Bella joined us as a Physics graduate, who has now returned to university to study German part-time. She comes from a family of teachers, and plans to keep this trend going by beginning her teacher training soon.
We asked her to share more about her experience tutoring with Team Up:
“I was concerned over the effect the pandemic was having on children, especially those already at some kind of educational disadvantage, and was keen to find a way to help out. Lockdown felt very isolating, and tutoring seemed a perfect way to reconnect with the community.”
I tutored two year 6 pupils this term. They had both missed a lot of school, and were in their final term of primary school. Both had low test scores, and had generally been struggling with maths. Seeing their confidence grow has been the best part of my tutoring experience. Because our sessions were so small (1:2) they offered a safe space to attempt questions without fear of getting things ‘wrong’ in front of the class. Getting things wrong is where learning maths happens, and as their confidence in their ability grew they seemed less scared to be wrong, and as a result got more questions right on their tests!
I have felt supported at every step of tutoring with Team Up. The programme model has made the whole process of becoming a Team Up tutor seamless. There are lesson plans available which you are free to use. The after-session debriefs are invaluable in providing a space to reflect on your session, consolidate your tutoring skills, and to get to know other tutors. My programme manager was always ready to offer help and advice on any concerns over my sessions.
Through the training and the weekly debrief sessions I’ve been introduced to many new tutoring techniques and have been able to improve some old ones. Over the course of term, not only have I gained valuable tutoring experience, but I’ve also learnt a bit about my pupils’ experience during the pandemic, which has motivated me to continue tutoring. I’ve also become very good at drawing on a virtual whiteboard with my trackpad!
“I wholeheartedly recommend volunteering with Team up! It’s been the highlight of my week for the last few months. Their mission to tackle educational inequality is so important - especially now - and I’m so glad to have played a small role in it.”
On behalf of the Team Up team and pupils, we say: Thank you Bella!