First Education

Many students participate in sports, extracurricular activities, tutoring and volunteering opportunities on top of their normal school hours. This means that they must be organised with the free time that they do have to ensure that they keep up with their study and revision. So, here are some of my best study techniques for busy students:

1. The pomodoro technique is your best friend! Working in 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks enables students to remain motivated with their study by allowing them to work in short, energetic bursts.

2. Make the most of the ‘in-between’ time. If you have a particularly long commute or have some waiting time before an activity starts, you can use this time to go over some flashcards or read over a practice essay you have written.

3. Ensure you are using mobile apps like Quizlet or Anki to revise ‘on the go’. These apps also add an element of fun into your study by allowing you to create quizzes to revise for content-heavy subjects.

4. Teach someone your content! For example, if you are travelling home with a friend after a soccer game and you both want to study for English, why not talk aloud to one another about the text you have been assigned? Or you can even teach your sibling about your modern history content or talk through a chemistry module with them to break up the monotony of sitting at your desk.

5. Take time for yourself to relax and refuel. If you are a busy student spreading your time between sports, school, tutoring and other activities then staying hydrated, fuelling your body with good food and sleeping well helps you stay energised. Also, blocking out time in your schedule to have longer relaxation breaks where you are resting without having any commitments on is vital to recharge your mind.

Kristina McLean

Many students often struggle with certain topics, they list Math topics like fractions or decimals or film analysis in English, but the real challenge sometimes is the thinking or learning style behind it. Some students tend to rush because they are scared of being wrong. Some overthink because they want everything perfectly done. Others memorise because it feels safer and quicker than understanding. These habits may be invisible to them but they sure are obvious to a tutor.
A tutor’s job is to decode those learning patterns by observing the gaps and weaknesses of their students and help them adjust while still considering their way of learning by breaking it down. This could be in a fun, visual way or by practical exercises. Students then become more strategic and often start leading discussions. This enables the tutor to finally learn that the student is adapting because tutoring is not about giving the answer to the student but rather teaching them a new way to see themselves as capable learners and give them options to see which learning style suits them best.

Razan Rustom

Understanding the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is essential for tutors to holistically support students in their learning. No student is the same, and it’s important to understand how students learn best to enhance the effectiveness of each lesson.

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside the student. It’s driven by rewards, expectations, and pressure: getting a high grade, earning screen time, impressing a parent, or avoiding consequences. These motivators can be helpful when a student feels stuck or uninterested. They provide structure, accountability, and a clear reason to begin a task. But they also have limits. Extrinsic motivators often create short bursts of effort rather than sustained curiosity, and once the reward disappears, so does much of the drive.

Intrinsic motivation, however, grows from within the student. It appears when they feel curious, engaged, or personally connected to what they’re learning. A student might enjoy solving puzzles, feel proud of improving, or recognise how a skill supports their future goals. Intrinsic motivation encourages deeper learning, persistence, and confidence, but it can take time to develop, especially if a student has experienced frustration or self-doubt.

So why is every student different? Because motivation is shaped by countless factors: personality, past experiences, family expectations, confidence levels, and even subject preference. A reward that energises one student may do nothing for another. A topic that sparks curiosity in one learner may overwhelm someone else.

That’s why effective tutoring isn’t one-size-fits-all. Tutors must identify what each student values, what obstacles they face, and what kind of support helps them feel capable and empowered. The goal is to use extrinsic motivation strategically while nurturing intrinsic motivation over time.

Jessica Ciappara

Parents often worry that their child is falling behind, especially when grades dip or confidence drops. It is a phrase that carries a lot of stress but in reality it rarely means what people think. At First Education we see students at every stage of their learning and the good news is that falling behind is almost always fixable. In many cases it is far less dramatic than it feels.

Students fall behind for many reasons that have little to do with ability. Sometimes it is missing a key concept early in the term. Sometimes it is a busy schedule, an illness or a change in routine that interrupts learning. As content becomes more complex, even a small gap can grow if it is not caught quickly. The important thing to understand is that these gaps are not a measure of intelligence. They are simply moments where a student needed more time or support than the classroom could offer.

