Today I had the opportunity to observe Andrew’s Math Standard session. In this session he guided his student through key mathematic question and concepts, working with and prompting the student to solve these.
Together they worked through a set of questions. In approaching a question, Andrew would begin by explaining the question, giving insight into how to answer this, basing this on the concepts in the question and mark requirements. Within this he engaged with the use of formulas and key terms, being important in the financial math questions they were endeavouring into. From this he would guide the student to answer these himself, encouraging his ability to do so. Allowing the student to independently answer these allowed the student to develop mathematic skills and confidence in approaching similar questions in an exam context. They then went through each question and any mistakes made, explaining how to answer these effectively. Together Andrew and his student collaborated on the question if any mistake or questions from the student were apparent, with Andrew carefully explaining solutions to these.
When the student was unsure Andrew used leading questions to prompt thought from the student, then he thoroughly explained each question, using both verbal and visual explanation to instate the students’ knowledge. He bolstered this with ensuring that the student was able to independently answer each of these questions after the explanation. This tutoring experience was highly useful to observe, with the communication and teaching skills within it being engaging and insightful.

Grace Blatch

I had the opportunity to observe, Rheanna with her Year 6 student. It was immediately clear that Rheanna places a strong focus on creating an optimal environment for her students. She welcomed him with small talk to ease him into “work mode” for the session, then efficiently rearranged the room to allow her student to receive continuous support with using the laptop as he worked. This start to the lesson created a more enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere, allowing the student to put in maximum effort.

In this lesson, Rheanna first worked on a school research task with the student, which explored the Diwali festival. She maintained strong communication with him throughout the entire hour to ensure that he was understanding the task and the information they were reading. She also skillfully diverted any conversational tangents to keep her student focused. As he worked through the task, she gently redirected him whenever he started to lose traction. For example, as they read through articles, Rheanna guided him in categorising the information, effectively helping him retrieve relevant details from various sources that might otherwise overwhelm a primary school student.

Rheanna also worked on less obvious skills in the background, such as reading proficiency and comprehension. She did this by prompting him to read the information out loud and rephrase it in his own words to ensure understanding. Additionally, Rheanna split up the lesson for maximum productivity by switching to math as a break from English. Rather than letting the student relax for a few minutes after their English work, she encouraged him to move on to math. This strategy effectively helped the student retain momentum from the previous task.

Rheanna excelled at encouraging her student to think critically and lead himself to the answers, rather than relying on continuous prompts. When he got stuck on a question, she guided him in the right direction by asking questions that helped him adopt the right thought process for solving it. After observing Rheanna’s lesson, I gained several valuable strategies, including consistent communication, the use of guiding questions, avoiding irrelevant conversations and distractions, and substituting other productive activities in place of breaks.

Jenna Freed

Using a whiteboard instead of just pen and paper during tutoring can make a big difference, both for structure and for encouraging students to learn independently. When the tutor uses the whiteboard for explaining things and leaves the paper on the desk for the student to work on, it creates a simple but effective setup where each space has its own purpose. The whiteboard becomes a focal point, making it easier for students to follow along as ideas are broken down visually. The large surface lets concepts stand out clearly without the clutter that often comes with notes on paper.

This setup naturally creates two distinct areas, the whiteboard and the paper. The pen and paper become a setting where the student can practice independently while still being able to ask the tutor for help if needed, while the whiteboard serves as a place for instruction and explanation. This encourages the student to approach the question on their own, developing problem-solving skills and resilience.

Having a dedicated “practice zone” on paper lets students process ideas more actively, promoting deeper understanding. Working through problems on their own paper also helps build their confidence, as they learn to take charge of their learning journey.

This approach also promotes the student to explore and attempt the question themselves, allowing them to more thoroughly interpret the question. By reading and, by extension, thinking about the question, they engage in much more mental stimulation compared to simply being read the question.

Lochlan Beetham

Hey guys, today I had the opportunity to watch Corey’s session.

From the outset, Corey worked to create a welcoming environment; his warm attitude was infectious. This simple, conscious effort to maintain a positive demeanour reminded me how important it is to give each student our utmost energy and attention. It was clear in this session how receptive students are to an enthusiastic approach; despite the young age of Corey’s student, he remained engaged, asking relevant questions and effectively engaging with the math content. The rapport between Corey and his student was palpable; not only was energy sustained, but there was active listening exhibited by both parties.

A notable moment during the session was when the student was tasked with a question that was beyond his expected understanding. Rather than dismissing the clear frustration the student was experiencing, Corey acknowledged the unreasonable nature of the question, validating the experience of his student. This approach was inspiring as the student returned from his frustration to engage with the content. It was lovely to see Corey recognise the challenge yet still explain how to complete the question in the future; seeing him consider the student’s experience while extending their understanding truly encapsulates the strength and value of a good tutoring experience.

Further, the modularised approach Corey took in explaining multi-stepped questions was very effective. He drew from examples of intuition to guide the student through the process. When the student was tasked with converting units, Corey showed how to approach the question in clear stages. When recalling how many centimetres in a metre, Corey called on the student’s knowledge of their height and their consequent understanding of a metre. This method of linking mathematical concepts to concrete, everyday examples was a powerful reminder of how effective it can be to ground abstract ideas in familiar contexts. By doing so, Corey not only made the conversion process more accessible but also demonstrated how mathematics is intrinsically connected to the physical world around us.

Great work!

Thea Macarthur-Lassen

Today, I observed Lucas’s Year 8 Maths session, where he guided his student through key mathematical concepts like graphing, algebra, and classifying triangles. The session focused on developing a solid understanding of these areas, helping the student build confidence in tackling various types of problems.

