First Education

The Ultimate School Holiday Escape: Why Your Next Adventure Should Be in a Book

The school holidays are almost here! It is time to drop the school bags, turn off the morning alarms, and enjoy a well-deserved break. While your weeks might be packed with beach trips, catch-ups with friends, or extra screen time, there is one ultimate holiday hack you shouldn’t overlook: picking up a great book. Reading during the holidays doesn’t have to feel like a continuation of English class. In fact, it is the perfect time to read purely for entertainment.

Why Holiday Reading Rules:

Zero Pressure: There are no essays to write, no comprehension questions to answer, and absolutely no deadlines. You can read at your own pace.
Total Freedom: You get to choose the playlist. Whether you are into fast-paced sci-fi, mind-bending mysteries, graphic novels, manga, or gripping sports biographies—if you don’t like a book, you can simply put it down and pick up another one.
The Perfect Rainy Day Backup: Holiday weather can be unpredictable. When a sudden downpour ruins your outdoor plans, a captivating story is the perfect getaway.

How to Level Up Your Reading Game

Instead of staring at a screen all afternoon, grab a novel and head outside. Find a sunny spot at your local park, layout a towel at the beach, or just set up a cosy corner in your backyard.

If you are running low on books or pocket money, take a stroll down to your local municipal library. They are packed with the latest releases, completely free to borrow, and usually have great air conditioning.

So, before the holidays fly by, challenge yourself to read just one chapter a day. You might just find your new favorite obsession. Happy holidays and happy reading!

Ella Fisher

I observed Flora and her student, Billie Stockton. This was a great way to use the time and watch how another tutor runs an English and Maths session. During the English part, I watched Flora help Billie read a story. It was really cool to see how she keeps a child focused. When Billie got stuck on a hard word, Flora didn’t just tell them the answer. Instead, she helped them sound it out, which is a great way to build confidence. She also stopped every now and then to ask simple questions about the story. This made sure Billie actually understood what was happening in the plot. After that, they moved on to the Maths portion, and I got to see Flora teach some multiplication. I wanted to watch how she explains math concepts without making them too confusing. She did a great job breaking down the multiplication steps so the student could follow along easily. It was super helpful to see how she handled moments when the student hesitated, using encouraging words to keep them trying.

Overall, watching the reading story part and the multiplication practice was super helpful. Seeing how Flora creates a comfortable space, handles mistakes, and switches between subjects gave me some great ideas that I can use in my own lessons later on. I really liked how she kept the energy positive throughout the different activities, and it gave me a lot of good strategies to try out with my own students in the future.

Irene Primikirios

During this tutoring session, I observed David Miller working with a student on algebraic expressions and linear equations. The lesson focused on simplifying expressions, solving equations, and applying algebraic techniques to problem-solving questions that are commonly encountered in the secondary mathematics curriculum.

David demonstrated strong subject knowledge and explained concepts in a clear and structured manner. He began the session by reviewing previously covered material to gauge the student’s understanding and identify any gaps in knowledge. This allowed him to tailor the lesson to the student’s needs and reinforce key concepts before progressing to more challenging questions.

One of David’s strengths was his ability to break complex problems into manageable steps. When introducing new equations, he carefully modelled each stage of the process and explained the reasoning behind his methods. This approach helped the student understand not only how to solve the problems but also why each step was necessary.

Throughout the session, David encouraged the student to actively participate in the learning process. Rather than providing answers immediately, he used targeted questioning to prompt the student to think critically and work through solutions independently. This encouraged problem-solving skills and helped build the student’s confidence when approaching unfamiliar questions.

The learning environment was positive and supportive throughout the lesson. David provided regular encouragement and constructive feedback, acknowledging the student’s progress while patiently addressing areas of difficulty. The student appeared comfortable asking questions and remained engaged for the duration of the session.

By the end of the lesson, the student demonstrated greater confidence in solving algebraic equations and showed improved accuracy when completing independent practice questions. The session was well-paced, engaging, and clearly focused on supporting the student’s learning objectives. Overall, David displayed effective communication skills, strong mathematical knowledge, and an encouraging teaching style that contributed positively to the student’s understanding and progress.

Demee Georgas

One of the most effective ways to improve learning during a tutoring session is through active participation. Students learn far more when they are involved in the lesson rather than simply listening to explanations. Encouraging students to think, respond, explain, and contribute helps transform them from passive listeners into active learners.

