First Education

One of the biggest benefits of tutoring isn’t just better marks — it’s confidence. Many students struggle in class not because they aren’t capable, but because they don’t feel confident enough to ask questions, take risks, or believe in their abilities.

Tutoring provides a supportive environment where students can learn without fear of judgement. In a classroom, students may feel embarrassed if they don’t understand something. However, in a one-on-one tutoring setting, they are more comfortable asking questions and working through challenges at their own pace. Over time, this builds confidence and encourages students to become more active learners.

Another way tutoring builds confidence is through small, consistent wins. When students begin to understand topics they once found difficult, they start to believe in themselves. These small successes add up, helping students feel more capable and motivated. As confidence grows, students are more willing to attempt harder questions and participate in class discussions.

Tutoring also helps students develop independent learning skills. Rather than simply giving answers, tutoring focuses on guiding students through problems and teaching them strategies. This empowers students to tackle challenges on their own, both inside and outside the classroom.

Ellie Tsoukalas

Often in class or in an exam, making a mistake can be seen as detrimental by both students and parents. The goal is always to achieve correct answers, with full marks and exemplar answers. Of course, this is what everyone is striving for, but in my experience, often when people set the bar this high, and they just fall short of it, they neglect reflecting on their mistakes and where they actually fell short. I believe this is a massive fault of many students, as reflecting on mistakes is where improvement arises.

Sometimes a correct answer can be misleading. The student may have taken a shortcut in getting to their answer or potentially guessed due to a lack of understanding, and the question may not be given a second thought since the student got it correct. Whereas a mistake actually exposes a student’s thinking, revealing where confusion and gaps in understanding exist, and then revealing areas for improvement.

Mistakes ensure the student undergoes self-reflection, asking themselves why it happened and how they can fix it. This is extremely beneficial for the student in the long run, as they begin to fully grasp and understand a certain concept, developing a durable understanding. It improves the student’s problem-solving skills and reduces the likelihood of making the same mistake again in the future.

There is a significant amount of personal development that has to occur for students to come to terms with making mistakes from time to time. They have to accept that to improve, they will make mistakes and may have to come out of their comfort zone, rather than continuing to choose easier tasks that do not challenge them. Over time, this will build resilience and ultimately confidence.

The key thing with mistakes is that they only become valuable once a student reflects on them and understands where they went wrong. Without this process of reflection, it will be difficult to have continued improvement.

Hayden McCarthy

Today I observed Rheanna working with a Year 11 student on the topic of domain and range. The lesson was clear, structured, and very effective in helping the student understand what can often be a confusing concept.

Rheanna began by clearly defining both domain and range, making sure the student understood the difference between the two before moving into more complex questions. She used the board to map out functions and graphs, which provided a strong visual reference for the student. This made it easier to see how domain relates to possible x values and range to possible y values, rather than just treating them as definitions to memorise.

One of the strengths of the session was Rheanna’s ability to guide the student through questions step by step. She avoided rushing and instead worked through each example carefully, checking for understanding along the way. When the student was unsure, she broke the problem down further and used simpler examples to reinforce the idea before building back up.

Rheanna also encouraged the student to think independently. Rather than giving answers straight away, she asked questions such as what values would make sense in this context or what the graph was showing. This helped the student actively engage with the content and develop a deeper understanding.

Another positive was how she linked algebraic and graphical representations. By showing how domain and range appear both in equations and on graphs, she helped the student connect different areas of knowledge.

Overall, Rheanna delivered a strong lesson. Her clear explanations, use of visuals, and patient approach created a supportive environment where the student was able to build confidence and improve their understanding of domain and range.

Demetria Koutavas

The HSC is often described as a marathon, but for me, a students with ADHD, it felt more like an obstacle course. Expectations around sustained focus, time management, and organisation can clash with how ADHD brains naturally operate. However, with the right strategies and support, ADHD is not a disadvantage, it’s simply a different way of thinking.

One of the biggest challenges is maintaining attention over long study periods. Traditional advice like “just sit and study for three hours” is often unrealistic. Instead, breaking study into shorter, structured intervals, such as 25-minute blocks with 5-minute breaks, can significantly improve focus and retention. This aligns better with the ADHD brain’s need for novelty and urgency.

Another key difficulty is executive functioning: planning, prioritising, and starting tasks. Many students with ADHD know what they need to do but struggle to begin. In tutoring sessions, I’ve observed that external structure, such as checklists, visual planners, or even simply saying a task out loud, can make a huge difference. It transforms overwhelming tasks into manageable steps.

