Starting a Session
Starting a tuition session on the right foot is essential for a productive and positive learning experience. The way you introduce yourself, set the tone, and establish the focus can make all the difference in student engagement and success. In this article, we’ll guide you through key strategies for kicking off your sessions effectively, from creating a welcoming environment that puts students at ease, to setting clear objectives, smoothly transitioning into the main content, and managing time to ensure every minute counts.
Create a welcoming environment
The first few minutes of your session can significantly impact your learner's mindset and readiness to engage. So how do you create the right learning atmosphere?
Greet with enthusiasm: Always greet your learners with a smile and genuine enthusiasm. This helps to create a positive and supportive atmosphere right from the start!
Check-in: Take a moment to ask how your learners are doing. A simple "How are you today?" can go a long way in building rapport and showing that you care about their well-being beyond just their academic progress.
Positive body language: Maintain open and friendly body language. Face your learners, make appropriate eye contact, and avoid crossing your arms or appearing distracted.
2. Setting the stage for learning
Once you've created a welcoming environment, you’re ready to prepare your learners for the session ahead:
Review previous learning: Start by briefly reviewing what was covered in the previous session. You might ask: "What do you remember from our last session?" or "How have you been getting on with the topics we covered last time?" This helps to refresh the learner's memory and provides continuity between sessions. It may also form the basis of your session if you uncover any struggles!
Address any concerns: Give learners an opportunity to voice any concerns or questions they have about previous material. This allows you to address any lingering uncertainties before moving on to new content.
Preview the session: Provide a brief overview of what you'll be covering in the current session. This gives learners a roadmap of what to expect and helps them mentally prepare for the topics ahead.
3. Set clear objectives
Clear objectives help to focus the session and give learners a sense of purpose. They also provide a benchmark against which you can measure progress at the end of the session.
SMART Objectives
When setting objectives, try to make them SMART:
Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve
Measurable: How will you know when the objective has been met?
Achievable: Is it realistic within the time frame of the session?
Relevant: Does it align with the learner's overall goals and curriculum requirements?
Time-bound: What can be achieved within this session?
Here's a full example of a SMART target for a student aiming to improve their essay writing skills:
Specific:
“I want to improve my ability to write clear, well-structured essays in English by focusing on developing stronger thesis statements and more cohesive paragraphs.”
Measurable:
“I will aim to score at least 70% in my next three essay assignments by applying feedback from my tutor on structure and clarity.”
Achievable:
“To reach this target, I will spend 30 minutes twice a week practising writing thesis statements and outlining essays. I will also review previous feedback from my tutor and apply it to my future work.”
Relevant:
“Improving my essay writing is important because it will help me perform better in my English assessments and prepare me for future exams and coursework in other subjects.”
Time-bound:
“I aim to achieve this goal by the end of the next term, with progress reviewed after each essay to ensure I'm improving.”
This SMART target clearly outlines what the student aims to achieve, how they will measure progress, and sets a realistic timeline.
Involve the Learner
Where possible, involve the learner in setting objectives. This can increase their engagement and give them a sense of ownership over their learning. You might ask:
"What would you like to achieve in today's session?"
"Which areas do you feel you need the most help with today?"
4. Transitioning into the main content
Once you've set the stage and established clear objectives, it's time to transition into the main content of your session.
Start with a warm-up activity: Begin with a short, engaging activity related to the topic at hand. This could be a quick quiz, a thought-provoking question, or a simple problem to solve. This helps to activate prior knowledge, get learners thinking about the topic, provide you with insight into their current understanding.
For example, if you're tutoring in maths, you could start with a quick-fire quiz on basic concepts they’ll need for the lesson, like “Solve 3x + 5 = 20” if you’re about to cover algebra. This not only activates their prior knowledge but also gives you
Link to real-world applications: Where possible, start by showing how the topic relates to real-world situations or the learner's interests. For instance, in a science lesson, you might start by explaining how learning about forces in physics is crucial for understanding sports like football or gymnastics.
This grabs the students' attention because it links the material to something they care about. Or if you’re tutoring history, you could begin a lesson on World War II by discussing how the outcomes of that war still affect current international relations. Real-world links help students see the relevance of what they’re learning and can make them more motivated to engage with the content.
Consider incorporating a mix of resources for your starter activity to cater for your students' different learning styles. Read our article on Differentiation for more information and ideas on how to do this.
5. Manage time effectively
While it's important to start your session well, be mindful of time management.
Keep the introduction concise: Aim to keep your introduction to around 5-10 minutes. This leaves plenty of time for the main content of your session.
Be flexible: Be prepared to adjust your plan if needed. If a learner brings up an urgent question or concern, it may be worth addressing this first before moving on to your planned content.
Conclusion
Starting your tutoring sessions effectively sets the foundation for productive learning. By creating a welcoming environment, setting clear objectives, and transitioning smoothly into your main content, you can engage your learners from the outset and maximise the impact of your tutoring.
Remember, the key is to be welcoming, clear, and purposeful. With practice, you'll develop your own style of starting sessions that works best for you and your learners. Don't be afraid to ask for feedback and continually refine your approach.