When students participate actively, they are required to process information more deeply. Explaining an answer, talking through a problem, or teaching a concept back to the tutor helps reinforce understanding and highlights any gaps in knowledge. It also gives tutors valuable insight into how a student is thinking, allowing explanations to be adjusted where necessary.

Active participation can take many forms. Students might solve problems on the board, explain their reasoning aloud, annotate a text, or work through a question step by step. Even simple discussions can help students engage more meaningfully with the content. The goal is to keep students involved in the learning process rather than having them simply observe it.

Participation also helps build confidence. Students who regularly contribute during sessions become more comfortable sharing ideas and attempting challenging questions. Over time, they begin to trust their own thinking and become more willing to take academic risks.

For tutors, creating opportunities for participation requires a balance between guidance and independence. Providing support while still allowing students to work through ideas themselves encourages ownership of learning and develops important problem solving skills.

Demetria Koutavas

Something I’ve started doing more of lately is asking students to explain a concept back to me after we’ve covered it. It sounds like a small thing, but it changes the dynamic of a session pretty significantly. The gaps in understanding show up immediately in a way they never do when a student is just listening or following along, and honestly, it’s often more useful than any practice question I could set.

I noticed it with my own students first: they’d track a worked example fine, then freeze when asked to try one by themselves. There’s a real difference between recognising something when you see it and being able to explain it yourself, and most students don’t realise how wide that gap is until they’re asked to explain it out loud. The fix, as far as I can tell, is just making them talk more and me talk less. I’ll step back after introducing something and ask how they’d explain it to a friend who missed class and what follows is usually more revealing than anything else in the session. For HSC students especially, this matters. I try to do this as much as possible now when I’m teaching.

Luke Livolsi

Goal setting is a simple but highly effective strategy that can help students stay motivated and focused throughout their tutoring journey. Whether a student is working towards an upcoming assessment, improving a particular skill, or building confidence in a subject, having clear goals provides direction and purpose.

One of the main benefits of goal setting is that it helps students break larger challenges into smaller, more manageable steps. A goal such as improving overall maths results can feel overwhelming, but focusing on mastering fractions or improving problem solving skills makes progress easier to track and achieve.

Goals also help students recognise their progress. It is common for students to focus on what they still need to improve rather than how far they have come. Regularly revisiting goals allows students to see evidence of their growth, which can boost motivation and confidence.

Another advantage is that goals encourage accountability. When students have a clear target to work towards, they are more likely to stay engaged during lessons and put effort into independent study. Tutors can support this by helping students create realistic and achievable goals that match their current ability level.

It is important that goals remain flexible. As students develop new skills and gain confidence, their goals may need to change. Reviewing goals regularly ensures they continue to be relevant and challenging without becoming unrealistic.

Demetria Koutavas

Patience is one of the most valuable qualities a tutor can possess. While subject knowledge and teaching strategies are important, a tutor’s ability to remain patient can have a significant impact on a student’s learning experience and overall confidence.

Every student learns at a different pace. Some may grasp a concept immediately, while others may need multiple explanations and examples before it clicks. It can be easy to focus on getting through content, but taking the time to ensure a student truly understands often leads to better long term outcomes. A patient tutor recognises that learning is a process and that progress looks different for every student.

Patience also helps create a positive learning environment. Students are much more likely to ask questions and admit when they are confused if they feel they will be met with understanding rather than frustration. This openness allows tutors to identify gaps in knowledge and provide support where it is needed most.

Another important aspect of patience is giving students time to think. Often, tutors are tempted to jump in with hints or answers when a student hesitates. However, allowing students a few extra moments to process information and work through a problem independently can build confidence and strengthen problem solving skills.

Patience is especially important when students make mistakes. Errors are a natural part of learning and provide valuable opportunities for growth. A calm and supportive response encourages students to learn from their mistakes rather than fear them.

Demetria Koutavas

For many NSW students, achieving a 90+ ATAR is seen as the benchmark of academic success. However, the process of earning a high ATAR is far more complex than simply studying hard and getting good marks.

One of the biggest misunderstandings is that the ATAR measures a student’s intelligence or raw academic ability. In reality, the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank is a ranking system. An ATAR of 90 means a student has performed better than approximately 90% of their age group. This means students are competing not only against assessment standards but also against thousands of other students across the state.

