First Education

Homework is often met with groans from students, but it plays an essential role in the learning process. Far from being just extra work, homework extends the classroom experience into the home, reinforcing key ideas and skills while cultivating habits that last well beyond school.

First, homework strengthens understanding. Lessons covered in class can feel clear in the moment, but without practice, knowledge can fade quickly. Homework offers the chance to revisit concepts, apply them independently, and identify where gaps still exist. This repetition solidifies memory and ensures students build confidence in their abilities.

Second, homework teaches responsibility and self-discipline. Setting aside time to complete assignments fosters time management, organization, and persistence—skills vital not only for academic success but also for life beyond school. When students take ownership of their work, they develop independence and accountability, preparing them for the demands of university, careers, and personal projects.

Third, homework provides a link between school and home. It allows families to see what their children are learning and opens opportunities for support and encouragement. This connection helps create a more collaborative approach to education, where teachers, students, and families all work together to foster growth.

Finally, homework encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. Many assignments are designed to go beyond rote memorization, asking students to apply concepts in new contexts. This pushes learners to think creatively and develop a deeper understanding of their subjects.

In short, homework is more than a task—it’s a tool. By reinforcing knowledge, teaching valuable skills, building connections, and encouraging deeper thought, homework plays a vital role in shaping students into capable, independent learners ready to face future challenges.

Allegra

This evening, I observed Toby’s session with his Year 10 student. The two clearly had been working together for a while, as they had great rapport and talked casually with each other, which meant that when the student made mistakes or needed help with a specific question, they felt really comfortable asking Toby for assistance. They worked on some maths questions that the student had sent Toby beforehand through email, and Toby explained each of the topics to her, checking in with her along the way to make sure she was understanding. He then went through some additional examples he found online and asked her to do some on her own, providing constant encouragement and breaking up periods of intense focus with general conversation so she had a bit of a brain break. Furthermore, it meant that when the student got distracted or carried away with the conversation, Toby was able to seamlessly bring her focus back to the maths work, without her feeling like she was being told off in any way.
It was really great to see how well Toby knew the student, especially when it came to knowing which content areas she had already learnt and which ones her class hadn’t covered yet. This clearly made the session more productive, as he could skip over areas that she hadn’t learnt yet and also focus on the areas he knew that she often struggled with. As someone who is relatively new to tutoring at First, I think this style of tutor – student connection is something I really hope to develop with my students, especially those in senior high school years. One thing I noticed that built their comfortable rapport was Toby’s open body language, as the student reciprocated it and instinctively felt more at ease in what could have been a formal and awkward environment.
Great job Toby!!

Gemma Vinciguerra

Studying for long hours without rest can seem like a productive strategy, especially during exam season or when deadlines are tight. However, research consistently shows that taking regular “brain breaks” is essential for maintaining focus, improving memory retention, and boosting overall productivity.
Brain breaks are short, intentional pauses taken during periods of mental work. They help to reduce cognitive fatigue, allowing the brain to recharge and refocus. Without breaks, the brain becomes overwhelmed, leading to decreased attention, slower processing, and reduced ability to retain information. This is particularly important for students who often juggle multiple subjects and tasks in a single study session.
One key benefit of brain breaks is improved concentration. After about 25–50 minutes of focused work, the brain’s ability to absorb new information starts to decline. A short break—anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes—can reset attention and increase efficiency when returning to the task. Simple activities like stretching, walking, deep breathing, or even listening to music can be enough to give the brain a needed reset.
In addition to enhancing focus, breaks support better memory consolidation. The brain processes and stores information more effectively when it has time to rest. This is why many memory-enhancing techniques, like the Pomodoro Technique, incorporate regular breaks into study routines.
Furthermore, taking breaks can reduce stress and prevent burnout. Studying nonstop often leads to mental exhaustion, which can diminish motivation and negatively impact mental health. Short, enjoyable pauses throughout study time help keep learning sustainable and more enjoyable.
In conclusion, brain breaks are not a waste of time—they are a smart and necessary part of effective studying. By incorporating regular breaks into your study schedule, you can work smarter, not harder, and ultimately achieve better academic outcomes with less stress.

