thin, a new trend has been quietly reshaping the way people think about rest: micro-adventures. Unlike big holidays that require planning, money, and time off work, micro-adventures are tiny bursts of exploration you can do anytime — after school, after work, or even during a free hour on the weekend.

The idea is simple: you don’t need a plane ticket or two weeks of leave to feel alive again. You just need something small that breaks your routine.

A micro-adventure can be as easy as watching a sunrise from a local lookout, taking a different route home, trying a new café in a suburb you’ve never visited, or going for a night walk with music you love. It can be a quick beach dip before dinner, a picnic in your backyard, or sitting somewhere new with a sketchbook or journal.

What makes micro-adventures powerful isn’t their size — it’s their interruptions. They interrupt stress, autopilot living, and the heaviness that comes from doing the same thing every day. Psychologists call this “pattern breaking,” and it refreshes the brain in ways traditional rest sometimes can’t.

Micro-adventures also give you a sense of presence. When you’re standing on a hill watching the sky change colours, or walking down a street you’ve never seen before, your mind naturally shifts away from deadlines, tasks, and notifications. You become more observant, curious, and grounded.

The best part? Anyone can do them. They’re free, accessible, and don’t require planning or perfection.

If life has been feeling flat lately, try one small adventure this week. Leave ten minutes earlier in the morning, explore somewhere unfamiliar, or watch the stars for five quiet minutes.

You don’t need a holiday to feel human again — just a moment outside your routine

Sara Theocharidis

When parents ask how their child is progressing, their first instinct is usually to look at grades. It makes sense, marks feel measurable, concrete and reassuring. But tutors often notice something even more important happening long before the grades change, a shift in confidence.

Confidence is the quiet foundation that academic success sits on. Without it, even the most capable student hesitates. They second guess themselves, avoid risk and panic when faced with something unfamiliar. But when confidence starts to grow even slightly, everything else follows.

It might look like a students attempting a harder question instead of skipping it. It might be the moment they stop saying, “I’m bad at this” and start saying, “Let me try”. It might be the courage to answer out loud, write more badly or share an interpretation in English class. These small behavioural changes are often the first sign that tutoring is working.

The truth is, grades are a lagging indicator, they improve last. Confidence is the leading indicator, it improves first. A student usually understands far more than they believe they do and tutoring helps bridge that gap between ability and self-belief.

When tutors celebrate effort, highlight strengths and show students that making mistakes is normal, the student begins to relax. A relaxed brain learns better, remembers more and tackles challenges with more resilience. Slowly, confidence snowballs into better focus, better questions and better performance.

Then, eventually sometimes weeks, sometimes a couple of months the grades catch up.

Parents often worry when they don’t see immediate jumps in marks, but confidence is the progress happening behind the scenes and once that foundation is sturdy, academic improvement becomes far more sustainable.

Tutoring isn’t just about teaching content. It’s about nurturing the self-belief students need to use that content well.

When confidence grows, everything else grows with it.

Isabella Naumovski

Do you feel a pang of guilt when you sit down to do absolutely nothing? In a culture obsessed with the “grind,” we are conditioned to believe that productivity is the ultimate measure of our worth. However, in the opening chapter of his 1935 classic, In Praise of Idleness, philosopher Bertrand Russell argues that this belief is not only wrong—it is actually dangerous.

Here is a breakdown of his radical argument for working less.

The “Virtue” of Work is a Trap
Russell starts by challenging the historical idea that work is inherently virtuous. He argues that this concept was invented by the rich and powerful. Throughout history, the leisure class preached the “dignity of labor” to the working class to ensure they kept working hard to support the elites’ idle lifestyles.

Russell bluntly states: “The morality of work is the morality of slaves, and the modern world has no need of slavery.”

The Failure of Modern Industry
Russell points out a massive irony in the industrial revolution. Technology gave us the ability to produce goods much faster. Logic dictates that if a machine allows us to do double the work in the same amount of time, we should keep production steady and work half the hours.

Instead, we kept the hours the same, doubled production, and created a system where some people are overworked while others starve due to unemployment. Russell argues this is a foolish mismanagement of our own capabilities.

The 4-Hour Workday
The solution Russell proposes is simple: a four-hour workday.

If we distributed labor evenly, everyone could be employed, everyone’s needs would be met, and everyone would have ample leisure time. He argues that leisure is not just for “resting” to work again; it is essential for civilization. It is in our idle time that we create art, pursue science, engage in politics, and enjoy life.

The Takeaway
Russell’s message is timeless. We need to stop viewing idleness as a vice. By reducing our work hours, we don’t just reduce stress; we create the space necessary to be fully human.

So, the next time you take a break, don’t feel guilty. According to Russell, you are doing exactly what a civilized society should do.

Joseph Katz

One of the most powerful study skills students can develop is the ability to ask better questions. It is rarely taught directly in classrooms, yet it plays a crucial role in how students understand, retain and apply knowledge. Students who ask effective questions learn faster because they interact more deeply with their material. Instead of memorising facts, they investigate ideas and uncover connections that make their learning stronger and more meaningful.

