Whilst tutoring sessions serve to help students reach a desired level of understanding, it’s also important to challenge students in order to build their confidence academically and practically, exercise their brains, and introduce them to new content.
Confidence is key to anything in life, so when developed by correctly answering a question, it can have a positive impact on students. When students face problems, it is important they develop a can-do attitude so they can approach any task without any doubt. Confidence is a skill that can be applied to many areas such as sport, public speaking, social settings; just about anything an individual does involves this valuable skill. Providing students with an unknown topic and getting it right gives them a sense of achievement, encouraging confidence to try. Even if the student doesn’t understand, it’s also important they are confident enough to ask questions, so that the tutor can help.
Moreover, giving students a difficult task forces them to exercise their brain, prompting complex thought processes which will then be drawn on in the future. The consistent challenging of students strengthens their brains by changing the likely habit of only approaching easy tasks. This ability to be flexible in one’s routine will make students more capable of adapting to change.
Additionally, it is important to challenge students because exposing them to new things will increase their engagement and curiosity. Although repetition is very valuable, sometimes it can lead to boredom if the student already understands. By expanding their knowledge, students can feel excited about new content, sometimes leading to a new found interest. Furthermore, it is essential to challenge students in order to spark curiosity. Curiosity can drive the want to learn, which will make it more enjoyable for the student. For example, my year 6 student learned year 7 content about gradients the other week and really enjoyed it, because it was new and challenging.
Overall, it is crucial to challenge students to increase their confidence, use their brains effectively and broaden their knowledge.

Leela Money