Lucas structured the session to begin with graphing exercises, encouraging the student to work through questions from their textbook in detail. As they worked on plotting points and interpreting graphs, Lucas emphasized the importance of solving problems without a calculator. This approach helped the student strengthen their skills. Lucas ensured the student understood the process step-by-step, often pausing to discuss any challenging areas and reinforcing key points.

The session then moved on to algebra, where Lucas encouraged the student to approach each problem by explaining their understanding and reasoning out loud, guiding them to articulate each step clearly. This method not only deepened the student’s comprehension but also provided Lucas with valuable insights into the mistake they could make along the way, allowing him to address any misconceptions immediately. The “think aloud” strategy proved effective, as it allowed the student to clarify their understanding and feel more confident in tackling complex algebraic problems independently.

Lastly, Lucas and the student delved into classifying triangles, an area that required careful attention to scaling. Lucas explained the importance of accurately naming each type of triangle—right, isosceles, scalene, etc.—and the distinctions between them. By emphasizing this, Lucas provided a strong foundation for the student, helping them understand why classification matters in mathematical contexts. He was patient and supportive, making sure the student understood the characteristics that define each type of triangle.

Throughout the session, Lucas’s approach was encouraging and thorough, fostering an environment where the student felt comfortable asking questions and making mistakes as part of the learning process. Because of Lucas, the student felt a greater understanding of the concepts covered and an increased sense of confidence in their Maths abilities.

Eleni Nicholas

Today I observed Corey’s English session. I do not take many English students so I found it very helpful to observe a subject which requires a different style of tutoring and structure to the lesson.

The session started out with the student providing Corey with an intro and body paragraph that he had written which Corey read through and provided some feedback on. Next, they discussed what the student knew about the text (The Crucible) so that Corey could assess the students understanding since it is a reasonably new topic in class.

When working through writing about the text, Corey provided key examples of paragraphs and structure that he used and suggested that the student follow a similar one. I think this was highly effective because having a specific structure to follow guides the students flow of thinking. This can be carried across to different subjects such as maths where it is important to follow a flow of thinking to solve a problem.

He also encouraged the student to not just pick random quotes but find some that are meaningful and that stick out to the student personally. This allowed him a deeper connection and understanding of the text which he can use to write his ideas down himself.

Throughout the entire session, Corey was very communicative and was effective at portraying what he wanted the student to think about with each aspect of the text they were discussing. He also reminded and encouraged the student to ask questions when they needed help whilst still helping them to come up with their own perspectives. He continued to provide the student with feedback and advice on ways to dig deeper into the text and improve their writing without giving him direct answers, a highly effective strategy to guide thinking.

Riva Burkett

Hi everyone,  I got the opportunity to observe David and his student. They worked on algebraic techniques and indices.
Throughout the session, David asked the student questions about his working out to make sure that he understood the steps he was completing, not just applying patterns. When the student did not have a complete understanding of the concepts, he used simplified examples that illustrated the concepts more clearly.
He also identified that the student’s working out is unclear. He emphasised the importance of clear working out, which helps ensure that the teacher gives you marks for all of your working out. It also guides your thinking process and makes it easier to double check the work you have done.
David encouraged errorless learning by prompting the student to talk through his thinking before completing questions. This helps to ensure the student does not practice incorrect working out, which may translate into consistent errors. He also related the current topic to previous content such as the order of operations to help the student consolidate his learning.
As most of my students are older, it was insightful to learn from how David taught fundamental concepts such as algebra. This will be useful in the future. Thanks for letting me observe!

Derus Kung

Today I had the opportunity to observe Kate’s Year 10 Maths session. She did such a good job explaining complex Maths concepts to her student. She had a great balance helping to guide her and letting her student individually answer the questions. She did such a good job helping her student and giving her hints to answer the question which helped in still confidence in her.

She did such a great job using the whiteboard to draw mathematical concepts and formulas on the board to make it really clear how to approach each question. Casey is a visual learner so it was great to see how she was able to cater towards her needs.

Kate used a range of materials to ensure Casey was equipped to answer a range of different theory and practical questions so she can nail her exam!

Kate was great at answering all her questions and her student would restate her answers to confirm her understanding of Kate’s answer.

Kate and her student felt very comfortable with each other. Kate was very engaging, enthusiastic and patient with Casey S. She would re-explain concepts in different ways until her student was able to understand her.

Kate is a very compassionate tutor who did such a great job and should be so proud of herself! Great session! Such a pleasure to observe. Keep it up!

I was able to learn a lot from this, so I can apply all this in my future sessions.

Ashley Cohen

Today I was able to observe Finnegan’s session with his student Cillian from 5-6pm. Finnigan was able to relate with his student in many aspects of learning which created a comfortable learning environment. He was also incredibly attentive to his student’s needs which insured he could adapt his teaching methods and be successful.

They went through differentiation and Finnigan was very effective at teaching these new concepts and bringing previous knowledge that they had worked through into his teaching. I was able to witness his patient and kind approach to teaching which insured his student Cillian understood exactly what methods were effective and should be used to answer the questions.

He was able to carefully break down questions so that it was easy for his student to learn the new concepts. Then, Finnegan helped his student to test and apply this new learning to more challenging questions which could be used in an exam. He always made sure that his student had enough time to have a go at the questions first after learning the basics before stepping in and taking the lead so that his student had the opportunity to test themself on what they understood and what they had to work on to ensure that Cillian got the answer right.

Towards the end of the lesson, Finnigan creatively made a quiz about the new concepts that they learned about which was not only fun for Cillian and instilled a sense of enthusiasm for the content, but also really helped to test his knowledge on what they learned.

This observation was incredibly inciteful and allowed me to reflect on what I could improve on as a tutor. It really taught me to be adaptable to different students’ needs and also different ways of breaking down challenging concepts for a student. Well done, Finnigan!!

Samuel Lotter