In a tutoring session, what actually happens?
The importance of level descriptors
Examination technique
Making progress
How long is a tutorial?
When should you take up tuition?
What should you do now?
In a tutoring session, what actually happens?
We always have a question as a focus, often an examination question; sometimes, it’s a question like “how does the writer engage our attention/introduce or develop central ideas in this chapter or scene?” How does the writer questions are the bread and butter of learning English and English Literature. Of course, if it’s English, we may be producing a piece writing, Write an article . . . Write a letter . . . Describe a . . . Students usually produce some written work during the session, often in ten or fifteen minute bursts of writing. Each piece of writing is aimed at isolating and developing a particular skill. I always produce a sample answer to any question so that students can see how a question might be answered. We can share these as we work via the chat box on Skype or Zoom.
The importance of level descriptors
Level descriptors are what examiners use to mark your work, to assign it a grade or level. We work really closely with these. Examiners may ask us to describe an airport or a railway station but it’s not a memory test. They’re not asking us to remember what’s there. They are asking us to do things like manipulate complex ideas, using a range of structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion. I show you how to meet that assessment descriptor here. So the important thing is that we’re always working with the marking descriptors.
Examination technique
Success in English isn’t just about being good at English: it’s as much about examination technique. We have to show a range of skills. Some students keep on showing the same skill again and again: they may have a wonderfully wide vocabulary but limited sentence structures; they may comment brilliantly on Shakespeare’s words but never comment on dramatic form. I will help you to do all these things, show you exactly how to meet the highest level descriptors for your examination board. And if you have problems with the nuts and bolts of English, with spelling and punctuation, I have a range of strategies and will find the one that works for you.
Making progress
At the end of every single lesson I send an email to students and their parents detailing the work we have covered during the session. This includes progress that has been made (sometimes I include a sample of the student’s work), targets to aim at and details of any homework. If I am supporting a student studying at school or college, it is the student and their parents’ choice whether I set homework or not. If I am delivering an entire course (for example to a home-educated student) homework is set weekly. And, because I don’t have whole class-loads of marking, my feedback is highly detailed; and that will really accelerate learning.
How long is a tutorial?
Students who are being supported at school or college usually opt for an hour a week; some opt for two hours – occasionally, for example A level students on study leave or during the Easter holidays – even more. With students at school it is a good idea to review the tuition after, say, six weeks; that may be enough to resolve any difficulties they have in the subject. If I am delivering an entire course (IGCSE or A level for example) to a home-educated student, we usually have two ninety minute tutorials a week. I know that can sound dauntingly long; most students say it passes in a flash. But I will work with students and parents to find what is best for them. Three hours a week is usually enough to deliver both English and English Literature IGCSEs in a year. And the same for AS and A level: three hours a week for a year.
When should you take up tuition?
Most parents look for tuition as a result of advice given at a school parents’ meeting or in a report. If you have concerns about your child’s progress, it is better to opt for tuition earlier rather than later. At the start of the course, students sometimes need to be shown what it is the examiners will be looking for or how to study. Leave it too late and students can become demoralised or find, at A level, that there are whole set texts with which they simply haven’t engaged.
What should you do now?
Why not contact me? We can speak in person, without any commitment. You can tell me about your concerns. You might decide to take up the offer of a free session (as parents, you are welcome to attend either on-line, or in person if the meeting is face-to-face). Even in one free session, I guarantee you will learn at least one thing to improve your exam result. Here’s a reminder of my email: richard.marriott.english @gmail.com and my phone number: 07812 742 164 or 01435 661321.