First Education

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

Today, I had the opportunity to observe Sophie working with a new Year 12 student in Maths Advanced. Sophie demonstrated a strong and thoughtful approach when beginning with a new student, taking the time to assess the student’s prior knowledge and identify their strengths and areas for development. This allowed her to tailor the session effectively and ensure the content was pitched at the right level. Throughout the lesson, Sophie shared a range of helpful strategies and memory aids to support the student in recalling complex formulas and methods, particularly when working with expected values and variance. Her explanations were clear and structured, helping to break down challenging concepts into manageable steps.

The student appeared engaged and supported, gaining confidence as the session progressed. Observing this lesson was highly informative, especially given the complexity of teaching Year 12 content, and highlighted the importance of clear explanations and adaptable teaching strategies. Thanks, Sophie, for a great session and for modelling such effective practice.

Sienna Apted

Many students create study plans that look great on paper but fall apart by Wednesday. The key to a weekly study plan that actually works isn’t studying more, it’s studying smarter.

Start by listing all your commitments for the week: school hours, sport, work, and downtime. A realistic plan always includes breaks. Trying to study every spare minute usually leads to burnout, not better results. Once you see your available time, decide short, focused study blocks (30–60 minutes) instead of long sessions that are hard to stick to.

Next, prioritise subjects based on difficulty, not preference. It’s tempting to revise what you’re already good at, but real improvement comes from tackling challenging topics early in the week when your energy is higher. Assign specific tasks to each session, such as “complete 10 algebra questions” or “plan English essay paragraph,” rather than vague goals like “study maths.”

Review is just as important as learning new content. Schedule quick revision sessions to revisit material from earlier in the week. This strengthens memory and prevents last-minute cramming before tests.

Including tutoring within your weekly plan can make a big difference. A tutoring session helps you identify gaps you may not notice on your own and provides clear explanations before confusion builds up. When tutoring happens during the week — not just before exams — students can bring questions from class, practise new skills straight away, and then reinforce them in their independent study sessions.

Finally, keep your plan flexible. If something doesn’t work, adjust it. A study plan should support learning, not add stress. With consistency, structure, and the right support, a weekly study plan can turn schoolwork from overwhelming into manageable — and even motivating.

Gabrielle Tran

Parents of primary school students often ask for a focus on spelling and writing. Typically, they request that we do a spelling test during the lesson because their child’s teacher has highlighted spelling and vocabulary as an area of concern. While I do implement spelling tests in my sessions frequently, I’ve found that the main issue with most of these students is that they are unfamiliar with the words that they are being tested on. Once they have actually encountered a particular word while reading, they can often recall the correct spelling however, because of a lack of recreational reading, their word banks are limited.

Naturally most of these students also struggle with writing since they don’t have the words to appropriately express their thoughts. This is most apparent in reading their creative writing samples.

I decided to try setting ‘novel study’ tasks with one of my younger students and since then it’s become a fixture for most of my English students. I’ll typically assign a chapter per week and 1-2 pages of worksheets that test their understanding of the text. We don’t always manage to finish the books we start but this style of long form text has given them a different set of skills than a reading comprehension sheet could. They are able to better understand how to track overall themes across the different chapters. On top of that, to an extent it’s important to build their endurances for tasks that take more time. I’ve seen many students struggle with the increased workload in high school and very often it’s not because the work is that much more difficult than what they are prepared for but instead it’s because the volume of homework they are given is far more than what they expect.

This won’t be an effective strategy for every student but I think it’s worth considering in most cases.

Nahian Khan