Tutoring helps by slowing the pace and identifying exactly where the misunderstanding started. Once students rebuild the missing skills they often catch up faster than expected. We see this frequently with students who have been confused for weeks. When the right explanation clicks they move forward with much more confidence.

Another part of the solution is helping students feel comfortable admitting what they do not understand. Many young people keep quiet at school because they do not want to look behind compared to their peers. In one on one support they can ask questions, revisit older skills and learn without pressure. As their confidence grows they become more engaged in class, which naturally leads to improved results.

It is also worth remembering that progress is rarely a straight line. Students move through phases of growth, consolidation and challenge. A dip in performance is usually a sign they are encountering new material or developing more advanced thinking. With guidance and consistent practice they can work through this stage and come out stronger.

Falling behind is not a permanent label. With targeted support, patience and the right strategies, students can regain their footing and often exceed their previous level.

Freddie Le Vay

As a tutor, I spend a lot of time encouraging my students to build healthy study habits, but one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned myself is the importance of taking breaks. It’s easy to fall into the mindset that productivity means constant focus, constant movement, constant output. But the truth is, neither students nor tutors are designed to operate at full speed all the time.

Some of my most effective sessions have come after giving a student a few minutes to reset, stretch, breathe, grab a drink, or simply step away from a tricky problem. Breaks help reduce stress and allow the brain to process information in the background, often leading to those “lightbulb moments” once we return to the work. I’ve seen students come back more confident, more attentive, and more willing to engage with challenging material.

As tutors, we should also model what we teach. When I pace myself, schedule pauses between sessions, and allow room to breathe, I show my students that rest isn’t a reward, it’s part of learning. Breaks make us sharper, more patient, and more effective. In the end, taking time away from the desk is often what brings us closer to mastering what’s on it.

Avigal Holstein

I have always felt that asking questions is one of the most valuable parts of tutoring. When I ask a student a question, it places them in a moment where they have to stop, think, and engage with the material in a real way. It puts them on the spot, but in a positive and productive sense. I never want a session to feel passive or like the student is simply being spoken at and in my opinion questions help prevent that. They make sure the student is mentally involved and that the time we spend together is genuinely useful.

When I ask questions such as “How did you get that answer?” or “Can you explain that step to me?”, I can quickly see how well the student understands what we are working on or why and where in their thinking they were wrong. Sometimes a student might nod along because they do not want to admit they are confused, however direct questions can reveal those moments. They show me where to slow down, where to repeat something, or where to build on what the student already knows.

I also encourage my students to ask me questions of their own. I believe strongly that a student who asks questions is a student who is thinking. When they ask for clarification or want to check whether they are on the right track, it shows they are trying to piece the topic together for themselves. That type of curiosity tells me they are not just memorizing information but actually trying to understand it.

If no one in the session is asking questions, the learning becomes flat and one sided. It might as well be a recording of someone reading through the content with no interaction at all. Real learning needs dialogue and I think that questions create that dialogue. They facilitate proper understanding of a topic, confidence, and ensure the student and tutor are on the same page.

Alexis Papas

Maths isn’t just another school subject; it’s the operating system beneath almost every decision we make. Kids need it for reasons that go well beyond passing tests. The point is straightforward: learning maths trains the mind to interpret the world in a structured, testable way.

Start with the basics. Numbers describe reality. Whether a child is comparing prices, measuring ingredients, or keeping track of time, they’re already using maths. Without a solid foundation, these everyday tasks become guesswork. With it, decisions become clearer, quicker, and far less prone to error.

Maths also develops a specific style of thinking: breaking problems into parts, testing assumptions, and checking results. These skills don’t stay in the classroom—they shape how kids approach planning, disagreements, creativity, and risk. A child who can reason through a maths problem is practising how to reason through life.

There’s also the job market. Modern work relies on quantitative skills more than ever. Coding, engineering, finance, medicine, architecture, data analysis, every one of these fields depends on mathematical logic. Even careers that feel distant from maths, like design or journalism, increasingly rely on data and measurement. Kids who grow up comfortable with numbers aren’t just “good at maths”; they’re prepared for an economy where analysis is expected.