Importantly, ADHD also comes with strengths. Many students demonstrate high levels of creativity, strong verbal skills, and the ability to hyperfocus on subjects they enjoy. The goal of tutoring is not to “fix” ADHD, but to harness these strengths. For example, turning study into active methods, like teaching the content to someone else, using colour-coded notes, or incorporating movement, can make learning far more effective.

Finally, mindset matters. The pressure of the HSC can amplify feelings of frustration or self-doubt, particularly when students compare themselves to others. Reframing success as personal progress, rather than perfection, is essential. Small wins, completing a practice question, revising one topic, build momentum over time.

ADHD during the HSC isn’t about working harder, it’s about working differently. With the right strategies, students can not only manage the demands of the HSC, but thrive within them.

Cara Charalambous

Homework often gets a bad reputation and is neglected. It’s seen as repetitive and unnecessary. But when you look at how learning actually works, homework plays a much more important role than many people realise, especially when combined with a technique called spaced repetition.

When you first learn something in class, your brain only stores it temporarily. Without revisiting that information, it fades quickly, you forget approximately 70% of all new information that isn’t reinforced with 24hrs of learning it. This is where homework becomes valuable. By reviewing and applying what you learned shortly after class, you reinforce those neural connections and make the memory stronger.

Spaced repetition takes this idea even further. Instead of cramming everything in one long study session, you revisit the material multiple times over increasing intervals, like after one day, then three days, then a week. Each time you review, your brain has to work a little harder to recall the information, and that effort actually strengthens your memory.

Homework naturally supports spaced repetition when it’s assigned regularly. A few problems each day or short review tasks spread across a week are far more effective than a single large assignment. This steady exposure helps move knowledge from short-term memory into long-term storage.

Another benefit is confidence. When you repeatedly engage with material over time, it starts to feel familiar. You’re not just memorising you’re understanding. This makes it easier to recall information during exams or real-life situations.

Homework isn’t just about completing tasks it’s about building lasting knowledge that you will remember. When paired with spaced repetition, it becomes one of the most powerful tools for learning and remembering effectively you can also use online digital tools to help you and automatically set reminders for you to revise such as; Anki.

Olivia Moustakis

The Benefits and Disadvantages of Tutoring

Tutoring has become a common way to support students in their learning journey. It offers a more focused approach than traditional classrooms, but it also comes with some challenges. Understanding both the benefits and disadvantages can help determine whether tutoring is the right choice.

One major benefit of tutoring is personalised learning. Tutors can adapt lessons to suit a student’s individual needs, pace, and learning style. This often leads to better understanding and improved academic performance. Tutoring also helps build confidence, as students can ask questions freely without fear of judgment. Over time, this supportive environment can make learners more comfortable and motivated.

Another advantage is flexibility. Tutoring sessions can be scheduled around a student’s routine, and online options make access even easier. Tutors can also help students develop study techniques, time management skills, and effective exam strategies that are useful beyond a single subject.

However, tutoring is not without its drawbacks. One of the main concerns is cost. Regular sessions can be expensive, making tutoring inaccessible for some families. Additionally, students may become too dependent on their tutor, relying on guidance instead of developing independent problem-solving skills.

Finding the right tutor can also be difficult. Not all tutors match a student’s learning style, which can reduce the effectiveness of sessions. In some cases, tutoring may even add extra pressure, especially if students already feel overwhelmed with schoolwork.

In conclusion, tutoring can be highly beneficial when used appropriately, offering tailored support and boosting confidence. However, it is important to balance tutoring with independent learning and consider factors like cost and student well-being before committing.

Natalie Ha

Margaret Edson’s Wit recontextualises John Donne’s metaphysical poetry to expose a fundamental shift in how society attempts to cope with death, revealing the limitations of intellectualisation in the modern world. Donne, writing within a deeply Christianity framework, seeks to dominate and rationalise death through language, evident in his apostrophic defiance in “Death be not proud,” where paradox and argumentative structure allow him to diminish death’s power and assert spiritual transcendence. His poetry transforms death into a concept that can be reasoned with, ultimately offering comfort through the certainty of an afterlife. Edson mirrors this intellectual tradition through Vivian Bearing, whose academic expertise in Donne’s poetry initially enables her to approach her own terminal illness with the same detached, analytical mindset. However, as the play progresses, this reliance on wit and scholarly interpretation collapses under the reality of physical suffering and emotional vulnerability. Unlike Donne, Vivian exists in a secular, clinical world where death is no longer mediated by religious assurance but is instead experienced as an isolating and corporeal process. Edson critiques the insufficiency of intellectualisation as a coping mechanism, suggesting that while language can attempt to impose order on death, it ultimately fails to provide genuine comfort. Instead, Wit proposes that death must be endured as a profoundly human, emotional experience, where connection, compassion, and vulnerability offer more solace than abstract reasoning. Through this shift, Edson highlights a broader societal movement away from metaphysical certainty towards a more fragmented, experiential understanding of mortality.

