First Education

Tutoring can make a real difference in your HSC year, but only if you approach it with the right mindset. Just showing up isn’t enough to see results. The key is to treat each session as an opportunity to actively move forward in your learning, not just go over content passively with someone watching.

A great way to start is by coming prepared. Even spending 5 to 10 minutes before your session reviewing your schoolwork or pinpointing areas you’re struggling with can lead to a much more focused and productive lesson. Whether it’s a confusing concept from class, feedback from an assessment, or a question you couldn’t quite crack, bringing something specific helps guide the session and makes sure your tutor knows exactly where to help.

Honesty is just as important. If there’s something you don’t understand then say so. There’s no benefit in pretending to keep up. In fact, being upfront about your confusion is one of the smartest things you can do. Your tutor’s job is to help you make sense of difficult topics, but they can only do that if they know where you’re stuck. Asking questions isn’t a weakness, it’s actually one of the best ways to learn.

During your session, try to stay actively involved rather than just listening. Passive learning can feel comfortable, but it rarely leads to long-term improvement. Instead, use tutoring time to practice: write responses, solve problems, or answer questions under time pressure. Think of each session as a training session, not just a review. That’s how you build real skills and confidence.

Finally, consistency is everything. A tutor can guide, support, and motivate you but they can’t do the work for you. Real improvement happens in the time between sessions. Stick to the study goals you set, follow up on your weak areas, and take ownership of your learning. The more effort you put in outside of tutoring, the more progress you’ll see over time.

Final Thoughts

The HSC isn’t a quick sprint : it’s a marathon. A great tutor is like a coach, but the training and effort still have to come from you. Show up prepared, stay engaged, and commit to the process. That’s where the real growth happens and that’s how you’ll get the most out of every session.

Natasya Ross

Today I observed Tynan’s Year 10 Maths session.

Today, the session focused on solving quadratic equations and learning how to write quadratic equations in standard form. Tynan encouraged the student to take the lead by working through the problems independently, which helped build confidence and problem-solving skills. While the student was working, Tynan provided guidance where necessary, offering prompts and clarifying any misconceptions without giving away the full solution. This approach allowed the student to actively engage with the material and develop their own strategies for tackling quadratic problems. Once the student completed the questions, Tynan and his student reviewed the solutions together in detail. During this review, Tynan highlighted the key steps, reinforced important concepts, and corrected any errors, ensuring that the student fully understood the process. This balance of independent practice followed by guided feedback helped strengthen the student’s understanding of quadratics and supported their overall learning progress.

Overall a great session to observe.

Alexander Nikitopoulos

7 tips for you to keep in mind a month out from Paper 1

The countdown is on with just one month until the HSC exams begin. Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone. But the good news is : there’s still time to make a difference. These next few weeks are about working smarter, not harder. Here are 7 tips to help you stay focused, organised and confident.

1. Create a Realistic Study Plan
– break the remaining weeks into manageable blocks
– prioritise weak subjects/topics
– schedule breaks to avoid burn out

2. Focus on Past Papers !!!
– practice HSC-style questions under timed conditions
– Learn how to interpret NESA verbs such as “analyse”, “evaluate,” etc.
– Identify patterns in what gets asked

3. Revise Smart, Not Hard
– use active recall, e.g, flashcards, self – quizzing (you can do these with a friend to spice it up!)
– teach concepts to someone else (it’s one thing to know something and another to teach it)
– do more than just re-read notes!

4. Use the syllabus as a checklist
– go through each dot point and make sure u can explain it.
-link your study to what the exam will actually test

5. Look after yourself
– sleep matters more than late night cramming
– exercise helps with the stress and memory
– do not skip meals (your brain needs fuel)

6. Limit Distractions
– use apps or settings to block social media while studying
– create a clutter-free study space
– set small goals and reward yourself

7. Stay Motivated
– visualise your goals after the HSC
– use affirmations or motivational quotes
– remember : one month of focus = long term results

Final Thoughts
The next month is all about momentum. You don’t need to know every single thing about everything, you just need to keep showing up. Stay focused, stay calm, and remember : your effort will carry you through to the finish line.
You got this!

Natasya Ross

Today, I had the great opportunity to observe David!

