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I- Intention: I want to grow the Capability Element of Taking responsibility in supporting others. Developing this element would be meaningful for me because I feel like I want to improve my citizenship, because interacting with more people is important to me, even if it is outside of my small existing social circle.
To support growth in this element, I plan to develop the skill of: Improving my methods of tutoring in my POD.

M- Milestone: To get to know most people who are in the same POD as me, and develop relationships so that they can seek help when needed.

P- Practice (Micro-habit, 2–3×/week):

Talk to new people around the school and in my POD class.

Improve my teaching ability by trying to teach new concepts to myself to see if I actually understand them, then applying these methods when explaining to others.

Make resources

A – Anticipate Obstacles (If/Then Plan)

If students are shy, don’t know me, or hesitate to interact

Then I will be open, start with friendly small talk, and show them that I can be trusted.

If students don’t understand what I am trying to teach them

Then I will make things simpler, break them into smaller steps, and let them explain the concept back to me to check understanding

C- Check-in Plan:

By Check-in 1: Get to know at least 5–7 students and have conversations with them about their work, explaining any questions they bring up.

By Check-in 2: Do a survey which I send to several students to get feedback on my approachability and tutoring techniques (e.g. too confusing, pacing), and aim for at least a score of 5/10.

By Check-in 3: Run a short structured tutoring sessions for small groups or individuals. Give each student a 3-5 question mini-quiz before and after the session to measure learning. Aim for an average post-quiz improvement of at least 20% or a 1-point increase in self-rated confidence. Log all sessions, note what worked, and gather at least two written student comments on my clarity and approachability.

T- Transfer:
At the end, I will show my growth by:

A one-page summary including:

Number of students I connected with during the term.

Survey averages from Check-in 2.

Mini-quiz improvement data from Check-in 3.

A small bank of resources I created for peers (formula sheet, two worked examples, tip sheet for common mistakes).

A short paragraph from a teacher or POD leader verifying that I consistently supported others effectively.

My own reflection explaining how my ability to initiate conversations, build trust, and adapt explanations has improved, and naming the two main tutoring techniques I now use by default.

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This is only the screenshot of the introduction part as the whole email would require multiple screenshots as it is quite long, however this is indicative of the quality of the rest of the scaffold

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I was talking to a student who was doing their Chemistry SHE task. They knew what they wanted to do and their topic. Yet the problem which they faced (and I have also faced in the past) is how to structure it and word it. This is one of the many big problems that I recognised with SHE tasks so I made my OWN template that I have constructed taking resources from various teachers (special mention to Ms Tolios) which was easy to understand and schematic. I felt like this worked really well for me and that it is very simple and would work for the student, as the scaffold they were given was extremely vague. So I offered to send this over in an email and the student was very happy and told me that even at first sight it looked better than what his teacher had given him.

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My chemistry teacher was being really confusing in teaching acids and bases and was kind of teaching in a confusing order (eg. going from polarity to precipitation reactions to metal oxides), in which we had not learnt most of the content yet. She was quizzing us and I did not know a lot of the answers so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to teach the topic to myself. I tried asking questions and clarifications from my teacher but unfortunately they did not clear up my doubts. This helped me empathise with how some individuals may feel like when their teachers may not be able to convey the message in the most understandable manner, or when they don't understand it. Hence, I did my own research and tried teaching the topic to myself. I used several techniques such as breaking it down by definitions, subtopics, using images and even flowcharts. I also attempted to use colour coding (eg. red for examples, blue for important, green for subsections etc), and step-by-step guides which made it all much clearer for me, schematic, and step-by-step. I think practicing these tutoring techniques has really helped me gain insight into which technqiues are the most effective and which are not; and being able to recognise that every learner is different and while some may be visual and prefer diagrams, others (eg. reading/writing learners) may prefer step-by-step guides.

