⏱ Monday 19th December 2022

Following Matt’s Tutor Trust training, we checked in over Zoom to find out more about his first assignment.

You can read more below and in the video below he talks about several things, including:

• Details about the assignment (00:14)
• How he felt before the first session (01:40)
• Preparing a high-quality first session (03:25)
• How the introductory meeting helped him prepare (04:50)
• Discussion about his first lesson plan (06:30)

Matt’s top tips for making sure you know about what’s available are:

1. You have complete choice when it comes to choosing your assignments.

Before you bid for an assignment on Connect, you’ll know when and where it will take place. This makes it easy to build a timetable around your other commitments!

2. It’s normal to be a little bit nervous before your first session.

Taking plenty of time to plan your session (using the tips and planning structure from your training) will make you feel a lot more prepared and in control of the situation.

3. The Tutor Trust staff are there to help!

Matt was given a quick tutorial on our online tutoring software Vedamo before his first session. This helped him to understand how the software works, which is invaluable when planning an online session!

4. Look on other websites when planning your sessions!

Free websites such as BBC Bitesize are a great source of inspiration for tutors in all subjects. You could find a great resource, or even a really simple way of explaining a concept. Links to more websites can be found on Thinqi.

5. Use a range of different questions in your starter and do-it-now task.

The first part of the lesson is designed to help you gain a better understanding of your pupils’ abilities and determine who will need the most support in the session.

 

And here are one or two tips of my own:

• Spend the first five-or-ten minutes of the session getting to know the pupils. It’s really important to build a strong working relationship and their out-of-school interests may come in useful when planning future sessions!
• Don’t panic! The predicted grades and study topics from the introductory meeting will make much more sense when you have spent some time with the pupils. It’s normal to feel a bit unsure until you’ve met the pupils!

Next time, we’ll be checking in with Matt for the last time. We’ll talk about how Matt has adjusted to his new assignment and reflect on his journey so far to gather his top tips for new tutors!

Still want more advice? Why not watch the full conversation with Matt above, or have a look at the tips from Madeehah’s story.

And if you're interested in joining us to transform lives through tutoring, then you can find out more and apply here.

Date of publication: 19/04/2021