During the session, I observed David teaching a student the topic of index laws in mathematics. His approach was structured and systematic, beginning with the definition of indices. He explained that an index, or power, is a concise way of representing repeated multiplication. To establish this foundation, he provided straightforward examples. Once the basic idea was clarified, David introduced the laws of indices in a progressive sequence. The first rule he addressed was the multiplication of powers with the same base and reinforced this with numerical examples. Importantly, he did not present the rules as abstract statements alone, but linked them to concrete calculations to ensure comprehension.

David then moved to the law of division, expressed as he highlighted how this arises from cancelling common factors in numerator and denominator, which made the result intuitive rather than arbitrary. This progression helped to reduce the common misconception that negative indices lead to negative numbers. Throughout the lesson, David’s teaching was characterised by clarity and encouragement. He frequently prompted the student to attempt problems independently, intervening only with guiding questions when difficulties arose. This fostered active engagement and reinforced the student’s understanding.

Overall, the session demonstrated effective mathematics teaching practice. The emphasis on logical reasoning, step-by-step explanation, and student participation created a clear and supportive learning environment. By connecting each rule of indices to underlying mathematical principles, David ensured that the student developed both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding

Maria Kargas

In my time as a tutor here at First Education, I have learnt about the importance of establishing a good tutor-student relationship. With an increased sense of trust and comfort created through a positive tutor-student relationship comes better understanding, better grades and an enhanced sense of confidence. Once the student feels comfortable telling you what is really needed, this can ensure accuracy and productivity in study and in focusing on what is needed. In my sessions, my students and I talk about what bothers them outside of school, what they find exciting, and personal goals they have. This establishes a better sense of trust and understanding but is also the foundation of learning. Students come to the lessons excited and motivated to learn. Empathy and being able to read the students’ emotions are enhanced with this positive relationship, gauging the students’ feelings towards topics, questions and even how they are feeling for that lesson. This will dictate the pace at which we move throughout the lesson, whether it is fast or slow, with more time spent on questions that bring about stress. Feedback is also more likely to be accepted with a positive relationship with encouragement that allows them to feel seen and heard. As the quote says, “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. A great tutor, without a doubt, brings knowledge, but also patience, encouragement, and genuine connection. That’s what makes tutoring not just effective, but transformative.

Marina Nouris

Hey everyone, I had the great opportunity to observe Riva’s session! She did a great job going through practice HSC exam papers and any questions her student brought in. They broke down each question and all the key terms, so her student understood the topic he needed to apply and what the specific question was asking for. They also went through the CambridgeGo textbook, as there were a range of different types of questions, that cater for a range of different difficulties. The questions ranged from easy to hard and there were also some extension questions. It was great to see how familiar her student was with the content.

They specifically looked at time difference questions. Where the student had different time zones he had to calculate or different airplane trips, and he had to work out the time the flight landed in the departure time zone.

Riva did a great job explaining the time zone concept as her student got confused and stumped resolving these types of questions. They also worked on trigonometry and angles.

They looked at the different difficulties of questions to see the students ability to interpret and solve each question. This helped to work out where the student is, with his understanding of the content.

Riva did a great job allowing her student to work through each question independently. When her student got stuck she would then help him. They worked through each question carefully and Riva encouraged her student to detail each part of his working out.

It was great to see how friendly they were and how comfortable her student was with her. They had a great relationship and they got along really well.

Riva then gave her student a HSC exam paper to do for him homework. This is great exam prep for the upcoming HSC.

Overall, Riva did a great job helping her student. It was a great session. Keep it up!

Ashley Cohen

In high school, I wasn’t someone who could study for hours on end. Instead I would break up my work into small chunks. Not only were 20-30 minute chunks utilising the most productive sections of my study, but it was also super motivating when everything was slightly more achievable. As a student coming home from a long day of school, sitting a 2 hour past paper was not something I was at all interested or motivated to do. However, breaking the paper up into 30 minute sections, is just as effective if not more as it still simulates timed conditions without the dread of a two hour exam.

Similarly, working on one subject for hours used to be so unmotivating and was inherently unproductive. I used to spend all afternoon writing and staring at an essay until I would get to the point where I wouldn’t be able to look at a computer screen. A strategy I used to make this way more manageable was again, chunking. I would do 30 minutes of an essay and then I would do 30 minutes of some other subject like Maths or Chemistry. Something that used the complete opposite side of my brain because surprisingly it was refreshing to stop analysing Shakespeare and start solving maths equations. After completing 30 minutes of maths I would take a longer break feeling very productive knowing I had already tackled two subjects that afternoon. Chunking up my work made studying so much more efficient in my final year of school and my studying not only became shorter but better.