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Teaching my peers some Maths (and clarifying questions) before our Calculus Test on Tuesday (consent obtained to screenshot chat)

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Teaching my peers some Maths (and clarifying questions) before our Calculus Test on Tuesday (consent obtained to screenshot chat)

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Jorp= Joseph

Sen Chenz= Chen

Chris= Chris

Daniel= Daniel

Absz= Abuzar (Me)

I got feedback on my colloquial approach of teaching them through the chat and nearly everyone said that it made learning much more relatable and "chill". One person said that it would probably be better if I could actually write some things down and send pictures; and this is what I aim to do next time, so rather than concepts I would also just SHOW a quick example

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Teaching them how to use equation tool (Part 1)

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Equation Tool Part 2

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Equation Tool Part 3

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Equation Tool part 4

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Teaching importance and relevance of sign diagrams of f(x) and f'(x) part 2

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Teaching importance and relevance of sign diagrams of f(x) and f'(x) part 1

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Teaching importance and relevance of sign diagrams of f(x) and f'(x) part 3

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Teaching importance and relevance of sign diagrams of f(x) and f'(x) part 4

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Teaching importance and relevance of sign diagrams of f(x) and f'(x) part 5

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Teaching importance and relevance of sign diagrams of f(x) and f'(x) part 6

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Check in 1: Relflection Loops: 3 Questions

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Check in 1: Relflection Loops: 3 Questions

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I was able to meet my goal that I had listed in my impact plan. I now know around 8 students in the POD out of whom I usually have conversations with at least 5 on a regular basis. This is good improvement as is shows my ability to integrate myself into an unfamilliar workspace

How would I improve your approach to be more personalised to individual student needs
I would take more time to check how each person was going rather than just moving on. Using quick questions, real examples, or letting people try things on their own would show me who needed extra help. I’d also mix up how I explained things, like using diagrams for some and step-by-step words for others.

What motivated me to teach concepts to your friends, and how did you overcome challenges, if any
I was motivated by wanting my friends to actually understand, and also because explaining it made me more confident in my own learning. When someone didn’t get it, I broke the idea into smaller parts and used simpler words or examples. If repeating it didn’t work, I asked guiding questions instead of just telling them the answer.

How did I find the learning techniques for what you taught to yourself, and do you think there are newer strategies that could better improve your ability
I found that putting things into my own words and practising examples worked best for me. It helped the ideas stick. But I think I could improve more by using active recall, like testing myself without notes, and by spreading the practice out instead of cramming. That would make it easier to remember things long term.

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Savith

Josh

Zarif (from 02)

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I have gone through several Youtube Channels online such as: The organic chemistry tutor (https://www.youtube.com/@TheOrganicChemistryTutor) , Son Vu (https://www.youtube.com/@SonVu87) and Khan Academy(https://www.youtube.com/@khanacademy). These have been very helpful for me to identify several things such as the teaching styles that they utilise such as having objectives at the start of every lesson and having a clear order with a worked example followed by a practice question etc. I think this is very helpful as the subjects that I mainly tutor including Chemistry and Maths usually require such formats

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SACE Chemistry with Mr. Vu and Mrs. Koch

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Tutoring is not just about always being with a student and teaching them physically. Through many interactions with individuals I have learnt that the best way of learning for all of them is not always in just one sitting, but rather splitting up. So, I believe a very important aspect is having a vast resource bank out of which I can provide resources that students can use to self-validate their learning. The internet is boundless however students get confused as per what is neccessary for the standards of their subjects and which sources are the most credible.

I have been collating some resource guides such as the Youtube channels mentioned and have been providing them to students. I have recieved qualitative feedback and verbal and texted expressions of happiness in which they expressed several thoughts such as:

" OMG tysmmm I rlly appreciate ittt."

"Bro you saved me I was so cooked"

"This yt channel is cracked"

"This guy explains it so well (in regards to the video)"

"I actually won't fail my maths test on friday now"

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Today I tutored someone at lunchtime. I used this as an opportunity to see how I would be at teaching more complicated topics. I was teaching the yr 11 Methods Calculus to this individual. So the issue was that she did not understand particular segments of the unit and had left them blank on her test. So I started off the session by asking what these things were so I could note it down. Then I structured the session so that we could go from the easiest to the hardest topic. This session was a bit difficult for me and was an obstacle because the student was not fully engaged. I explained things and she said yes when I asked if she got it but visibly seemed confused to me. So i reiterated several times and I had to say things like "Do you ACTUALLY get it? Please don't just say yeah if you don't". This seemed to help a little bit but not tooo much. To truly test if she got it or not I brought my Calculus test and asked her to attempt the question with what was just taught to her. She seemed to get it but was doubting herself. Another obstacle was time. I was only able to go through half the content as explaining it and making sure she truly understood it took a while, and by then lunch had ended. I then asked to schedule a second session

