At MWNS we offer lessons both on an Individual basis and in a Micro Group with a maximum of 3 students. You might wonder what the benefits of an Individual lesson are. This blog will consider the advantages of investing in one-on-one lessons for the benefit of your child’s learning and their future.
Identify Gaps
One of the biggest advantages of one-on-one classes is that this individual attention allows the teacher to precisely identify the aspects of the curriculum a student clearly understands whilst simultaneously determining the components they don’t yet understand.
Personalised Content
Through an individual class, students are engaged in in-depth learning as their teacher can implement teaching techniques tailored to your child. Additionally, the pace of the lesson is individualised to just your child, which allows a teacher to keep your child engaged by varying the speed of instruction to meet their needs.
Not only are these lessons personalised in terms of the specific teaching techniques used supports your child in reaching their full potential, but teachers can carefully select relevant material that aligns with your child’s interests and learning needs. For example, a few of our younger students enjoy Minecraft, so our primary teachers have collected reading comprehension and writing prompts which incorporate Minecraft. This allows students to enjoy the content while learning important English skills.
Environment
The provision of an environment whereby one teacher focuses on one student allows for comprehensive conversations between the two is in direct contrast to that of the school environment. As you can imagine, in a classroom of 25-30 students, it is almost impossible for the teacher to observe each student, personalise the speed and style of learning to their needs and have in-depth conversations with every individual!
A More Enjoyable School Experience
Schooling is at least thirteen years of a young person’s life. Therefore, it is essential that their learning journey is enjoyable, cherished and most of all: useful! One of the best ways for students to enjoy learning is for a teacher to identify gaps in their learning early on. In doing so, we can address these weaknesses in a fun and comfortable environment.
You might wonder why it matters whether young people enjoy school:
“Feeling positive about school is associated with higher attendance, better classroom adjustment and engagement, and higher academic achievement”. (The Conversation, 2022)
Mistakes are Just Part of Learning
Initially and naturally, some students may find making an intimidating prospect. This could be the result of discouraging comments from peers in a classroom setting. Therefore, we see an Individual lesson as the ideal way to illustrate that being brave, asking questions and making mistakes is vital to growth and development. By learning in this supportive environment, MWNS students learn that making mistakes is just part of the learning process. In bridging these gaps and overcoming these weaknesses, students strengthen their resilience and increase their confidence as learners. Resilient and confident learners are shown to be better equipped to continue to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
A Safe Space
Following on from this, a one-on-one lesson creates a safe space for students who are nervous or feel anxious in a school classroom. Our teachers make students feel safe to ask questions and clarify any misconceptions they have about concepts. In a one-on-one scenario, students are able to build a strong rapport with their teacher, allowing them to feel comfortable to ask them questions and share their learning goals.
An individual environment circumvents students’ usual fears of asking a “wrong” or “silly” question”, or being thought as “dumb” by their peers – all of which can lead to serious discomfort in the classroom. When the learning environment does not feel explicitly safe, students can struggle to engage in their learning, which in turn prevents them from working through their points of weakness.
Remove Distraction
Learning in a one-on-one environment removes the chance for distraction, especially for students who are enthusiastic and may misplace their energy. Students who are often distracted do better when a task is framed to engage their interests. The one-on-one lesson is the perfect scenario for this, allowing the teacher to shift tasks when needed and quash any distraction before it forms.
Help Students with Learning Difficulties or Mental Illnesses
Our Individual lessons are an ideal way for students with learning difficulties or delays to build a relationship of trust with a teacher who strives to teach concepts in a range of engaging ways that truly resonate with the student. We work with a number of students who have ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia/Dyscalculia, Anxiety, ADD and other learning disorders and mental illnesses. We pride ourselves on equipping our teachers with the resources to best respond too and educate students with a diagnosis to ensure they thrive in our classroom and at school.
Open & Honest Feedback
Useful feedback has been proven to be a very important element of student growth and learning. A private lesson allows for open feedback, both positive and constructive from teacher to student. This allows students to learn from their mistakes, reflect on their learning and apply the corrections and advice given by teachers.
Without individualised attention, students can end up:
- falling significantly behind
- feeling additional pressure about exams
- attempting to prepare an assignment without understanding what is expected
- disliking and even dreading school
- refusing to complete their homework
- disengaging from their learning journey.
At MWNS, all students in both our Individual and Micro Group lessons are taught individually as we know this is crucial to students having engaging and productive lessons. We recommend our Individual lessons (either face to face or online) for students who require constantly support, are preparing for an exam, have a learning disorder or are behind at school.
If you have any questions or believe an Individual lesson may suit your child(ren), please feel free to contact our team to discuss enrolling your child. We look forward to helping them become the confident learner they deserve to be!
More about Maths Words not Squiggles:
At MWNS, we offer primary school tutoring and high school tutoring in Maths and English to ensure students understand their schoolwork, meeting the requirements set out by NESA and achieving grades they are proud of. All our Maths and English tutors tailor their lessons to the individual needs of our students. By working at a pace that suits and benefits each child, we are able to maximise their learning in an enjoyable environment.
Our Maths and English tutoring is available in centre (Central Coast Tutoring, Eastern Suburbs Tutoring, Inner West Tutoring, Northern Beaches Tutoring, South Sydney Tutoring, Sutherland Shire Tutoring) and online. Whether you are looking for a Maths tutor or an English tutor, MWNS is able to help build your child’s confidence.