In this enlightening episode of QT Conversations, we gathered to discuss the intricacies of international tutoring and cultural literacy with a focus on how tutors can navigate and thrive in a global tutoring landscape. Together with fellow tutors, we explored a range of themes, each crucial to supporting international students and enriching the tutoring experience for both students and educators.

Key discussion points included:

• Navigating Practicalities: We covered essential logistics like managing different time zones, currencies, and navigating global curriculums like IB, TEFL, and national standards to meet students' varied educational needs.

• Cultural Expectations: Tutors shared insights on understanding and respecting cultural expectations placed on students by their families, as well as adapting communication and engagement strategies to build stronger relationships with students and parents.

• Flexibility & Financial Benefits: Working with international students allows for more flexible scheduling, such as daytime tutoring across time zones, ultimately increasing the opportunity for tutors to work more hours and diversify income streams.

• Group Dynamics Across Borders: We discussed how group tutoring dynamics vary when students are located in different parts of the world, as well as techniques for managing diverse perspectives within the group setting.

• Lifestyle & Life Stages: International tutoring opens doors to lifestyle flexibility, from remote work opportunities to adapting to new stages of life, allowing tutors to develop unique connections with students across cultures and locations.

Ultimately, we highlighted the value of “going where the student is” — recognizing and addressing both educational poverty and wealth globally. Our goal is to make learning accessible by meeting students where they are, supporting their growth in ways that honor both their needs and ours as tutors. This session underscored our shared commitment to creating inclusive, culturally literate tutoring experiences worldwide.

In this session, we open up the floor with our tutors to have a comprehensive exploration of effective online tutoring strategies grounded in research.

In this episode, we delve into key topics such as the importance of evidence-informed practice, technology integration, and fostering student trust and autonomy in learning.

Insights from notable educational texts were shared, including works by Daisy Christodoulo and Doug Lemov, while Dr. Fiona Aubrey-Smith's concept of 'dissolving the screen' was highlighted as a vital approach to online teaching.

We also discuss student-centred learning, encouraging tutors to consider their pedagogical intentions and the use of technology to enhance engagement. We finished by reflecting on our own experiences and concluded with actionable takeaways, prompting them to evaluate their practices in research-informed tutoring.

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Qualified Tutor was born out of a need for community, connection and collaboration opportunities for tutors by Julia Silver. This has flourished into a way for tutors globally to connect with their peers, access professional development, and grow their own tutoring businesses no matter the stage they are at in their tutoring.

Find out more about how you can become a QT Member, ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode we are discussing "Celebrating Impact Recognising Progress" as tutors. In this Professional Development and Reflection session, we aim to foster a culture of reflection and collective growth among tutors by focusing on the theme of celebrating student impact.

We open up the floor for discussions between tutors on the significance of positive feedback in tracking student progress, enhancing communication with parents, and interpreting academic grades in a meaningful way.

During this session, we share the importance of celebrating students' successes and using positive reinforcement to build trust and engagement, illustrated through a success story involving a previously disengaged student.

Additionally, resources such as Matt Parker's "Humble Pie" and White Rose Maths materials were explored to support effective teaching practices.

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Qualified Tutor was born out of a need for community, connection and collaboration opportunities for tutors by Julia Silver. This has flourished into a way for tutors globally to connect with their peers, access professional development, and grow their own tutoring businesses no matter the stage they are at in their tutoring.

Find out more about how you can become a QT Member, ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Join us as we open up the book "What Works" by Lee Elliot Major and Steve Higgins.

In our panel of tutors, we discuss what we can learn from this incredible book, and why you should add it to your bookshelf!

The QT Conversations Book Club meeting focused on the book "What Works? Research and Evidence for Successful Teaching" by Lee Elliot Major and Steve Higgins, with an introduction by Julia Silver highlighting the authors’ credentials and impact on education and social mobility. The discussion covered six key dimensions of pedagogy, including understanding student perspectives and fostering a positive classroom climate, and debunked common teaching myths such as the validity of learning styles. Emphasis was placed on effective feedback as a critical educational intervention, with participants reflecting on best practices like using inclusive language and specific targeting in feedback. Action items emerged for enhancing feedback methods and promoting self-reflection among students, alongside a recommendation for all members to watch the informative "Austin's Butterfly" video.

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Qualified Tutor was born out of a need for community, connection and collaboration opportunities for tutors by Julia Silver. This has flourished into a way for tutors globally to connect with their peers, access professional development, and grow their own tutoring businesses no matter the stage they are at in their tutoring.

Find out more about how you can become a QT Member, ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

We are back after our summer break, and we are starting with a truly wonderful topic!

In this live session, we discuss the essential topic for tutors about how to understand and apply educational research in our tutoring practice.

This session is facilitated by Julia Silver, and attended by our QT Members to bring a panel-like discussion between peers and experts in our tutoring community.

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Qualified Tutor was born out of a need for community, connection and collaboration opportunities for tutors by Julia Silver. This has flourished into a way for tutors globally to connect with their peers, access professional development, and grow their own tutoring businesses no matter the stage they are at in their tutoring.

Find out more about how you can become a QT Member, ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

How can we better support our SEND students?

Join us on this live event with our QT Members in the panel discussing how they support SEND students, and the strategies we can implement as educators.

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Qualified Tutor was born out of a need for community, connection and collaboration opportunities for tutors by Julia Silver. This has flourished into a way for tutors globally to connect with their peers, access professional development, and grow their own tutoring businesses no matter the stage they are at in their tutoring.