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R3CgfYUZi306I1gIhv-NEzXyFxoJQ26sI_IjkwJZlrA/edit?usp=sharing

I tutored the same person today. So this time, I had a google doc which I made the night before. I planned the session out before it even occurred so the student would not feel like I am unorganised. I asked which topics she was struggling with and made a step-by-step guide which can be followed. I also walked through practice problems using the aforementioned step-by-step guide and then handed off to the student to do practice problems, reinforcing correct steps and working and nudging in the correct direction when needed. I also gave the student the worked solutions book so that she can see the different steps that the workbook gives to check her answers and double check what I taught and this session went much better than before

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Today in the POD I was tutoring someone for Chemistry. They were preparing for a test which required them to memorise the shapes of molecules and properties of bonding. When I first met them, the student was memorising concepts and not actually understanding them. This is what I really wanted to work on; actually understanding the content rather than just regurgitating. So what I initially began was a small set of questions that I asked verbally to gauge an understanding. I made the questions harder or easier compared to if the student got it correct. Then I identified the gaps that he had. After that, I brought out my own chemistry notes and directed them to some websites online. I started at the basics again explaining the different types of bonding and how they work (metallic ionic and covalent). Then I talked about the different properties of each. Then I asked the student WHY they actually have those properties, and he did not know. This was a key point that I hit on this session. I talked about how for example, free flowing electrons can carry electrical current and because metals have a sea of free flowing electrons thats why they can conduct electricity because they can carry the current. I went step by step for several properties. Then I also showed visual examples of things such as the sea of electrons. Later I moved onto more difficult content and always referred to their subject outline and what they actually needed to know since I wanted to help with what would actually be on the test. Then I just did a small recap of VSEPR theory and showed the visuals. For this, there is not much else I could have done since the only way to understand the shapes is to memorise them. Finally, I asked a few ending questions to end the session and said goodbye :)

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In this tutoring session, I worked with a Year 10 student who was preparing for an upcoming test on quadratic equations. Before starting, I asked them to solve a few warm-up questions to identify any gaps. It quickly became clear that while they understood factorisation, they struggled with completing the square and linking it to the graph of a parabola. I decided to shift the focus toward connecting algebraic manipulation with visual understanding.

I began by drawing a basic parabola and gradually showed how changing the equation affected its shape and position. We explored how the term (x + a)² + b relates directly to the vertex form, and how this makes sketching quicker. I encouraged them to predict the movement of the graph before checking on Desmos, which turned it into an interactive exercise. Their confidence grew as they began recognising patterns; especially when they realised that the vertex’s coordinates always matched the numbers in the equation.

Mid-session, the student hit a wall trying to expand and simplify (x + 3)² – 5, so I demonstrated the distributive pattern step-by-step, then handed the pen back for them to finish. This moment felt like the turning point; instead of passively listening, they began verbalising their reasoning and correcting themselves.

By the end, the student successfully completed two full questions without assistance. I ended the session by summarising their main progress points and setting a short practice task to consolidate the skill. Reflecting afterwards, I realised how important it is to anchor abstract algebra in visual meanin. The experience reinforced that good tutoring is not about rushing through content but about adjusting pace, reading the student’s mindset, and finding the explanation that makes the concept click.

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In this session, I worked with a Year 10 student who was struggling with analysing scientific data in a practical report. They understood the experiment but couldn’t clearly link results to the hypothesis, which made their conclusions vague and repetitive. I structured the session around developing analytical thinking rather than content recall.

We began by reviewing one of their old reports. I asked them to highlight where they’d explained what happened versus why it happened. Most of their writing focused on describing the trend, so I introduced the idea of cause and effect which relies on identifying patterns, explaining the science behind them, and linking back to the aim. I modelled a short example using enzyme activity: instead of writing “the rate increased,” we discussed how temperature affects kinetic energy and enzyme–substrate collisions. I simplified this so they would understand. Seeing that connection made the difference clear.

