A week in the life of VB Tutoring.
Victoria offers her support and expertise during the week to a wide range of parents and students. Monday’s start with a Pilates Class and then it is home to prepare for the evening lessons. On a Monday, Victoria focuses on supporting G.C.S.E English resit students. These students have previously scored a Level 3 and are looking to gain a Level 4 next time round. The planning for these sessions is carefully crafted as the first chance to resit is in November, meaning there is a race against time to target areas that can increase the students chance of passing.
On a Tuesday, Victoria’s students are Year 10’s and 11’s following the G.C.S.E English Language and Literature Syllabus (classes for Eduqas and AQA Board). Recently, the Eduqas students have been exploring the Eduqas Poetry Anthology and learning to identify and think about the effects of poetic form and techniques; they have then received guidance through modelling as to how to write an analysis. The AQA students have been looking at past papers and discussing how to plan their time effectively in an examination. At the end of the evening, Victoria introduces Shakespeare to her Year 5 student. They read an illustrated version of The Tempest. The focus is to understand the plot and characters which they do by watching a short illustrated video of the play. They can then tackle the language by reading both the Shakepearean words and the translation. The illustrations are also discussed and this supports the student to enjoy their first experience of Shakespeare.
It is Wednesday morning and it is time for Victoria to be the student! After not passing her driving test in her early twenties, she has decided to try again. It is a humbling experience as she remembers what being the student is like. This has certainly added to the empathy that Victoria has when she is the teacher. By Wednesday afternoon, Victoria is back in her comfort zone presenting a one to one lesson to a new Year 5 student. Victoria needs to spend a few weeks assessing the student but reassures by presenting the tasks as quizzes and the student is helped in the moment if struggling. There is laughing and smiling and the student tells her about his day. The atmosphere is friendly and the student tells Victoria, it has been fun! Both Victoria and her new student look forward to seeing each other to continue learning next week. The last lesson is a G.C.S.E group session. They are practising creative writing. Victoria offers guidance as to the do’s and don’ts and shares her experience as an examiner. The students write their descriptions independently and Victoria gives one to one help and guidance throughout. At the end of the session, one of the students stays on the call to thank her and tell her how much the sessions are helping him.
Thursday is Victoria’s day off but she often spends it catching up with parents and feeding back any information needed regarding how a child is progressing. There is time for going the gym, getting her nails done, catching up with friends and family most weeks though. This particular Thursday is spent updating her safeguarding knowledge with an online Tutors Association Course.
Friday means planning for the following week based on the sessions that have been completed last week. Victoria keeps a written teaching diary so that she knows where a child is headed and what key objectives and targets need to be addressed. This informs the plans for the week ahead. Victoria finishes the week with three hours of back to back sessions, starting with a Year 2 child who enjoys reading and enjoying stories. Next, is a Year 4 student who wants to improve her English skills, and then to finish, a Year 11 student from one of the most prestigious schools in Liverpool. They are currently doing a deep dive into Jekyll and Hyde as the student aims for the top grades at G.C.S.E.
Victoria enjoys supporting all her students who offer such gratitude for the support they receive and looks forward to supporting many more children with their English Studies in the future.
Contact: burnsv@vbtutoring.co.uk
