What Service is Provided to Students?
There are several areas in which I provide private or small group tuition for students:
A. Year 5-6 students seeking independent school scholarships for Year 7+
B. Year 5-6 students seeking entry into SEAL programs for Year 7+
C. Year 7-9 students seeking entry into SEAL programs for Year 9+
D. Year 6-10 students seeking advanced results in English/ESL
E. VCE students seeking advanced results in English/ESL
Groups A, B and C: Tuition for Scholarships and SEAL program students
What I have discovered, and what has proved so profitable for the students, is that there are skills and activities that these student groups both enjoy and benefit greatly from that are not always satisfied in other learning programs. These are addressed in units I deliver for: Reading for Insight, Logic and Reason, Creative Expression, Multiple Intelligence responses, and Writing on Issues. In part, the units are designed to address the abilities demanded from the prescribed screening tests of Verbal Reasoning, Analogical Reasoning, Alphabetical/Literal Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Creative and Analytical Expression (but not Numerical Reasoning – I’m not a Mathematics tutor). Yet the units are also designed to promote higher-order thinking, unitive thinking skills, multiple intelligences, and ultimately success and enjoyment! The tests are identified and recognized in the sessions, but it is the individual student, their skills, and their responses that are far more instructive and valuable, particularly for long-term sustained success.
The needs and goals of the first three sets of students are often defined by the results students wish to achieve on the prescribed screening test for a school. There are a small number of organizations that produce such tests for both public and private schools (eg. ACER and EduTest), and the nature of the tests ultimately demand higher-order thinking skills of the student in the core subject areas of both Maths and English, as well as a capacity to express oneself clearly, logically and fluently. A further requirement may be for the student to demonstrate a capacity to present successfully in an interview.
Group D: Year 6-10 students
A tutor can make a difference, and allow a teenage student to realize their potential. Sometimes I tutor students in English/ESL at Years 6-10 because I have made a difference in their studies and efforts previously and they wish to continue their education with me. In other words, there are students that I have worked with who have succeeded in the screening tests for a scholarship or selective entry position, and though they have achieved their goal they wish to continue with private tuition. These students know what it means to have a goal, to apply themselves to meet a great challenge, and to succeed.
Unless there is a specific, negotiated and accepted goal expressed by students in Years 6-10 seeking English tuition, any service I might offer will be greatly affected by the student’s self-perception. If they have a clear goal that can be realized through English tuition I can offer my services, but if their perception of themselves is different to their potential then I might suggest (to parents) an alternative course, such as joining a youth group, working at a veterinary clinic, volunteering with a charity group, or membership with a sporting club.
Group E: VCE English Students
The business end of secondary school… It’s very useful for students of this group (and parents) to consider the blogs presented under “Recent posts“. This will best inform on-line readers about the demands of VCE outcomes, the methods exercised through the service, and the exercises, ideas and activities that can prove advantageous. VCE English deserves the best result possible for and from students, and I’ve enjoyed many successes with students seeking high levels of success in their final years!