What are you doing now that you've left us at The Tutor Trust?

I'm just about to start my dream job as a Learning Designer.

What will you miss most about The Tutor Trust?

Hands down, the pupils! You really go on a journey of seeing them excel. I loved the sense that I wasn't simply a paid tutor but someone who could also be a mentor and role model all packaged in one.

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

I first came across The Tutor Trust during my final year but didn't apply due to timing. Fast forward a year later, I applied, got an interview and after the training, started tutoring my first set of pupils. All in all, working for TTT was a great opportunity to experience the 'front-line' of education and it really complemented some of the other projects I was doing at the same time. 

What was the most challenging thing about tutoring?

During training, the trainers really set the bar high and it quickly became clear that there was a lot more to tutoring than meets the eye. When it finally came time to get to work, the main challenge was putting together all the training and remembering it. But luckily, referring back to the notes helped reconfirm that five minutes of silly ice-breakers were still very much valid!

What do you think tuition has taught you the most?

As the proverb goes, iron sharpens iron, but sometimes it's easy to forget that this applies to kids too. When I began tutoring groups of pupils, I realised that no-one understands an eleven-year old better than their own kind. So if one pupil really didn't understand, a great example from a pupil who did helped immeasurably. 

How do you think tuition helps you in your current career specifically?

Aside from the usual CV-worthy experience, I learned to be ruthless with my lesson planning. No activity was too precious to scrap. It was better to stop and move on, rather than painfully force an idea which only looked good on paper. As a designer, this is often underrated but nonetheless extremely important. 

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

Scratch up on your specialist subject knowledge by looking up free online resources and return the favour by sending anything useful into the office, who can upload any cool learning resources you've made. TES is a great place to start and it even serves as a handy electronic portfolio coupled with teachers' reviews for when you move on.