Halfway through, I had them rework a paragraph using the structure: result → scientific reasoning → link to hypothesis. At first, they hesitated, but after a few nudges, their writing became sharper and more precise. They started naturally using terms like “supports the hypothesis” and “suggests that,” which showed real progress in scientific communication.

In the final part of the session, we practised identifying sources of error and improvements. I challenged them to move beyond simple statements like “human error” and instead specify what could be done differently, for example, “using a water bath to maintain constant temperature.” By the end, they were producing thoughtful, concise explanations that reflected real understanding.

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In this session, I helped a Year 10 student revise for their biology test on cells and organelles. At the start, I noticed they could list each organelle but didn’t fully understand how they all worked together inside the cell. Their answers sounded memorised, so my goal for the lesson was to help them actually understand what each part does and why it matters. This is a common pattern I have seen in students so far

We began with a blank cell diagram, and I asked them to label each organelle and explain what it does. When they got stuck, I guided them by asking connecting questions like, “Where do the proteins go after they’re made?” or “What gives the cell energy to do that?” These small prompts helped them link the nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria, and Golgi apparatus as parts of one system instead of random pieces.

To make it easier to remember, I compared the cell to a small city: the nucleus was the “mayor’s office” controlling everything, mitochondria were the “power stations,” and the cell membrane was like the “city gates.” This made them laugh but also helped them visualise the relationships clearly.

By halfway through, they were confidently describing how each organelle’s role connected to the others.

We ended with a few short-answer questions from past tests. At first, they struggled to use full scientific terms, but after some practice, they started saying things like “the mitochondria produce energy for cellular processes” instead of just “it makes energy.” That showed real progress.

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In this session, I tutored a Year 10 student who was revising for a test on financial maths, focusing on simple and compound interest. At the start, I asked a few warm-up questions to see where they were struggling. They could substitute into formulas but didn’t understand what the variables actually represented. For example, they mixed up the difference between interest earned and total amount. I decided to focus on building conceptual understanding before returning to calculations.

We began by breaking down the simple interest formula, I = PRT, and discussing what each letter means in real-life terms such as principal, rate, and time. I used a basic example of saving $1000 in a bank account at 5% interest per year. Seeing how the money grew step-by-step made the idea of “interest” tangible. Once they grasped that, we compared it to compound interest, using the same scenario to show how interest builds on top of previous interest. I could tell they finally understood when they said, “So it’s like earning interest on your interest.”

To reinforce the concept, we calculated examples using both methods and plotted the growth on a graph. This visual clearly showed how compound interest curves upward while simple interest stays linear. By the end, the student could explain not only how to use the formula but also why compound interest grows faster.

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Looking at your evidence, how can you differentiate between what shows genuine growth and what shows gaps?

My genuine growth is shown through how much more confidently and efficiently I guide students now. Earlier sessions were heavily structured and a bit rigid, but my recent reflections show I adapt explanations on the spot depending on the student’s confusion. That flexibility demonstrates real progress in understanding how different people learn. The gaps, however, are in pacing because I sometimes spend too long clarifying one concept instead of moving on, which limits how much we cover in a session.

From the evidence you’ve collected, which piece would you defend as the strongest demonstration of your growth?

The strongest evidence of my growth is a reflection from a recent tutoring session where a student explained a concept back to me accurately after I re-taught it in a different way. That showed me my communication has become clearer and that I can shift my approach when my first explanation doesn’t land.

How would you critique the strategies you used so far? Which would you recommend continuing, and which would you abandon?

My main strategy has been over-preparing before sessions to make sure I know every detail. It’s helped me feel confident and reduced hesitation, so I’d keep that. But I’d abandon trying to stick too tightly to my pre-written plan, because real sessions don’t always follow the script. Instead, I’d continue building flexibility and questioning techniques so students can discover answers rather than being told them.

