Class of 2020? Here’s What Parents of Year 12 Kids Must Know

There’s nobody so anxious as a year twelve student, in 2020.  It was always going to be a testing year, with exams, the transition to ATAR, the stress of applying to universities and preparing for life after school.  Then…along came COVID-19.  The uncertainty about how year 12 study and testing will be carried out is testing resistance, patience and family relationships.  The Victorian government had already laid out their plans at the time that Queensland announced.  Victorian students are welcome back at school but most will do their final year of high school (or at least a good chunk of it) from home.  So what about Queensland kids? Well, the plan is out. At least now we have some answers, if not many details.  Here’s what parents need to know.

What is the plan year 12, 2020?

Today Dan Tehan announced that all year twelve students will complete their ATAR (or other year 12 certification) in 2020.  ATAR scores and university placements will be “adjusted” to take into account the additional struggles that the class of 2020 will face this year, however, it’s largely “business as usual” in unusual circumstances. The government is actively trying to avoid mass repeats of the senior year and is calling on both schools and universities to develop policies for achieving fair ATAR results and placements. Schools will be open for children who cannot stay at home because parents need to work or if they have limited access to technology.  By year twelve, however, the issues around child care for essential workers are less of a priority than in younger children.

What does this mean for your child’s ATAR score?

ATAR has been hailed as a fairer and more accurate assessment of student achievement (learn more about ATAR VS OP) however it does rely more heavily on single examinations for rankings than the old system.  The announcement did not go into specifics on how they plan to alter the ATAR testing model to keep students from being disadvantaged if they’re unable to attend a regular classroom.  They also failed to elaborate on subjects like Chemistry where the majority of the coursework cannot be done at home (unless, you know, you’ve got a bunsen burner in the kitchen).  What does it mean for your year twelve student?

 

“We’re all in the same boat” – or are we?

For the majority of Australian kids, it means that they’ll study at home while mum and dad go to work.  All good.  Except that it means kids who struggle with study skills, self-motivation, taking initiative, managing their time – this is where the system may fall down.  While “attendance” in an online classroom could be mandatory, the level of focus and how hard your child applies him or herself in that situation comes down to the individual.  Not all teens are brimming with enthusiasm and motivation.

It also creates problems for non-neurotypical students who may face additional barriers to learning.  Some children with autism struggle with sudden changes to routine.  Where a regular classroom setting may be a suitable environment for some non-neurotypical kids, online learning may not suit.

For children in remote areas or areas with patchy internet access, there will also be struggles beyond what city kids experience.  While your child may have all the advantages of any suburban Australian child, each individual child will react differently to this sudden change in the system and routines they’ve known their whole academic life.  Some will fair better than others.

Are all schools doing the same thing?

While all year 12 students in 2020 are technically in the same situation, leveling the playing field for ATAR ranking isn’t as simple as jumping online.  While all students will undergo the same assessments at the same time, some students will have better support.  As a concerned parent, you’re already giving your child the edge by demonstrating that you’re on their side and ready to help.  Some schools, however, will have better infrastructure for online learning and be better resourced for one on one student help.  This is a big year for high achieving Queensland schools, as their stellar record for OP scores and university placements will be on trial as we transition to ATAR.  Schools will be going the extra mile to ensure their students get all the support that they need.  So, how can you ensure your child remains on a level playing field?

Review their study skills

Study skills aren’t just ‘putting in the long hours”.  The study skills that matter most now are nothing to do with books.  Study skills that are absolutely vital at a time like this include:

• setting the right goals,
• keeping focused at this difficult time,
• taking ownership of their study,
• feeling confident that they can still achieve their goals
• feeling able to solve problems
• and most importantly, being able to pick themselves up after all these setbacks.

Resilience is the most vital study skill your year twelve child can master right now.  As a parent, you’re faced with the impossible task of helping your child understand that they can, and must overcome setbacks, no matter how unfair and difficult.  Because this is unfair.  This is the worst-case scenario for your teen.  Finding the balance between empathy and motivation will be a hard task for most mums and dads.

