Tutor's Story - Ugne

Tutor's Story - Ugne

Ugne joined us in her first year of sixth form, studying maths, physics and computer science. She aims to go on to study engineering at university. She first discovered how rewarding teaching can be when helping out at a nursery and then tutoring primary school children.

Posted by Sophie Kitson on 21 October 2021

We asked her to share more about her experience tutoring with Team Up...

“From my own experience, I know that a teacher with enthusiasm and a positive attitude can make a massive difference.”

I am extremely grateful to my mum for tutoring me for the 11plus exams. At the time I didn’t understand how important this was, but now I can see that it gave me so many opportunities and I want to pass this on to other children who are perhaps struggling in school. I was looking for volunteering roles and when I found TeamUp it seemed like a perfect match!

The pupils I have taught are all very different, each with their own hobbies, ambitions and struggles. Some are a lot more willing to learn than others, but when you get to know them you begin to understand what keeps them motivated and how you can get them excited about the subject. Each session I would try to start off with a recap of the one before and then introduce the new topic through the resources provided by TeamUp. There would always be time for a few games and every other week a mini assessment to see how the pupils were getting on. Sometimes they would request to do a certain topic which I always enjoyed. 

My favourite part of Team Up tutoring was when I could see my pupils enjoying themselves, as I think that is the most important role of a tutor - to encourage pupils to enjoy learning. It is very rewarding when your pupils finally understand a concept that they have been struggling with. From my time with TeamUp, I will remember my pupils always asking to play ‘maths naughts and crosses’, a game that we invented together. 

"I don’t think I ever ran out of things to do! The resources provided by Team Up were very helpful and full of question tasks and activities at the right level for the pupils. There are also many school placements to choose from which was great for me, as I am still in full time education and could find one that fit in with my timetable." 

Being a part of this programme has definitely improved the way that I teach and has allowed me to find my own teaching style. I have learnt to prepare ahead of time; my organisation had never been great, but this really pushed me to get better! I think the SSAT award scheme is also very valuable as it does not require a lot of extra time and it allows you to showcase all the skills you have developed.

I would definitely recommend being a part of the TeamUp programme. The pupils you teach really need a boost and you might just change their lives! Every time I run a session I feel like I am a part of something big, and by providing resources, support and debriefs TeamUp couldn’t have made it easier to do.

On behalf of the Team Up team and pupils, we say: Thank you Ugne!