Angelique Lambrinos

As a tutor, I’ve come to realise that one of the most powerful tools in learning isn’t a textbook, worksheet, or app – it’s words. The way we speak to children, the language we choose, and the tone we set can shape their confidence and willingness to learn. That’s why I make it a priority to celebrate even the smallest achievements my students make, because those “small wins” often create the biggest changes.

Children thrive on encouragement. When I vocalise their progress – whether it’s finally mastering a tricky times table, using the correct punctuation, or simply giving their best effort – it reminds them that learning is a journey worth recognising. A simple “I noticed you tried a new strategy today, well done” can mean more than any sticker or grade. It tells a child that their effort matters, and that growth, not perfection, is what we are aiming for together.

Acknowledging these steps out loud also builds resilience. Students begin to see mistakes not as failures, but as part of progress. When I point out their determination – “You didn’t give up, and look how far that got you” – I’m teaching them that persistence is valuable. These words become part of their inner dialogue, shaping how they speak to themselves when challenges arise.

What’s truly special is watching a child light up when they realise they’re being recognised. It might be for something they considered small, like neatly setting out their work or remembering to check an answer. Yet those affirmations build layers of self-belief, which in turn encourages them to take on bigger challenges with confidence.

Words work because they nurture. They create a safe space where children feel seen, heard, and motivated. As tutors, we don’t just guide students through academics – we guide them in seeing their own potential. And sometimes, all it takes is the right words spoken at the right time.

Carmen Yuen

Today, I had the opportunity to think about the habits I’ve been developing through tutoring.

One thing I had time to reflect on was how it is valuable to build a routine with each student that is followed each session. Having a clear structure, for example starting with a quick recap, then moving into new material, and ending with content review questions, gives students a sense of direction. It also helps them see their progress more clearly, which can be motivating. I have also found that it is a good idea to get to know the student before developing a set routine, as each student is different and thrives with a different way of learning. Overall, I’ve found that when students know what to expect from the lessons, they settle into learning more easily and come to the sessions more prepared.

Another important aspect I’ve been learning is how powerful it can be to encourage students to ask their own questions. A lot of the students are hesitant at first because they don’t want to seem like they don’t understand, or they can be scared to voice their worries about a certain topic. However, encouragement to ask their questions goes a long way as their questions can guide the session and allow them to understand the topic a lot better. Often, the best learning moments happen when a student asks something unexpected, because it shows they are thinking critically about the topic rather than just following along.

Altogether, these experiences have shown me that tutoring is not only about teaching content. It’s about creating structure, and making space for questions. These strategies make sessions more meaningful, effective, and enjoyable for the students, and makes it easier for me to help them with what they need.

Katreen Diab

In our achievement-obsessed culture, we’ve developed an unhealthy fear of being wrong. Students often freeze when they’re unsure, choosing silence over the risk of an incorrect answer. But it is in fact that ‘wrong’ answers are actually a tool that drives improvement and thus confidence. one of the most powerful moments in a child’s education come from the wrong answers. For primary school students especially, mistakes are not failures—they’re opportunities to think, reflect, and grow. For this, as tutors our challenge isn’t to eliminate mistakes, but to embrace them. Because in every wrong answer, there’s a right opportunity to learn.

There are multiple reasons why these ‘wrong answers’ matter”:
– A wrong answer shows how a student is processing information. For example, with my year 5 student who is currently focusing on multiplication, if a child answers 16 to 3X5, it can hint to us as tutors that they are close to the answer, and that they are simply missing an extra step. It tells us that they have the right understanding, just need a little more clarification on it. Without that “mistake,” we’d never see where the misunderstanding lies.

– It encourages confidence in the way that we make our tutoring space a safe one, where mistakes are okay, and even encouraged to be made because that is how we all learn. Learning is about progress and not perfection.

– it builds upon problem-Solving Skills: Wrong answers spark discussion. “Why might someone think this?” or “What else could we try?” These questions help children develop resilience and creative thinking—skills they’ll use far beyond the classroom.

