Congratulations on graduating! What are you getting up to these days?

I am currently working as part of The National Football Museum's education team.  This role is great as it allows me to lead education workshops and sessions for visiting school groups, and develop further sessions for the museum's fantastic exhibitions.  I fill any spare time building relationships with schools, and attending outreach events where we take some of the museum's collection out into the community.  Alongside this, I am working with Manchester Museum where I deliver their Egyptian Worlds sessions to KS2 pupils.  These sessions are a wonderful introduction to Egypt for pupils who get the chance to handle real ancient Egyptian artefacts, and learn about the museum's resident mummies.

What will you miss most about university life?

Probably the biggest thing for me will be the library.  Knowledge is everywhere at UoM.  I used to love engaging academic staff on the topics we shared mutual passion for, and it was a joy to be able to use the facilities at the university to pursue the exciting threads that would emerge from my studies.  Happily, the heritage sector is full of people that have accumulated such vast knowledge in their own fields, and it is certainly lovely to have a good chat with them over lunch about it!

What has been your favourite thing about working for The Tutor Trust?

I am sure that many of my fellow tutors will be familiar with the "eureka" moment that occurs when a pupil reaches a new level of understanding on a topic.  That is where the overwhelming majority of my job satisfaction comes from.  It is great to see pupils who once struggled to engage with material ask questions and push their own understanding further.  Each tutor gets into this knowing that they have the potential to make a difference to a child's education, and I love the dedication and effort they put in to achieve this.

How and why did you first get involved with The Tutor Trust?

I started tutoring in my third year of university because I really wanted to get a feel for how schools operate, and get a feel for the direction education was headed.  I grew fond of the schools I worked with, and came to every session genuinely looking forward to how my pupils would respond to a session's tasks and challenges.  It was great to be able to do something so worthwhile, all the while developing myself and learning valuable new skills.

What was the most challenging thing about tutoring?

The biggest challenge I faced was behaviour management.  It is imperative to be resilient and to encourage your pupils to be their best.  Pupils who are really engaged have a great opportunity to fill in gaps in their knowledge, and tuition should be a positive environment where that behaviour flourishes.

What do you think tuition has taught you the most?

Having the chance to work in schools has really been a great opportunity to understand the mind set of teachers and pupils in today's curriculum.  Not only has this been great experience to take with me into heritage, but this would also be invaluable for tutors looking to enter the teaching profession.  My tuition assignments have allowed me to feel like part of a school environment in which my pupils feel like they can engage with the material I bring.

Are there any pearls of wisdom you would like to offer to any new tutors joining us?

Keep an open mind for new approaches, and do not be disheartened if you need to adapt to circumstances that would prompt you to change your tactics.  The Tutor Trust is very keen for its tutors to network, and rightly so!  Do not be afraid to ask your peers for advice, or pick their brains for new ideas- they are often the best source for valuable new tuition paradigms.