Mary Diamond

After tutoring for over two years, I’ve come to realise that no two students learn the exact same way, and what works for one student may not necessarily work for another. Whilst I found this to be a bit of a struggle in the beginning, I feel like it has helped me to become a better tutor and understand that it is about more than just knowing the content but being able to adapt the ways in which that content is delivered, to ensure that all students receive the most from sessions.

For example, some students learn better from visual examples, like diagrams or images, as it helps them to create a picture of what they are learning. However, this may not work for other students who work better with verbal explanations, like step-by-step examples and properly talking through examples in order to process the information more effectively. Regardless of learning styles, I have found that the best results do come from working through practice questions and reminding students to make mistakes, so that we can correct them as they go and ensure these mistakes aren’t made in the future.

It’s important to be able to adapt teaching styles because it can make a significant difference to a student’s learning and build confidence in the student by reminding them that there are different teaching methods, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. I’ve had experiences where students have been unmotivated and confused in sessions, particularly in the younger years of maths, but when we used diagrams and physical objects to help go through the problems, they had a better understanding of what the material was.

Daisy Brenac

Mathematics should be a compulsory subject in the HSC because it equips students with essential life skills, supports future career pathways, and develops critical thinking abilities that extend far beyond the classroom.

Mathematics provides practical skills that are necessary for everyday life. From managing personal finances and budgeting to understanding interest rates, taxes, and data in the media, numeracy is a fundamental competency. Without a basic mathematical foundation, students may struggle to make informed decisions in adulthood.

Secondly, mathematics is a gateway to a wide range of career opportunities. Many university courses and professions, including fields such as science, engineering, economics, medicine, and technology, require mathematical knowledge. Even careers that are not traditionally seen as “math-based” increasingly rely on data analysis and logical reasoning. By making mathematics compulsory, students are not prematurely closing off potential career pathways.

Furthermore, studying mathematics fosters critical thinking and analytical skills. Mathematics teaches students how to approach problems systematically, recognise patterns, and construct logical arguments. These skills are highly transferable and beneficial across all subjects. Mathematics enables students to critically assess statistics, graphs, and claims they encounter in media and public discourse, contributing to the development of informed and responsible citizens who can engage thoughtfully with societal issues.

While some argue that mathematics should be optional to reduce student stress, removing it as a compulsory subject may disadvantage students in the long term to ensure that students are better prepared for both personal and professional challenges in an increasingly complex world.

Amali Roumanous

We’ve all been guilty of sitting in a classroom or a tutoring session, being taught a foreign concept, and pretending to understand every word being said. And while this is an incredibly understandable part of the learning experience, tutoring sessions should never end with a child walking out only partly understanding a concept, if at all. I have noticed many times that when you ask a student “does that make sense”, oftentimes they will smile slowly and nod their head “yes?” Clearly the concept requires further understanding. However, some students shy away from admitting that they are lost or stuck on a certain piece of information which is why I enjoy employing the ‘teach me’ method.

The ‘teach me’ method is one which my tutors used for me during my time as a student as I struggled to voice that I didn’t understand something. Instead, my first tutor decided to swap our student-tutor roles, and asked me to explain to her how to simplify a fraction or analyse a quote. If I skirted around the edges of an explanation or drew incorrect conclusions, she knew exactly what to fix. This method was incredibly helpful to a student who, despite not being shy, shied away from admitting her weaknesses.

Now as a tutor, I see how powerful that method of tutoring is. As a tutor, my students range from Year 1 to Year 11, their subjects including English, Maths, Science, and Modern History. Within such a large scope of students, each one is vastly unique and requires a different tutoring style. However, no matter what the subject or who the student is, the ‘teach me’ method has helped both student and tutor out on numerous occasions.

For example, recently I tutored a year 9 maths student on angles which can be a tricky topic to grasp at first. However, I kept assigning her more questions until she was able to complete them quickly, correctly, and (most importantly) with confidence, and until she stood at the whiteboard and explained the concepts to me flawlessly, with true understanding – a student who is now ready for any exam question and for further applications of the content.

The ‘teach me’ method may sometimes be confronting to students which is why it’s important to ease the students into the content first before testing their knowledge in a way in which it has never been tested before. But with the correct application of this incredible method, each student can walk out of their tutoring session and be confident that they mastered a new concept in an hour.

Shahaf Liraz