Compensate for classroom learning aids

Discuss with your teen how they best learn.  Everyone consumes and processes information differently, this is called our “learning language”.  Assess what kind of learner your child really is so you can make sure that the resources needed to best learn are at hand.  If your child needs a whiteboard, you’ll need to get a whiteboard.  If your child needs visual examples, you may need to seek out videos demonstrating the content they’re learning.  While all this may be available in their regular classroom, not every parent has a DNA model nearby for reference.  Understanding your child’s learning preferences is key to compensating for the lack of classroom.

Understand the new process and break it down into a “plan”

Your child has learned, over the last 13 years to plan their homework, their assessments and their exam preparation through doing it over and over with the same formula.  When they can’t rely solely on the tried and true combination of taking notes, doing assignments and set study periods, they may feel “out of control”.  That feeling is very real.  In the past few weeks, everyone has experienced this uneasy feeling of being “along for a terrible ride”.  The key way to help your child feel back in control is to establish a workable routine.  Your routine will be key to keeping your child up to date on the senior curriculum.

• Use the new assessment date range to plan out study goals
• Set up a routine for “live lessons” followed by tutorials/worksheets.  Your school will likely offer advice on this.
• Using your child’s learning language, source resources that will help them to process the curriculum
• Talk to your teacher about how online lessons will run and what to do if your child begins struggling
• Nip any bad habits in the bud right now.  While sleeping half the day may be signs of anxiety and overwhelm, it’s not actually a healthy way to deal with negative feelings.
• Set weekly goals and integrate those into the new routine.

 

The devil is in the missing details

At this stage, further details are due for release on Thursday.  At the moment, schools will resume according to the 2020 planned school year (which differs slightly from state to state).  There were plans floated about a “summer semester” and delayed graduation but for now, the “big picture plan” is business as usual.  The major questions still being asked by parents include:

• Will there be changes to the “weight” of various ATAR assessments?
• Will parents have the option to have their year 12 repeat in 2021 if they don’t achieve their study goals?
• How will ATAR testing happen if social distancing continues?
• How will schools combat “cheating” when children take exams from home?
• How will they determine what is fair compensation for children who are affected very badly (poor access to technology etc)?
• How will they model the effectiveness of ATAR in Queensland when this is its maiden year?
• Will there be a system of appeal if an ATAR score is lower than expected?
• What can be done by parents to help prepare for ATAR testing if that preparation is no longer happening “in a classroom”?
• How will schools monitor attendance and will this lead to more kids “running amok” during school hours?
• What is in place to ensure that the class of 2020 is up to speed and ready for first-year university – so there is no long term issues around missing knowledge?

If it’s really important to you, and your child, hire a professional

Parents across the world have just realised that they’re not teachers.  In fact, the textbooks may as well be written in Greek.  A Surd?  What even is a surd?  The anxiety you’re feeling about irrational surds is nothing compared to your teen’s anxiety.  Be careful not to make it worse.  If your very teaching methods are inducing anxiety, then you will actually be harming their chances of achieving their goals.  Step back.  Netflix and chill.  If your school isn’t offering one-on-one coaching for your year twelve student, a quality private tutor makes all the difference.  A professional tutor will focus not only on the curriculum but on your child’s barriers to learning.  Typically an A Team Tutor will:

1.  Assess your child’s study skills and implement changes to suit their strengths and weakness
2. Determine your child’s learning language and craft tutorials around it, so your child stays engaged and processes more information
3. Tackle their biggest struggles in a gentle way.  If they LOVE English but hate maths, our tutor will help ease them through maths lessons, using language exercises to demonstrate the mathematical content.
4. Provide you with feedback on your child’s progress and give you tips on how to help them through

Ask For Help

Year 12, 2020 is going to be a challenging one.  But don’t worry, you’ve got this.

 

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Tackling the New Challenges of Learning At Home

Moving Education Online – An Educator’s Perspective

As a trained educator, we learn how to teach people things. This can be complex maths problems through to simply teaching students how to read and write. In practice, educators teach people a wide variety of content through a range of mediums; however, before the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was centered around in-person communication. Due to the highly infectious nature of the virus, and as you’re probably aware, this has now all changed. With the closure of schools around the world, educators are being forced into moving to completely electronic systems for teaching and learning at home. While this may seem foreign to many, there are many online resources available. These aim to alleviate the difficulties of moving to completely online and at-home education, for parents, students, and educators.

