Students can lack motivation if they see a topic as just something else they have to cram for future tests. I try to explain topics, particularly in Maths, through real-world scenarios that students can relate to. Ratio becomes a lot more interesting when we discuss it in terms of pocket money. I often ask students to teach a concept back to me. This is a great way to see if a tutee has truly understood what we have covered and gives them ownership over the material.
With Reasoning, I like to help students see the questions as different codes to be cracked, like they are a detective working on a case who must use logical methods and look for 'clues'. Reasoning questions are all different kinds of puzzles, similar to a crossword or a ‘codebreaker’ children might do in their spare time. Once a student understands a question type in Verbal or Non-Verbal Reasoning, I like to play the “Beat the Tutor!” game with them to see who can answer a set of questions first under timed conditions. This is a great way to cement technique and practice working under time pressure.
With English, I usually start by taking the student ‘back to basics’. We look at how to structure a sentence, then a paragraph, then the whole story or essay. Next, we think about accuracy, getting rid of unnecessary words and ideas. Once my student is confident with all this, we think about interesting vocabulary and language techniques as well as 'close reading', analysing the work of other authors. We focus initially on identifying what feeling the author is trying to create (usually sadness, fear, joy or tension). Then we think about the techniques or word choices the author uses to evoke that feeling. Every word in the English language has particular connotations and feelings associated with it, so unpacking what pictures the words create in the student's mind is a great place to start, as anyone can do it and there is no wrong answer. In this way, all students are capable of complex and interesting exploration of authorial intention.
With creative writing, I try to show tutees that writing is like a fruit salad: you don't want too much of any particular feeling, word, sentence structure or language technique. Variety is key. Stories are like piece of music: writers, like composers, create a story or description that feels immersive and constantly surprising.