Airi Yamanaka

In a tutoring setting, consistency is key to making real progress. When students attend sessions regularly, it allows us to build on each lesson, reinforce important concepts, and address any challenges before they become ongoing issues.
On the other hand, when sessions are missed or attended irregularly, it becomes much harder to maintain momentum. I often find that students who come inconsistently are more likely to forget material we’ve covered—even if they understood it at the time—because they haven’t had the opportunity to review and apply it. Especially when school moves on to new content, there’s rarely a chance to go back and revisit topics without dedicated time in tutoring.
Keeping a consistent weekly schedule helps students:
• Build strong study habits
• Retain and apply what they’ve learned
• Stay motivated through a sense of progress
• Gain confidence by seeing regular improvement
It also sets a valuable precedent for the future—in high school, university, and even the workplace, showing up consistently and following through is one of the most important habits a person can develop.
Regular tutoring creates a steady rhythm of learning, which not only supports academic success but also makes the process more enjoyable and fulfilling. I strongly encourage students to commit to weekly sessions wherever possible so we can make the most of our time together and achieve the best results.

Riva Burkett

When teaching difficult historical periods and human experiences, it’s important to create a safe and respectful environment where empathy and understanding are central. Setting clear expectations for respect, using trigger warnings, and reminding students that the goal is to learn—not sensationalise suffering—helps establish this tone. The resources you choose should match the age and maturity of your students: younger learners might connect better with stories, children’s books, or accessible documentaries, while older learners can handle primary sources, survivor testimony, or historical documents. To really humanise these experiences, focus on personal narratives like diaries, letters, or oral histories, which highlight not only the trauma but also resilience and survival. Critical thinking should also be encouraged—ask students why events happened, what lessons can be learned, and how these histories shape the present. Make space for multiple perspectives by including voices often left out, such as Indigenous or minority groups, and by acknowledging the roles of victims, perpetrators, bystanders, and resistors. Creative and reflective activities can deepen engagement, whether through role-play debates, journaling, or linking past injustices to present-day human rights struggles. Above all, balance stories of suffering with those of hope and progress, showing students that even in dark times, there are examples of resistance, solidarity, and change, and that learning from the past can inspire us to build a more just future.

Mary Diamond

Confidence can make a significant impact on a student’s academic success and enjoyment of school, yet many students struggle not only with understanding material but also with believing in their own abilities. This is where tutoring can make a big difference.

One of the benefits of tutoring is the specific support each student will students receive. Unlike a school classroom, where teachers divide their time amongst multiple students, tutoring sessions are specific to each individual pace and learning style. This means students get the assistance they need to grasp difficult concepts, which helps to build confidence. Topics can be repeated and revisited if needed throughout the year, allowing the student to master each topic and have information retained into their long term memory. This allows for less stress and more confidence when it comes to the all important end of year exams. We can tackle harder questions that they may not be taught in a classroom in a controlled environment, which prepares them for the critical thinking needed in exams.

Tutoring also creates a safe space where students feel comfortable asking questions without judgement. This supportive environment encourages them to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. We can break down complicated topics into manageable ideas, where the student can fully understand each topic before moving on. This motivates the student to keep achieving their goals and comprehend each topic, which further builds their confidence in their knowledge.

Tutoring also helps students develop important skills like organisation, study habits, and exam strategies. For example, good study note setups, study scaffolds and the best way to tackle longer exams. This allows a student to feel prepared for when they walk into an exam, which reduces the common test day anxieties.

Through the combination of these factors, tutoring can influence a students confidence in their knowledge and abilities, which allows them to perform to their full potential when it reaches exam time and into the future.

Maddie Manins

Hey everyone! I watched Sienna’s primary school English session.

Sienna and her student got along really well. Her student felt very comfortable with her, which was great to see as it made Sienna’s student more comfortable, when she asked questions.

Sienna started the session checking her students homework from last week. They then did some work on preparing her student for her upcoming spelling test. They went through a range of sight words.

They then spent the rest of the tutorial, working on spelling words. Sienna started helping her student prepare for her upcoming spelling test. She would say sight words from her students school homework. She would then pronunciate it out and then use it in a sentence, so her student could understand the context of the word and could then use her intending skills to try and work out the meaning of the word. She then got her student to write a sentence using the spelling word to help her student to practice spelling the word and to understand how to form a sentence using the word.

Sienna gave her student the mini whiteboard to write her spelling words on and to write her sentence on. The student also started to visually draw what was happening in each sentence as this helps her to better understand the new spelling words and is a great prompt as she is a visual learner.

When Sienna’s student got distracted, Sienna did a good job, getting her student to focus and get back on track.

They then edited the spelling word, and sounded each word out. They also corrected the punctuation and grammar of each sentence.

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

Ashley Cohen