What Is Happening in Queensland?

While most schools are still open across the country, Education Queensland has taken steps towards allowing school communities to continue teaching and learning during extended school closures. In doing this, they have utilised an online resource called ‘learning@home’. In the event of prolonged school closures, parents and students can access the resources provided on this website for completion at home. Even though the Queensland Government has provided this openly available resource, each school will have its own unique approach to online learning, so it is important to maintain effective communication with your child’s school. You can access ‘learning@home’ here or access our Parents’ Guide to the Queensland Government Curriculum.

Understanding the ‘learning@home’ Resources

Through their ‘learning@home’ platform, Education Queensland has provided extensive, curriculum-based resources across all year levels. They have provided numerous units of work for all core subjects that can be used in a home-based educational situation. Students and/or parents can either download individual resources, or they can download complete, interactive two-week units of work. They all align directly with the Australian curriculum set by ACARA and are quite extensive. When using them, it is important that students and/or parents select ones that align to the curriculum currently being undertaken by the school. If we move to a completely online, home-based educational system, it may also be a valuable opportunity for students to improve any skills they are lacking, and the extensivity of the ‘learning@home’ resources and links is perfect for that.

Learning At Home Challenges for Parents and Students

While they are certainly comprehensive, understanding the individual skills and content knowledge in the curriculum can be quite confusing. This is compounded by the recent changes to the curriculum in some states and parents can’t be expected to understand the complexities of the educational system and its content. If you and/or your child is finding it difficult to understand the ‘learning@home’ resources, as well as the requirements of the curriculum, I would encourage you to seek the help of trained educators who are familiar with the Australian curriculum, ATAR and online education. With the effective support of trained educators, students can utilise the provided online resources to their full potential. This will provide them with as many educational opportunities as they usually receive from a traditional school setting and can even allow them to excel!

What If My School Has its Own Learning at Home Resources?

That’s great! Most schools will have their own comprehensive resources for all their available subjects. The vast majority of school students already work from multiple online platforms, so schools are utilising these to provide online teaching and learning opportunities. Whether it be Microsoft Teams/OneDrive, Google Hangouts/Drive, Microsoft OneNote or Notability, most schools already incorporate a large amount of electronic contact time into their curriculum. I would encourage students and parents to use the school-provided resources as a priority, and to use the ‘learning@home’ resources as extra support. While they may be different from what students are used to, they will align perfectly with the curriculum set by their schools and will allow for the most effective teaching and learning experience.

My Child Is Struggling to Learn

With students spending significantly more time at home/online, and relying on resources provided by their schools, they may seek more help for their schoolwork. Working 100% online is not for everyone, so many students will find learning this way more difficult. With the complex educational needs of students magnified by an online learning scenario, if your child is struggling with their education, I would recommend seeking the assistance of trained educators, who specialise in accommodating diverse learning needs. It is vitally important that parents, students and educators work together through this extraordinary period so that students are provided with the best educational opportunities and outcomes possible.

Does A Team Tuition provide Online Tutoring?

A Team Tuition provides online tutoring according to our unique educational philosophy.  We combine elements of psychology with education to ensure all kids have the right mindset needed for effective learning at home and in school.  We are currently experiencing a burgeoning number of enquiries and working hard to help everyone we can through this difficult time.  It’s recommended that if you’re considering an online tutor, you get in touch without delay.

Check Current Availability

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Parents Guide: Queensland Schools Online Curriculum

How to Teach Queensland Schools Online Curriculum

Education Queensland has now released the first two weeks of online curriculum for prep to year ten. The Online Curriculum is in downloadable PDF worksheet format (hope you stockpiled printer ink) but with a “Learning Place” login (to be provided by your school) you can do these worksheets in document format on a computer. It’s all a bit overwhelming, this homeschooling thing… so we’ve produced this parent guide to Queensland Schools Online Curriculum.

