Following a successful transition to online sessions in 2020, all mentoring is now online. Although students may be apprehensive at first, one parent said ‘I’m so glad we’ve given it a go as I really didn’t think she’d take to an online session… but has actually decided she prefers it!’. There are many interactive tools that can make online lessons particularly engaging especially if they have a stylus pen (although this is not essential). For all my students I have set up a OneNote Notebook which has proved extremely useful for organisation and interaction. See a short video clip below
Since I started tutoring online in 2016 technology has constantly evolved, you can find examples of lessons using different whiteboards below (one using Twiddla & the other using Bitpaper). I currently use Zoom for audio and visual, I then share the screen and write in OneNote.
For information, I use a WACOM board to write on the screen. The student typically use a mouse or a touchpad.
Please note that I attended an online course to hone my online tutoring skills. We were partnered with another adult tutor to practice online teaching each other. My partner was a Maths teacher in San Francisco.
Online Safety is paramount. Safeguarding students is integral to being a professional tutor. I am a fully qualified teacher and a member of the Tutors’ Association. Since qualifying in 2009 I have completed child protection courses every three years, in line with current guidance. The last course was in May 2020 & you can see my certificate here. I hold a current DBS which you may verify here & check instantly (you just need to ask me for my date of birth first). Online safety is constantly evolving & I endeavour to stay ahead of the advice by keeping in touch with other professionals.
Here is the statement included at the start of all my lessons
‘Before meeting anyone online agree it with a parent or guardian first. Never meet anyone online you do not know. Computers are very useful tools but make sure you have plenty of off screen time too.’
Please see section 13 of my terms and conditions regarding online services.
And if you need support with English, I can thoroughly recommend Signature Tuition.