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Evidence: Teaching someone how to solve a quadratic equation using a whiteboard (step-by-step). Part 1

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Evidence: Teaching someone how to solve a quadratic equation using a whiteboard (step-by-step). Part 1

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Evidence: Teaching someone how to solve a quadratic equation using a whiteboard (step-by-step) Part 2

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Evidence: Teaching someone how to solve a quadratic equation using a whiteboard (step-by-step) Part 2

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Evidence: Teaching someone how to solve a quadratic equation using a whiteboard (step-by-step) Part 3

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Evidence: Teaching someone how to solve a quadratic equation using a whiteboard (step-by-step) Part 3

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In this situation I decided to use a whiteboard as it allows the student to make a mistake. It gives that room for error as it can be erased very easily. They also allow the student to see the steps schematically. In the session I didn't catch the student's name or year level but I would assume that this is yr 9 maths. The student came to me saying that they needed help with this because they didn't understand it when the teacher taught it to them. I wasn't too sure if they had a test coming up or this is from earlier in the year but I started from scratch again. I went in simple small steps and helped the student apply the knowledge they already had. They did not need me to teach them everything but just nudge them in the right direction to clear up confusions.

Green= My writing

Black= Student's writing

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Looking at your evidence, how can you differentiate between what shows genuine growth and what shows gaps?

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Looking at your evidence, how can you differentiate between what shows genuine growth and what shows gaps?

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From the evidence you’ve collected, which piece would you defend as the strongest demonstration of your growth?

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From the evidence you’ve collected, which piece would you defend as the strongest demonstration of your growth?

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How would you critique the strategies you used so far? Which would you recommend continuing, and which would you abandon?

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How would you critique the strategies you used so far? Which would you recommend continuing, and which would you abandon?

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Have you been able to hit all of the goals outlined in your check-in plan so far, and why/why not?

Yes, I’ve met most of the goals from my check-in plan. I’ve gotten to know a large number of students in my POD and have built consistent communication with many of them. I’ve run several short tutoring sessions and created a few study resources like worked examples and quick reference sheets, which have helped other students during revision. I haven’t fully completed the second formal survey yet due to time constraints, but I’ve gathered informal feedback from students who said my explanations have become clearer and easier to follow. Overall, I’ve achieved the intended growth in approachability and clarity, though I still want to refine how I adapt explanations for students at very different ability levels.

What has kept you motivated to tutor these students throughout the semester?

My main motivation came from seeing students actually understand a concept after struggling with it. That moment when they suddenly “get it” is really rewarding. It also pushed me to deepen my own understanding, since teaching others often exposes small gaps in my knowledge. Beyond that, I found that tutoring strengthened the sense of community in the POD and made me feel more connected and useful, rather than just someone doing their own work.

What has been the most challenging aspect of tutoring so far, and what strategies did you implement to overcome these challenges?

The most challenging part has been balancing tutoring commitments with my own workload. There were times when managing my studies and preparing explanations or resources for others felt overwhelming. I found it difficult to divide time between improving my own understanding and supporting students who needed extra help. To manage this, I started setting specific tutoring blocks instead of helping spontaneously throughout lessons, so I could still focus on my tasks. I also refined my teaching approach by simplifying explanations and using analogies or diagrams that could be reused across topics, which saved time while staying effective. Over time, this helped me maintain balance.

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Have you been able to hit all of the goals outlined in your check-in plan so far, and why/why not?

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Have you been able to hit all of the goals outlined in your check-in plan so far, and why/why not?

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What has been the most challenging aspect of tutoring so far, and what strategies did you implement to overcome these challenges?

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What has been the most challenging aspect of tutoring so far, and what strategies did you implement to overcome these challenges?

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What has kept you motivated to tutor these students throughout the semester?

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What has kept you motivated to tutor these students throughout the semester?

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I'm pretty happy with my surveys. All of my responses were at least at 5/10 or above with most being around 8-9. I think from this what I can take is that I need to better identify how fast a student learns and change how fast I teach accordingly. I think sometimes I may be too fast or too slow, so next time I should ask the students explicitly how they feel, and if they show signs of uncertainty then reaffirm that I am open for feedback and willing to change my methods

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where 1 was Not at alll and 10 was very approachable

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where 1 was too fast/slow and 10 was perfect

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where 1 is Not clear at all; left more confused than the start and 10 is very very clear

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Check-in 3 transfer: Reference statement from POD supervisor

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Check-in 3 transfer: Reference statement from POD supervisor