Understand the purpose of the online curriculum

The purpose of the Queensland Schools Online Curriculum is to stop kids falling behind during a short, or prolonged period of isolation. It’s not there to measure your child’s academic capacities. Education Queensland has released lesson plans for “general” consumption. That means that your child may feel “miles ahead” of some lessons and may really struggle with others.

Do not jump onto your year level parent group on Facebook and compare how your child is coping to the other children in their class. Some kids will breeze through this and others will feel anxious and struggle to concentrate. That doesn’t mean they’re not keeping up with the curriculum, it means that as a parent, you must look for signs of their study capabilities.

Start with their favourite subjects

If you child can recite the periodic table but HASS makes them want to cry, start with science. This is about building confidence in the new learning format. Remember that this whole homeschooling is a big change to a little person’s routine and they may be facing new psychological barriers they’ve never felt before.

When your child has completed a few of their preferred subjects, look for signs of strengthening study skills before moving on to their least loved topics.

 

See Also: How to set them up for study at home.

Signs you’re teaching the online curriculum successfully

• Your child is open to reaching daily, reasonable goals for getting their schoolwork out of the way. They will willingly complete all worksheets for that day, even the subjects they don’t like.
• Your child is focused (at an age-appropriate level anyway) on the new system. They’re demonstrating resilience in this time of change.
• Your child is able to do the worksheets independently without your constant encouragement and supervision
• Your child is adapting to a new routine and is able to understand that study time is study time. They’re motivated to get the work done – even if playing Xbox is the overall goal.
• Your child displays confidence in their ability to do the work – even if only in their favourite subjects.
• Your child can take initiative to find answers to questions that confuse them – either by going over the materials again or by “Googling it”
• Your child feels relaxed with you as their temporary teacher. They are not anxious about working with you.

Note that none of these signs relate to the actual course work. As a newbie teacher (and let’s all take a moment to appreciate teachers. Seriously. Not all heroes wear capes) your main goal is to facilitate learning – not to transform your student to a straight-A student at this time of change and confusion.

 

Signs you may need professional help teaching the online curriculum

Your child is going through a period of uncertainty and may be feeling untold anxiety. Some kids are very good at hiding anxiety but it’s there. It may culminate in obsessive behaviours like hand washing or Minecraft World building, or it may culminate in rebellion against the Queensland schools’ online curriculum. Most commonly you’ll see an inability to concentrate (this is a very common symptom of anxiety in extreme situations), a “bad attitude” when you call your child to study or a defeatist attitude where you child “can’t do it”. Every child’s reaction to anxiety is different. As a parent, not a psychologist, your only duty is to acknowledge that your child is struggling.

 

“With all the academic setbacks I experienced with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), I was at a significant risk of failing high school. It was only when I learned to adjust how I went about my learning, and to keep performance anxiety at bay, that I graduated to an A student. It’s not about a child’s ability to understand, it’s about their ability to learn in their own unique way.”

– Hayden McEvoy, founder of A Team Tuition.

 

Parent Guide to where to get help, and where NOT to get help

Social media is full of armchair experts. Suddenly Australia has eleventy-billion immunologists giving their half-baked opinions based on reading one obscure article written by another arm chair expert. Turning to social media groups for support may feel beneficial (and community is so important right now) but when it comes to the science and art of teaching, it’s all about your child’s particular needs. What works for Karen and Debbie in the mum group may not work for your family. There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing than feeling like you’re the only one failing at a task. Stick to chatting about your feelings and how you can support your community, leave education, and health, to the experts.

Talk to a child psychologist

A child psychologist will be able to help with your child’s long term challenges. If your child has had constant issues with school work, not just during this terrible time, a good psych may be able to help you identify underlying issues. This is a long term process and right now, getting a seat at a clinic is harder than finding a roll of two-ply.  Learn what a psychologist has to say about managing anxiety here.

Talk to your school

As the dust settles and Australia falls into an online study routine, there will be more time for teachers to spend assisting struggling families. For now, you may find teachers are overwhelmed with the tasks that lay ahead. A great teacher will still answer your questions. Your principal or deputy may also be available. It may take time though. Everyone is in triage mode right now. It may be worth hitting pause on your child’s education for a week or two until your school can devote time to one on one help. This will, however, mean that your child will need to “catch up” which may cause additional stresses down the line.

