Tutor Community Events: Session Hacks
To empower our Tutor Community in delivering the life-changing work they do, Equal Education has provided training such as Looked After Children and the Role of the Virtual School and Trauma and Attachment Awareness. As our team and our community expands, we want to make the most of our collective skills and expertise so this year we have launched an exciting programme of Tutor Community events with the aim of providing additional developmental opportunities and discussion forums to share best practice.
Our latest event exclusively for our tutors was hosted by Programmme Coordinators, Sophie and Georgia, and focused on session hacks for tuition. The purpose of this session was to provide top tips in delivering effective 1:1 tuition sessions, whilst inviting the tutors to share their thoughts and expertise. Having completed teacher training with Teach First, Georgia and Sophie were able to bring their own first-hand experience.
To plan and teach effectively in a 1:1 setting, it’s essential to understand the theory. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) research on the 1:1 teaching model, emphasises the success of specialised support for all pupils, including those who are the most vulnerable in society. When tuition is provided by qualified teachers, the disadvantaged gap diminishes further and pupils are able to make progress, up to 5 months. This is the very core of what we do at Equal Education.
As a teacher, you are constantly imparting new knowledge to your pupils and without it, learning will not take place. However, this must be done in a way that creates a cohesive, engaging learning atmosphere where expectations and goals are met (Mashburn et al., 2008, Prozesky, 2000). It is also essential that the learning environment is a safe and secure place, where pupils feel empowered to share their thoughts, even with low self-esteem and negative self-thoughts, which is typically the case for more vulnerable pupils (O’Connor & McCartney, 2007). Therefore, it is important to get to know the pupil you are working with and their communication styles, as well as their likes and dislikes to tailor your teaching further.
Every teacher has their own unique communication style, but there are foundations to this. Richard Chambers outlines the four-part model for effective communication, including (Chambers, 2010):
Knowing what you want to impart e.g. learning objective
Noticing how students react and their understanding (using formative assessment techniques)
Flexibility of approach e.g. changing your style, using different learning aids demonstrations, pictures, body language
Taking action including implementation & positive reinforcement
During the event; tutors shared their own techniques to effectively communicate. One tutor stated, “The tutee I have been assigned loves gaming, so I have printed out two ‘About Me’ worksheets, which are gaming themed and differentiated.” This provides engaging communication from the outset, as it’s tailored to the interests of the child and will be differentiated to their level. Another tutor commented that, “The initial session aim would be to create a friendly atmosphere and get to know the student.”
Following this, we explored how to establish effective communication with parents and/or carers, as this underpins successful relationships and fruitful tuition. To ensure it’s positive from the outset, we recommend sharing the students' successes, no matter how small or large as ‘communication begins with connection’ (Mullin, 2019). Providing this positive feedback allows parents/carers to support more outside the sessions, and more space if a tutor needs to deliver more challenging news, which will hopefully lead to collaboration.
Further, it is essential to provide parents/carers with specific ways that they can support with education. A recent study by the University of Exeter revealed that 36% of parents felt they had adequate guidance to support their child’s education. This percentage would further vary depending on the income of that family, and further, if the child is in care or has special educational needs. Ultimately, tutors should provide sufficient targets and/or home learning for parents/carers so they have the means to support at home.
Finally, the session discussed re-engagement of pupils. Dis-engagement can result from multiple factors, such as a lack of self-esteem and disruption to the home. This relates to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, as without the basic, physiological needs being met, the student will not be in a suitable place to engage with education (Maslow, 1943). Therefore, regular check-ins are necessary to assess moods and mental wellbeing. This can be done verbally or nonverbally, and some teachers like to use emotion wheels (originally designed by Robert Plutchick) to identify these with students. Further, it is essential to personalise the curriculum so it’s tailored to their needs and interests. By giving the young person a voice and regularly checking in, the relationship between tutee and tutor will hopefully develop.