Asking good questions begins with curiosity, but it grows with practice. When students read a text, revise a topic or listen to an explanation, they can train themselves to pause and think about what they still need to know. Simple prompts like “Why does this matter,” “How does this connect to what I learned before,” or “What is the teacher really asking me to show” help shift learning from passive to active. This habit alone makes study time far more productive.

In subjects such as English, asking better questions deepens interpretation. Students move beyond surface-level summaries and begin exploring themes, perspectives and author choices. In maths and science, well-formed questions guide students through complex processes and help them identify the exact step they are stuck on. Even in primary years, the ability to ask clear questions builds confidence and encourages independence.

Question-asking also improves communication with teachers and tutors. When students can explain precisely what they do not understand, they receive more targeted help and progress faster. It replaces the vague “I don’t get it” with focused issues that can be addressed directly.

By teaching students to ask thoughtful questions, we give them a tool they will use well beyond the classroom. It strengthens critical thinking, sharpens problem-solving and helps students take ownership of their learning journey.

Freddie Le Vay

Supporting students through HSC Mathematics preparation has shown me how crucial it is to balance content mastery with exam-specific strategy. Many students enter Year 12 believing that success comes purely from doing as many questions as possible. While practice is undeniably important, I’ve found that meaningful progress comes from developing structured revision habits, strengthening conceptual understanding, and building confidence under timed conditions.

One of the most effective strategies has been teaching students to identify and categorise question types. Instead of viewing past papers as endless, unrelated problems, I encourage students to group questions by topic in the syllabus. This helps them recognise patterns in the exams and clarifies which areas need targeted revision. Students often feel less overwhelmed once they can see the syllabus as a set of manageable, interconnected ideas rather than a long list of topics.

During sessions, I focus heavily on exam literacy such as reading questions carefully, identifying key verbs, and unpacking what the examiner is really asking. Many mistakes arise not from a lack of knowledge but from rushing or misinterpreting the wording. Timed practice is an essential element as typically even highly capable students can freeze when the clock starts. Building stamina through short, regular timed papers, helps students adjust and reduces exam anxiety. Reflecting on these attempts is equally important as students learn more when they evaluate their errors rather than simply moving on.

Ultimately, preparing students for the HSC is about helping them become confident, strategic learners. When students understand the syllabus deeply, approach questions methodically, and trust their preparation, their performance improves significantly. Seeing this growth makes HSC tutoring especially rewarding.

Rheanna Leontsinis

Staying motivated during a long school term can be tough. The initial excitement of a new year or semester often fades, and exams or holidays can feel too far away to keep energy levels high. But maintaining motivation is key to avoiding burnout and keeping your academic performance consistent — especially in subjects like maths and science where skills build over time.

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to set small, achievable goals. Break down your workload into weekly or even daily targets. Instead of thinking “I need to study for my physics exam,” aim for “I’ll review one topic a day this week.” These micro-goals give you a sense of progress and help maintain momentum.

Routine also plays a major role. Having set times for study, rest, exercise, and socialising creates structure and helps reduce the mental energy spent deciding what to do next. It’s easier to get started when it’s just “what you do at that time.”

Tracking your progress — using a checklist, planner, or even a simple notebook — can also keep you engaged. Ticking off completed tasks provides a small reward and a clear visual of how far you’ve come.

Don’t forget to celebrate small wins. Finished your assignments on time this week? Reward yourself with a break, a snack, or a fun activity. Recognising progress boosts morale and builds positive reinforcement.

Lastly, surround yourself with positive influences — peers, teachers, or tutors who encourage you and hold you accountable. Even short tutoring sessions can help you refocus and regain clarity when motivation dips.

Remember: staying motivated isn’t about always feeling enthusiastic — it’s about having habits and systems that keep you going even when you’re not. That’s the real key to long-term success.

julian podgornik

The intentional deisgn of implementing ‘small wins’ is an excellent, yet underutilised approach to learning. Many students begin tutoring with a fear of failure and history of self-doubt, believing they are not capable of understanding or making positive progress in a particular subject. Often, these misconceptions and beliefs only become stronger and begin to affect not only the content, but progress in all avenues of learning directly. By fcousing on smaller, more acheivable steps, educators can shift students’ perceptions and mindset away from avoidance and instead, towards authentic, genuine engagement.

This concept of ‘small wins’ draws on humanistic psychology and in particular, Abraham Maslow’s hierachy of needs. In short, motivation theory supports this approach to learning by empahsising students’ greater inclination to participate and persist when they can see clear evidence of growth. This apporach can be implemented pracically in the classroom with the tutor identifying a smaller skill (something the student can reasonably master in a short/limted time). Once this target is set, the tutor models the skill, provides guided practice and then gradually removes the support. When the skill is accomplished successfully by the student it becomes a ‘small win’. For example, idenitfying ‘getting better at spelling’ and the smaller skill and then basing a session on mastering the ‘ai’ spelling rule. These are the moments that build confidence and when accumulated help to create a narrative of capability (“I can do this”, “I can improve”).

This approach supports academic growth while simultaneously addressing emotional and behavioural learning barriers. Students that experience success earlier in the lesson become increasingly more motiavted and determined to overcome challenges, ask questions and reflect on their practice. As time progresses these smaller wins help to reshape stduents’ idenities as being active and capable learners.

Katerina Vrahnos