Book a tutor experienced in diagnosing barriers to learning

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Case Study: B Minus To A Plus in a Month

Choosing the right tutor, with the right skills to overcome poor study strategies is vital to improving your child’s attitude and aptitude for studying the Queensland schools curriculum online. An online tutor once a week can take your child through all the subjects that give them anxiety. That means your time tutoring can focus on the online lesson plans that your child can manage without feeling overwhelmed.

During the session, your tutor will gently delve into underlying issues with your child’s learning and develop strategies for overcoming them.

A Team Tuition is the first, and only tutoring program developed by psychologists and educators.

The program addresses your child’s psychological barriers to achieving academic success, not just the “subject matter”. Your tutor will then “educate your child” in recognising these barriers and help them take control of their learning. Your tutor can then “fill you in” on what’s working and give you practical guidelines for continuing with the Queensland Schools Online Curriculum.

Read our online tutoring case study.

A Team Tuition has a stringent recruitment and training program to ensure our tutors aren’t just teaching subject matter, they’re teaching learning skills. Learn more about our approach to tutoring here.

Check Availability in Your Area

Note that during this tumultuous time, A Team Tuition is taking on a limited number of new clients. While we’re expanding our online education program, it’s recommended that you register your interest without delay. We apologise to parents and students who miss out on a place, but we must ensure the ongoing tutoring of our existing clients first.

Register your interest now.

Talk To Us Now

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Why Can’t I Concentrate? Corona Anxiety Is Real

This is a contribution by Brisbane Psychologist Dr Rachel Hannam

For millions of people around the world with existing trauma or anxiety disorders, the Coronavirus pandemic can be a psychological nightmare. But what about the rest of us? Feeling a bit…off? Thinking… “why can’t I concentrate?” You may find it’s not just your child struggling to concentrate while working at home. Corona Virus Anxiety is sweeping the nation faster than the bug itself.

Why can’t I concentrate?

Humans are hard-wired to avoid danger and seek a sense of control over their lives. The rapid onset of Coronavirus-related disruptions and the accompanying uncertainties have removed this perceived control, along with any sense that we can predict the future. This can cause your emotional and mental state to become less coherent and your ability to concentrate, relax and sleep is almost bound to be affected.

”Corona Anxiety” has a name – it’s Hypervigilance

There is a name for what many of us are feeling: hypervigilance. Hypervigilance puts you on high alert. It is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity characterised by increased adrenaline and cortisol, which in turn increases your heart rate, muscle tension and blood pressure, and causes shallow breathing.

The fight-flight centres of our brain become highly responsive to stimuli that might be threatening in some way. We may become preoccupied with particular thoughts or find ourselves scanning the environment to search for sights, sounds, people, behaviours, information, or anything else that is reminiscent of danger or trauma.

At present, this might include scanning your environment for signs of people coughing or potential contamination. It might just as easily look like compulsively scanning news sites and social media for the latest updates. This is how ancient survival mechanisms manifest in a modern age.

Signs of Corona Virus related hypervigilance

Hypervigilance can lead to erratic emotional and behavioural patterns, as well as producing difficulties with social interaction and relationships. People may have trouble fully connecting with their surroundings or their family. They can become agitated or have a difficult time falling or staying asleep. They may use unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as drinking or eating too much. All this will eventually lead to exhaustion.

For kids, it can manifest in emotional meltdowns and a reluctance or outright refusal to complete tasks, including their home study tasks. It’s important to know that your hypervigilance is based on biological instincts, not your conscious choices. Your child isn’t “being naughty” they may simply be responding to their own anxiety. This pandemic has shifted our immediate priorities and such an abrupt and unanticipated change can be very stressful.