Alana O’Sullivan

During today’s session, I observed Emmanuelle’s session with her Year 12 English Advanced student on reflective writing for the Module C exam. I was impressed by how she worked initially by demystifying the task, framing reflection as a familiar process: “It’s still essay writing,” she told the student, “but instead of analysing an author’s intention, you’re analysing your own.” This simple reframing seemingly worked to reduce the student’s confusion and gave them a clear point of entry into the task.

Emmanuelle’s approach was methodical yet flexible. She drew direct parallels between the critical essays the student had already mastered and the reflective piece they now needed to produce. For example, she explained that a thesis was still necessary, only here it would be a statement about her student’s own creative purpose. Evidence was also still required, but in this case it would come from the student’s own writing: a chosen metaphor, a structural decision, or a stylistic technique. Emmanuelle even modelled the kind of language shift that was needed, contrasting phrases such as “The author conveys…” with “I sought to convey…” to highlight the reflective voice.

What impressed me most was the way she encouraged self-awareness without reducing the task to formula. She asked the student to think critically about why they made particular choices and how those aligned with the rubric’s demands. Rather than dictating answers, this guided the student into articulating their own rationale, reinforcing independence.

By the end of the lesson, the student had not only drafted a clear outline but also expressed greater confidence.

Great job Emmanuelle!

Thea Macarthur-Lassen

Today I observed a year 3 session where the tutor and student worked both English and math together. They worked on multiplication and division homework and spelling, creativity and storytelling together. The student’s spelling and brainstorming/creative skills were worked on when the tutor placed a suffix on the board. The student and tutor then worked together to brainstorm different words with the suffix that was written on the board, like ‘gladly’ and ‘sadly’ for the suffix ‘-ly’. On top of brainstorming these words, the tutor checked that the student knew all the definitions of the words and could use them in sentences. If the student was stuck on thinking of words with the suffix, the tutor would give hints and examples of the word usage to help the student. The tutor also offered praise when pointing out how many words they brainstormed together, crediting the student and motivating her as well. Spelling was built upon more by making a Kahoot of the words from the suffix brainstorm, which allowed the student to pick the correct answer with the correct spelling, further consolidating the student’s spelling in a fun way. Storytelling and creativity was also practiced in the session when the student was allowed to draw different pictures describing their story.

They also worked on mixed worded multiplication and division questions together. The tutor described different questions to allow the student further understanding such as ’16 divided by 2′ to ’16 split into 2 groups’ and ‘2 multiplied by 3’ to ‘2 groups of 3’. To further help the student with division, the tutor also utilised real objects and allowed the student to split the objects into the required groups needed for the question. This helped the student visualise what division and multiplication was, allowing the student to understand the concepts better. The tutor also motivated the student towards finishing the work by encouraging a reward of playing a game together. All these techniques used in the session allowed the student to consolidate their knowledge in both english and maths while making the lesson fun for the student.

Cynthia Lam

Congratulations Year 12 – you’ve made it through trials and graduation is just around the corner! With about four weeks left before the HSC, the hardest part isn’t over yet: studying while you’re no longer in the school routine. Without bells, teachers, and classmates to keep you on track, it’s easy to feel a bit lost. Here are some practical tips to help you stay focused and make the most of this time.

How much should you study?
Think of study like training for a marathon: you want steady, consistent effort, not all-nighters. Aim for around 4-7 hours a day, broken into chunks with short breaks. It’s more about quality than quantity – two hours of distraction-free work beats five hours of scrolling between TikTok and notes.

Splitting your study time.
Not all subjects need equal time. Prioritise your weaker subjects first – those are the ones where improvements can really boost your ATAR. For stronger subjects, keep practising with past papers or timed practice. A good rule of thumb is a 60/40 split: 60% on areas you’re less confident in, 40% revising your strengths.

Staying focused.
Without school structure, you need to build your own schedule. Set a daily routine: wake up at the same time, map out your study blocks, and finish at a set hour to avoid burnout. Use techniques like the Pomodoro method (25 minutes work, 5 minutes break) to stay sharp. And don’t forget the basics – exercise, sleep, and proper meals all keep your brain firing.

These next few weeks are your chance to turn trial feedback into HSC results. Keep it balanced, stay consistent, and back yourself – you’ve got this.

Benjamin Hickman