Subject selection also plays an important role. Many students choose subjects based on scaling, believing that harder courses automatically guarantee a higher ATAR. While scaling can influence results, strong marks in any subject are generally more valuable than poor marks in a highly scaled course. Choosing subjects that align with a student’s strengths is often a more effective strategy.

Another challenge is balancing internal assessments and final HSC examinations. Throughout Year 12, students must consistently perform well in school assessments while also preparing for exams that cover two years of content. Maintaining high ranks within subjects can be just as important as performing well in the final examinations.

Beyond academics, students face significant pressures from part-time work, extracurricular commitments, family expectations, and the stress of university entry requirements. Managing these responsibilities while maintaining motivation and wellbeing can be difficult.

Ultimately, achieving a 90+ ATAR requires more than intelligence and hard work. Success depends on effective time management, strategic subject choices, strong exam technique, and the ability to remain resilient under pressure. While a high ATAR is an impressive achievement, it represents a combination of dedication, planning, and consistency rather than simply academic talent alone.

John Kotselas

One of the challenges of teaching the Literary Worlds elective in English Extension 1 is helping students move beyond simply understanding a text and towards understanding how a text creates an entire world. Many students initially focus on plot and character, but Literary Worlds asks them to consider how composers construct realities that reflect particular values, assumptions and perspectives.

In my experience, the most effective approach is to begin with the concept of a “world” itself. Before opening a novel or short story, I ask students to think about the worlds they already inhabit: family, school, online communities and friendship groups. Each has its own rules, expectations and values. Once students recognise that worlds exist beyond physical settings, they are better equipped to analyse how authors create literary worlds through language.

Another strategy that consistently produces strong results is focusing on patterns rather than isolated techniques. Too often students are taught to identify a metaphor here or a symbol there. Instead, I encourage them to look for recurring images, motifs, settings and character types. These patterns reveal what a text values and how readers are positioned to interpret the world being presented.

Close reading is also essential. Rather than racing through a text, students benefit from spending significant time analysing key passages. A single page can reveal the atmosphere, social structures, conflicts and ideologies that underpin an entire literary world. Teaching students to slow down and notice the deliberate choices made by authors develops far more sophisticated analysis than simply summarising events.

Finally, I believe students should write frequently and informally. Analytical paragraphs, reflective journal entries and creative imitations help students explore how literary worlds operate. Creative experimentation is particularly valuable because students quickly discover how difficult it is to establish a convincing world through language alone.

Ultimately, the best Literary Worlds classrooms are those that prioritise curiosity. When students stop asking, “What happened?” and start asking, “Why has the composer constructed this world in this way?”, we see a major difference in how they address the rubric. I hope this helps!

Eleni Nicholas

Today I had the opportunity to observe Annaliese tutoring a Year 11 Mathematics student on the topic of linear equations. Throughout the lesson, she showed such a clear understanding of the content and had a structured approach that helped the student build their understanding and confidence.

At the beginning of the session, Annaliese started by casually chatting about the students week, how they have found the weeks content. They then reviewed the topics they have previously been through to ensure the student had a strong foundation before going into more complex problems. She clearly explained variables, gradients, intercepts, forms of linear equations etc. Her explanations were super easy to follow!!

Annaliese was her able to break down challenging questions into smaller, manageable steps. Rather than simply providing answers, she encouraged the student to think about the process required to solve each problem. She asked guiding questions and prompted the student to explain their reasoning.

Throughout the lesson, Annaliese regularly checked for understanding and adapted her explanations when necessary. When the student encountered difficulties, she used alternative examples and diagrams to clarify concepts. This ensured the student remained engaged and continued to make progress.

The learning environment was so supportive and encouraging. Annaliese consistently reinforced the student’s successes while treating mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. Her positive feedback helped build the student’s confidence and willingness to attempt more challenging questions independently. She finished off the lesson by working through past paper questions which I could tell the student found really helpful.

Overall, the lesson was highly effective. Annaliese used excellent communication skills to create an engaging and productive learning experience. Her ability to scaffold learning, encourage independent thinking and adapt to the student’s needs enabled the student to develop a stronger understanding of linear equations and greater confidence in their mathematical abilities.

Shyla Gloster