Healthy coping mechanisms become more important than ever

• Exercise helps use up all that stressful adrenaline in your system. Do yoga, go walking, dance around your living room.
• Laughter is a great form of release. Watch funny movies, sitcoms, or listen to comedy online.
• Kids need downtime too. Getting them out and about for a walk or play is great but (moderate) screen time can help them to relax too.
• Crying releases tension and expresses emotion. Sad movies help too!
• Hyper-vigilance makes you shallow breathe. Download one of the many mindfulness apps and practice 10 minutes of slow deep breathing at least twice a day.
• Constantly scrolling social media and obsessing about coronavirus news will make you more anxious and less focussed. Limit this in favour of the healthy coping mechanisms above.

Helping others feels good and can be a much-needed distraction. If you have the capacity, help your family and community cope with the increasingly difficult practicalities of life. Stay safe and remember:   Stop thinking “why can’t I concentrate?” or worse, reprimanding your children for their lack of focus.  Get some fresh air and take a break from social media. We are all in this together.

Need help managing your anxious child?  Our program has been developed in conjunction with psychologists to ensure your child’s best chances of success.

Talk to us now

 

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Hayden McEvoy Answering Home Schooling Questions on The Today Show

Did you see our founder Hayden McEvoy answering questions on Channel Nine’s The Today Show (view the “Catch Up” here)?

 

What Hayden Discussed on The Today Show

Did Hayden mention a particular challenge relevant to your child on The Today Show?  If you have any questions about any of the topics covered during the Today Show interview, we’re happy to help.  If you’re worried about your child’s ATAR results, or simply about falling behind, A Team Tuition can help you overcome the struggles and keep your child’s motivation, and grades, up.

What can we expect from School Closures based on other country’s experiences?  Learn how Japan handled the day to day logistics of school shutdowns.

How to prepare for school shut downs – What you can do right now to get ready

How can studying online with a tutor impact your child’s grades? – It’s not the classroom format, it’s the educator that counts.

Why Hayden McEvoy sees education a bit differently – Learning difficulties, elite sports training – Hayden had ALL the challenges.

How to get started with an online tutor – What you need to get set up.

How can we help?  If you’ve got questions about your child’s education at this tricky time, we’re here to help.  Simply get in touch and we’ll talk you through the next steps for staying on course.

 

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From C Student to A Student… Studying Online

Meet Joseph, he’s been studying online for one term… and he’s made some very, very impressive progress.  Working with our Academic Personal Trainer Emily, Joseph has travelled from an average student to top of his year nine class, all via online tutorials.  So can a child achieve academic excellence studying online?  Absolutely, with the right help!

Emily’s strategy for Joseph

Whether in person or online, our tutors are highly trained not just to teach school work, but to diagnose and overcome the challenges to academic achievement.  In Joseph’s case, it was a study strategy.  A child’s study strategy can make or break their academic performance.  A poor study strategy can be mistaken for laziness, complacency and even ineptitude.  For Emily, it took no time at all to uncover where she could help Joseph and put practical steps in place to set him on his path to becoming an A student.

Emily created a study and assignment strategy for Joseph that he could apply across all his subjects. With Emily’s help, he improved his performance in English, Maths and Social Science.  Taking control of “how” he studied and how he felt about doing assignments gave Joseph a big confidence boost.  It cleared a path for him to improve his mediocre grades – and that he did!  By the end of the first term, Joseph was so confident in his ability to get top grades… that he just did.

Never underestimate confidence and strategy

Unfortunately, some schools, and parents focus on a child’s intellect instead of looking at the whole picture.  Nothing ruins a child’s confidence faster than feeling pressure to “be smart”.  In fact, intellect is one small factor in academic achievement.  The best results are a balance of hard work, determination, attitude, support and a study strategy that removes barriers to success.  Once the strategy is in place, your child can feel the confidence to roll up their sleeves and go for that A grade.

Is studying online as effective as face to face tutoring?

It’s a misconception that so many online tutors face.  That without their presence looming in the room, their pupil will lack focus and discipline.  In actual fact, studying online with Zoom or Skype means your tutor can see everything your child is doing during lessons.  Some tutors report that online tutorials empower children to take ownership of their activity. The only adult in the room isn’t in the room and yet they take control of their workload, they demonstrate independence, initiative and self-reliance.  These are all vital study skills, not to mention life skills.

