Frequently Asked Questions

What ages do you teach?

I teach all ages from Kindy through to adults. I have taught all of these ages at different times and my specialist area is in literacy development – reading, writing, spelling, speaking, comprehension and English as an Additional Language or Dialect and English as a Second Language.

I am well-versed in developmental stages of childhood, adolescence and adult learners. I have extensive experience in Learning Difficulties and differentiating tasks to scaffold for different needs and abilities.

I can teach different age levels similar content in different ways for different outcomes that suit each student.

Should I choose Group or One on One tutoring?

I recommend One on One for the following students:

· High level academic or ATAR English

· Adults with specific goals or mentoring needs

· Teens or Preteens who have a significant literacy gap from their peers

· Students who struggle with attention and need extra care

Group lessons are better for everyone else for the following reasons:

· Motivation to learn is higher when the pressure is lower – in a group, students often feel less pressure because they are one of a group. I still give them enough attention and know what their progress looks like, but the student often feels less pressure in this type of situation.

· Learning is more fun in a group – and neuroscience has found that play-based learning is significantly more effective in retaining new information and skills.

· Students can be exposed to a wider range of writing samples – we share our work and ideas and give each other constructive feedback.

· Group sessions are 1.5 hours so we can cover a range of skills without having to work on each one for longer than a student can concentrate.

Why is tutoring so expensive?

If you go onto a tutoring page on Facebook, you can see a variety of prices and a variety of tutors.

1. School leavers with high ATAR scores. These are young people who are very good academically. They may not know how to help a child who struggles academically or who has a learning difficulty, because they have no experience with this personally. A fair price for this service would be around $30 an hour.

2. University Students. If you are going to choose a university student, it would make sense to choose one who is studying Education or a very specific subject that you need (like Physics). A fair price for this might be as high as $50 an hour.

3. Teachers. Teachers are experts in how children learn. They have plan A, B and C in place and know how to pivot in order to meet a student’s needs. They know which tests to do to see where gaps lie. They know how to speak with students to motivate them or to explain a concept. They have duty of care and know how to approach a problem. They know the Australian Curriculum, marking standards and how to help a student move from one level to another. A fair price for a teacher should not be lower than $60/hour for primary to lower high school and $80/hour for Upper High School.

4. Specialist or Senior Teachers. These are teachers with extensive time and experience in the classroom. These are teachers who have participated in countless hours of professional development over the years. These are teachers who have taught other teachers and presented at conferences. I am one of these teachers. A fair price for a Specialist Teacher is between $100/hour to $140/hour.

NOTE: At this stage I have chosen to keep my prices for One on One sessions lower as recognition that a weekly tutoring commitment can be a hardship for some people, however to reflect my skills and experience my rate should be at the $100/hour mark.

Please compare what you pay for other professional services – plumbers, electricians, doctors, lawyers. Teachers are professionals and their hourly rate is not expensive when you take into account what they provide.

What do you cover in a lesson?

Each term we explore a different topic, so that learning is fresh and fun. I cover the following literacy skills in a lesson – many in one lesson, but all are covered over the course of a term. This is why it is important to do all the lessons in the term, as the skills are all building over time.

What if I have to miss a lesson?

Unexpected things happen and this is understandable. If you have to miss a lesson, due to illness or another commitment or something unavoidable, please let me know as soon as you can.

You will still need to pay for that session and I will offer you another time slot, or a session in the holidays to ensure that you have completed the term’s curriculum.

Do I need to bring anything?

No, all materials are provided. Your child will also receive a complimentary login to two learning sites: Raz-kids reading comprehension and ixlmaths.