SMART Tutoring

Are you worried that your child might be needing some extra support with their learning, but you’re not sure where to start?

I can help! 🙋🏻‍♀️

Get in contact with me about your areas of concerns. I will assign your child an assessment task based on your concerns (not a test) and have you send it back to me. From there, I will analyse their learning and assess it against the Victorian Curriculum, establishing specific learning goals along with clear action steps and success criteria that you can confidently implement at home.

My Personal Goal Package is a $30 one off fee. I will provide ongoing feedback, support and resources until your child has achieved their goals ✅

As the new school year gets underway, many of you may find yourself preparing for ‘parent teacher interviews’ or something similar. Meetings like this early in the school year are tailored towards ‘getting to know’ each other with the goal being that teachers, students and parents/caregivers can all work collaboratively for the duration of the school year in order to make the learning experiences for each child a positive and successful journey.

Here are my top tips for what to ask/discuss during these interviews;
✨What are some strengths you have noticed in 👩‍🎓/🧑‍🎓 so far?
✨ Are there any areas of need you have identified as yet?
✨Allow me to share with you what I think 👩‍🎓/🧑‍🎓’s strengths are and what I think they need some more support with…
✨ Last year, 👩‍🎓/🧑‍🎓’s goals were… and this is what they were able to achieve…
✨ 👩‍🎓/🧑‍🎓 learns best when…
✨ How can we best support 👩‍🎓/🧑‍🎓 with their learning this year?
✨ Do you need anymore information from me that may help you as the teacher?

✏️ It’s important to remember that your child’s teacher is still becoming familiar with the learning needs of your child, so this meeting is not a time for a full academic report. Avoid questions such as “So, how are they doing?”.. this is very open ended and not always something that the teacher is able to answer so early on. Instead, you can ask; “How has 👩‍🎓/🧑‍🎓 settled in social and emotionally so far this year?”. For the first few weeks of school, the emphasis is always on social and emotional well-being. Academic achievement will come!

Comment below if you have any questions or comments about how your child’s school conducts these interviews. I’d love to hear how it’s done in different schools 🏫

Worksheets.. 📝

Also known as “busy work” or “lazy teaching”.

Worksheets are generic, limited and often Americanised. We wouldn’t describe our children as being generic or limited, so we need to move away from ‘old school’ teaching models that don’t allow for individuality or cater for the specific learning needs of each child.

SMART Tutoring is proudly a worksheet free service, as was my classroom! Children learn best through goal-based explicit instruction, open-ended learning tasks, with timely and meaningful feedback and reflection.

I see too many examples from tutors who provide students with worksheets (some are even laminated and used over and over again… 🙄) and parents are lead to believe that this is providing their child with an educational advantage… It isn’t.

A little less worksheeting and a little more goal setting!

**progress image taken after 2 tutoring sessions**

Goal-based learning… what does that mean?!

First I’ll tell you what it DOESN’T mean- it’s not about grouping kids based on the idea of them being ‘high medium or low’ or giving it names like ‘mild, medium and spicy 🌶 ’ so the kids don’t catch on 🙄🤨🤦🏻‍♀️

Here’s how I explain it to my students; imagine that every student is a slice of Swiss cheese 🧀 some slices have more holes than others… well the holes are a bit like each person’s learning journey- we all have holes in our learning that need to be filled and the way we fill those holes is by setting goals.

Goals should always be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely, aimed at meeting the exact point of need for each and every student- not just the rough groupings of students based on ‘high, medium and low’.

When goals are set with clear action plans, explicit instruction, opportunities for consolidation, and ample feedback and reflection, students begin to take ownership of their learning and exhibit true agency as a learner.

SMART Tutoring is entirely goal-based. Because, while Swiss cheese is amazing regardless of how many holes it has, it definitely goes further without them!

Welcome to SMART Tutoring! An educational service with an edge!

Hi! I’m Leisa, a qualified teacher with 8 years experience, 7 of which I have been in school leadership. I’m a passionate educator with a thirst for helping students achieve through specific and tangible learning goals aimed at each individual’s zone of proximal development.

I am a mother of 2 and currently on maternity leave after the birth of my daughter 7 months ago. While I always intend to return to my teaching and leadership position, I still feel that something is missing. My aim is to use this time I have to support the needs of local Geelong/Lara/Corio children who may need support with catching up or help with being academically extended in alignment with the Victorian Curriculum.

Reach out if you feel you child is in need of some additional support or if you’d like to enquire about any of my additional educational services that I provide to families for Reading support, homework help, or resource assistance.