It’s not a question of studying online vs studying in person, it comes down to with WHOM your child studies online.  An excellent tutor can tell how your child is feeling, can identify any big picture or day to day barriers to learning, and then adjust the lesson plan to suit.  Studying online with a highly skilled tutor will always deliver better results and more confidence than face to face study with an ordinary tutor.

Read more about our unique approach to online tutoring here.

Is your child facing temporary homeschooling due to school closures?  Learn more here.

Is Joseph just the exception to the rule?

Not all kids are like Joseph.  Especially in the difficult “year 9” classroom.  Joseph is different to other kids his age in one key way – he wanted to improve his grades.  He was willing to set a goal and adapt to his new study strategy.  That’s the hard bit; convincing a teen to embrace the idea that “he can do this”.  But with over 2000 students transformed from mediocre achievers to high achievers, tutors like Emily have paved the way to creating success stories for ALL kids – no matter how they feel at first – or where they’re geographically located.  A Team Tuition has face to face tutoring options in Brisbane, The Gold Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba but our online classes are available Australia wide.

 

Your child deserves to reach their full potential, just like Joseph.  Talk to us now about how we can make that happen.

 

Get Started Now

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One Month: From B Minus to A Plus. How to become an A Student Like Ava!

Meet Ava. Ava is an A+ student but she wasn’t always.  Ava’s story is of a typical student who wasn’t meeting her full academic potential.  To become an A-plus student, it’s not just about putting in the long hours, it’s about identifying areas of potential learning growth.  Sometimes, small changes make all the difference – and of course, some hard work helps too!  So wondering how to become an A student parent?  Spoiler:  It’s not about us, it’s about your child and how they consume and recall information.

Why studying more isn’t always the answer to becoming an A plus student

At A Team Tuition, we pride ourselves in transforming students not only academically, but also psychologically, emotionally, and any other ways our students may require in order to reach the pinnacle of their studies. While many students may require Academic Personal Training to catch up on school content and understand assignments, Ava needed help with something different – the methods in which she approaches studying.

Ava set goals and that makes a big difference

Ava had a distinct goal.  So many children see study as a necessary and never-ending chore.  Their goals are nothing more specific than making it through to school holidays.  Ava had a goal in mind.  Helping your child to establish attainable and timely goals gives them direction with their studies.  “When Ava received a B- on her Semester 1 report, we decided to get her some personalised tutoring and she was determined to raise her grade to an A, and finish the year on a high.”  We all love a student who aims high for the sky!

Enter Jess, not your typical tutor

A Team Tuition paired Jess, one of our amazing Academic Personal Trainers, with Ava soon after Ava’s parents reached out to us.  Fortunately, Jess and Ava connected very quickly through their common bubbly personalities.  When a tutor and student pair well, it makes studying more enjoyable – that’s why we go the extra mile to find you the right help for your child.  Jess set to work understanding Ava’s barriers to learning.  Our Academic Personal Trainers take a deep dive into your child’s learning language and mindset to clear all barriers to meeting their full academic potential.

Why wasn’t Ava an A plus student?

Jess discovered that Ava’s greatest struggle was remembering the content taught through effective means: “It wasn’t so much the theory behind the concepts, however, it was about devising techniques Ava could use in exam/test situations.”  As a result, Jess thought it would be perfect to first find out Ava’s learning language – a key element to the effective and efficient learning of an individual. (Be sure to check out our learning language blogs to gain a better understanding on the best way you take in information!)

Retraining Ava to learn in the right language for her specific needs

Jess prepared a test for Ava to work through 3 different problems where she had to implement either an auditory, visual or kin-aesthetic type approach. The outcome of this test suggested that Ava is an auditory learner.  Taking the wrong approach to teaching Ava in a classroom would mean she may struggle to understand the curriculum.  As one of up to 30 students in a classroom, your child’s preferred learning language may be overlooked.  This is where a skilled tutor can make such a big difference in transforming your C or B student into an A student.