Find out more about how you can become a QT Member, ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

In this episode, we spotlight Emma Harper of Core Plus Tuition, who shares her transformative approach to tutoring, emphasizing honest relationships with parents and a holistic focus on students. Emma's journey from teacher to business owner is inspiring and full of practical insights for parents and tutors alike.

🎙️ Introduction and Emma's Journey (00:15 - 03:48) Julia Silver introduces Emma Harper from Core Plus Tuition. Emma recounts her journey from being a teacher to founding Core Plus Tuition, where she has been tutoring for 17 years. Established in 2020, Core Plus Tuition offers tutoring in maths, English, and science, both online and in-person.

🔍 Core Plus Tuition's Unique Selling Proposition (USP) (03:48 - 05:26) Emma highlights the importance of building relationships with families based on honesty. She discusses her commitment to focusing on the whole child, not just academic results, sharing a personal story about her husband who succeeded without passing his GCSEs.

📞 Honest Conversations with Parents (05:26 - 07:49) Emma delves into the significance of having honest conversations with parents about their child's progress. She shares an experience where a parent thanked her for candidly discussing their child's likelihood of failing an exam, underscoring the importance of trust and integrity in her tutoring approach.

👧 Building Confidence and Resilience in Students (07:49 - 10:46) Emma discusses her focus on building children's confidence and resilience. She explains the importance of making exams meaningful experiences and her goal of creating happy, confident, and resilient students.

📚 Flexible Tutoring Approaches (10:46 - 17:56) Emma shares an example of a student lying down during online tutoring sessions and still making progress, illustrating the flexibility tutors have compared to classroom teachers. She emphasizes the importance of adapting to each student's unique needs.

🌐 Parents Navigating School Facebook Group (23:02 - 25:42) Emma introduces her new project, a Facebook group called 'Parents Navigating School'. This group aims to help parents understand school policies and procedures, and Emma invites parents to join via Facebook or the Core Plus Tuition website.

📅 World Tutors Day and Future Plans (25:42 - 28:58) Emma and Julia discuss the importance of World Tutors Day. Emma is scheduled to participate in a session with Rachel Vecht about positive parenting. Julia emphasizes the role of tutors in creating a trustworthy and hopeful education system.

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Qualified Tutor was born out of a need for community, connection and collaboration opportunities for tutors by Julia Silver. This has flourished into a way for tutors globally to connect with their peers, access professional development, and grow their own tutoring businesses no matter the stage they are at in their tutoring.

Find out more about how you can become a QT Member, ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

In this insightful episode, we wrap up our live sessions for World Tutors Day with a special focus on positive parenting and communication strategies. We’re joined by Rachel Zecht, a former teacher and founder of Educating Matters, who shares her journey and valuable insights on empowering parents and motivating children.

👋 Introduction and Background (00:00 - 04:18) Rachel shares her journey from being a teacher to founding Educating Matters, emphasizing the crucial role parents play in children's education.

🏢 Corporate Context and Parenting (04:19 - 08:39) Rachel discusses her experience speaking to corporate audiences about parenting, highlighting fundamental communication skills and the importance of building relationships.

📚 Tutoring and Motivation (08:40 - 17:03) The conversation turns to motivating students within the context of tutoring and parenting. Rachel shares strategies for providing feedback to children, including the importance of self-assessment and focusing on strengths before addressing mistakes. The episode also explores the role of tutors in bridging gaps between parents, schools, and children.

🤝 Educational Alignment and Resources (17:04 - 24:38) Rachel underscores the importance of alignment between parents, tutors, schools, and the child's needs. She offers strategies for parents to influence schools and advocate for their children. Rachel also introduces the resources available through Educating Matters, such as online courses and newsletters, to support both parents and tutors.

🎓 Transforming Parenting: A Conversation with Rachel Zecht We delve deeper into Rachel's journey, reflecting on her childhood aspirations and the pivotal moments that led to the creation of Educating Matters. Rachel discusses her transition from teaching to offering seminars and training sessions, highlighting the unique approach of reaching busy professionals and the importance of communication and positive reinforcement in child development.

💬 The Role of Positive Communication in Parenting and Tutoring Rachel emphasizes the transformative power of effective communication in all relationships, whether between parent and child, teacher and student, or tutor and learner. She discusses the importance of creating supportive environments where children feel valued and encouraged to express themselves.

🔗 Building Bridges: Parent-School-Tutor Alignment Central to Rachel's approach is fostering alignment between parents, schools, and tutors to create a cohesive support system for children. She acknowledges the challenges parents face when advocating for their child's educational needs and encourages a collaborative approach to finding solutions.

🎯 Motivating Students: Strategies for Success Rachel shares strategies for motivating students by recognizing and reinforcing their strengths. She encourages parents and tutors to start conversations by asking children to reflect on their achievements, promoting self-awareness and confidence, and helping them view challenges as opportunities for growth.

📈 Empowering Parents and Tutors Educating Matters offers a wealth of resources, including online courses, newsletters, and blogs, to help parents and tutors navigate the complexities of child development and education. Rachel's platform fosters a community of shared experiences and insights, contributing to positive outcomes for children.

💡 Conclusion Rachel Zecht's journey from teacher to parenting advocate highlights the profound impact of personalized, relationship-centered education. Through Educating Matters, Rachel continues to empower parents and tutors, emphasizing the importance of communication and collaboration in nurturing children's potential. As we conclude World Tutors Day, Rachel's insights remind us that effective education is a collective effort, thriving on understanding, communication, and a shared commitment to empowering the next generation.