Finally, maths teaches something subtle but crucial: certainty must be earned. You don’t declare an answer correct, you prove it. That habit builds intellectual honesty. Kids learn that confidence comes from evidence, not assumption.

The case for maths is practical, cognitive, and long-term. Teach kids maths because it’s how they learn to think, decide, and navigate a world built on numbers.

Saoirse Early

In the one-to-one session on percentages, Anthea revisited what a percentage represents and confirmed the student’s prior understanding. She used a bar graph to illustrate how 100% can be partitioned into parts, which helped the student clearly visualise the relationship between percentages, fractions, and whole quantities. Throughout the worked examples, she encouraged the student to verbalise their reasoning, allowing her to respond directly to misconceptions and build confidence.

She did many things well that assisted the student’s learning:

Integrated a bar graph effectively to support conceptual understanding.

Used focused questioning that prompted the student to explain their thinking.

Adjusted the pace according to the student’s needs and provided targeted prompts.

Maintained clear, real-world contexts that made percentage calculations meaningful.

Mary Diamond

There’s a quiet truth tutors eventually discover, students rarely remember the exact explanation you gave but they will remember a good story.

You can walk them through a formula step by step and still get blank stares. But tell them, “Imagine electrons as kids fighting over the last slice of pizza” and suddenly electronegativity makes perfect sense. Or compare an essay introduction to the opening scene of a movie and they instantly know what tone you mean.

Stories stick. They bring colour to things that feel grey. They give concepts a personality, a setting and a feeling and students connect with feelings far more easily than they connect with abstract information.

The best part? You don’t have to be a brilliant storyteller. Even the simplest analogies can transform a tricky idea into something memorable. Fractions become pizza slices. Chemical reactions becomes two sports teams swapping players mid game, forming new combinations with different strengths. A maths denominator becomes the number of seats on a bus. Suddenly the student isn’t wrestling a confusing diagram, they’re imagining something familiar.

This happens because stories offer anchors. A student might forget a sentence you said but they won’t forget the image it created and once they remember the story, the content quietly follows.

The magic is that storytelling also makes tutoring more human. It turns a session from a mini lecture into a conversation. Students relax, laugh and engage because they’re not just learning but they’re relating.

And years later, when they’ve forgotten half the syllabus after finishing school, they’ll still remember that one weird analogy you used and that’s how you know stories really do make learning live a little longer.

Isabella Naumovski

One-on-one tutoring offers a unique opportunity to tailor learning experiences to each student’s needs. To maximise the impact of these sessions, tutors can apply several practical strategies that foster engagement, confidence, and measurable progress.

1. Start with clear goals.
At the beginning of each session, set specific learning objectives. For example, “By the end of today, we’ll solve quadratic equations using factoring.” This provides structure and helps students see tangible progress.

2. Use active learning techniques.
Encourage students to explain concepts back to you in their own words. Techniques like teach-back or asking them to solve problems aloud reinforce understanding and highlight gaps.

3. Break content into manageable chunks.
Instead of overwhelming students with lengthy explanations, divide lessons into short segments followed by practice. This keeps attention focused and reduces cognitive overload.

4. Incorporate real-world examples.
Relating abstract concepts to everyday life makes learning more meaningful. A math tutor might use budgeting scenarios to explain difficult financial maths questions and science tutors might link chemical equations to real life occurrences.

5. Provide immediate feedback.
Correct mistakes gently but promptly, explaining why an answer is incorrect and guiding the student toward the right solution. Timely feedback prevents misconceptions from solidifying.

6. Encourage reflection.
End each session by asking students what they found easy, what was challenging, and what they’d like to revisit. Reflection builds metacognitive skills and empowers learners to take ownership of their progress.

By applying these strategies consistently, tutors can create sessions that are not only educational but also empowering. The key lies in balancing structure with flexibility: adapting to the student’s pace while maintaining clear, achievable goals.

Sophia McLean