Teaching maths to an auditory learner is possible

In order to utilise Ava’s newly discovered learning language to the duo’s advantage, Jess and Ava began to work on creating rhymes for learning algebra.  Who would’ve thought algebra could be rhymed? Our power Academic Personal Trainer- and – student here have truly inspired us all with their resourceful creativity!  The secret to how to become an A student isn’t a secret at all, it’s simply teaching your child in the language they best understand.  Even if the subject matter is Algebra!

So, is Ava a remarkable student or can any child achieve better results?

Ava wasn’t afraid to set goals. She wasn’t afraid to put in the work.  Ava is a remarkable student, all our kids are remarkable – our tutors are committed to drawing out their remarkable skills. In tweens and teens, a solid attitude may seem remarkable!  But with the right help, most children can uncover their inner geek and achieve better academic results.   However, there is no success without a little hardship.

Like a lot of teens and tweens we meet, Ava lacked some motivation.  Jess described Ava as a very relaxed person, which prompted her to work on trying to make their sessions more engaging.  Our Academic Personal Trainers are trained to help lift student motivation by creating tutoring sessions that the child wants to engage with. It wasn’t long before Jess surprised us all with her ingenuity in overcoming such an obstacle:

“When Ava was trying to memorise her oral, we would read it out in different voices, trying to act out the words.  This made her have to think about how placing emphasis on different words can change the meaning of what she is saying,” Jess noted.  This not only helps with memorising but also helps develop deeper language skills – and is silly and fun… even if Ava was formerly lacking motivation.

The pinnacle point of transformation for them both occurred when they were revising for Ava’s test – they broke the session up with naughts and crosses when Ava got 10 questions right in a row!!

“It made the atmosphere light-hearted and she seemed to have gained confidence with her ability,” remarked Jess.

What child doesn’t need more self-confidence?

When asked about the most significant thing she contributed to Ava’s life, Jess replied: “Personally, it’s hard to pinpoint one significant thing as it is the little things that build up to one big thing. Maybe confidence would be the key thing, building on what she knows and reinforcing it.”

Through Jess’ Academic Personal Training, Ava has become more confident when it comes to approaching problems she does not completely understand. She is also a lot more open to new ideas.  Aversion to new experiences is pretty typical in children, but overcoming it can change their whole life outlook.

Wait, this year 8 student started doing her homework without complaint? NEVER!

Both Ava’s parents have seen a positive change in attitude:

“Ava immediately became more confident in Both English and Maths and her general confidence grew very quickly. Jess helped her with an oral presentation and Ava was much more confident with performing the presentation in class.”  Not only did Ava’s parents reveal that Ava became more confident and keener to study, she also works diligently at home and is really focusing on her homework and assignments now that tutoring became part of her life.

There is almost no greater feeling than seeing your child transform and grow after getting help from an Academic Personal Trainer.  And, of course, Jess has benefited equally much from her tutoring sessions with Ava:

“Ava is an absolute joy to tutor, I always look forward to our sessions. She has such a bubbly personality that the time flies by. She approaches questions slightly differently than how I would, so she’s taught me a new perspective in some things which is really refreshing. She’s teaching me just as much as I’m helping her.”

 

So, how do you become an A student like Ava?  What’s the secret?

At A Team Tuition, there are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, persistence, hard work, and learning from failure. In the case of Jess and Ava, their hard work was paid off when everything came together to successfully transform Ava’s results.  Of course, this would not have been possible without Jess’ connection to Ava. Coming from a fresh perspective, Jess became more of a mentor than a teacher to Ava. Moreover, having just finished high school, Jess could possibly relate to Ava more than a teacher may. As an Academic Personal Trainer (not just a standard tutor), Jess was also able to spend ample time understanding how Ava learns best, making it easier to come up with strategies to enhance Ava’s learning.  The secret is no secret – help your child learn the way that best suits them, with a tutor who understands their needs and you may just find all barriers to academic achievement melt away!

For us here at A Team Tuition – nothing makes us happier and prouder than both a transformed student and a transformed Academic Personal Trainer!

Transforming your child into an A student may just require some specialist help. 

Let one of our Academic Personal Trainers uncover your child’s true potential.

Get started now.

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The post One Month: From B Minus to A Plus. How to become an A Student Like Ava! appeared first on A Team Tuition.

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