After an extra week of school holidays, it is now certain that several schools in Victoria will be closed again due to the rising cases of coronavirus in several hotspots in the region. The government has also confirmed that it's back to remote learning for prep to year 10 students in locked-down areas of the state, and this will soon start on July 20.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton announced that further restrictions would most likely be imposed if the number of infections will not be contained until the end of the month.

The return to remote learning
It now inevitable that most students in Melbourne will need to go back to remote learning, and parents should once again support their children through these trying times. However, the Victorian Government will offer extra funding to various kindergarten services and other primary school programs in lockdown areas.

So, parents can expect several free kinder programs that can be accessed online during term three. Also, other resources are available, which include phone and video counselling for secondary school students.

The governments have also reached out to various organisations like the Melbourne Football Club to produce free remote resources for students.

What you can do to support your child with their learning
You'll need to understand that children like adults must mentally adjust to being back to stage three restrictions. This means they will not be able to play with their friends or meet relatives for six weeks.
That is why parents should encourage their children to engage in various activities like playing board games and doing fun artworks. This is also the most appropriate time to build the foundations for better communication, so it's best to reach out to them so you'll know their concerns or anything that might be bothering them during this lockdown.

You may also need to learn new technologies that are essential to remote learning, so you can better assist them with their schoolwork. In fact, parents should take a more personalised role in their kid's online learning activities, like setting a distraction-free space for their schooling. You should also be able to block specific software or apps in your child's computer and mobile devices that might potentially distract them from their studies.

Most importantly, this is the time to build unity and better cooperation in your home by doing several household chores together. Therefore, it is wise to schedule several activities for your kids like gardening, washing dishes or cooking lunch. This will develop their sense of responsibility and they will also feel more comfortable doing simple household chores.

Always remember to take care of yours and your families health and wellbeing first. Follow health protocols set by the government and never take risks that will jeopardise the health of your family. This means planning your errands before going out of the house, wearing mask, washing hands, and taking all necessary precautions to avoid the spread of coronavirus.   

​View more tips on how to support your child's learning.

Tutors like other educators, make a plethora of mistakes along the way, especially if they are still new to this profession. From being unprepared during a tuition session or placing too much emphasis on a particular topic, these are some of the most common blunders they make.

However, we need to understand that tutors enter the teaching profession with one main goal in mind - to make a positive difference in their students’ lives. But even those with the purest intention can complicate their mission if they are not careful enough.

That is why tutors much work hard to avoid common pitfalls that will make their job harder. Here is a list of common mistakes every tutor might make, and our advice on how to avoid them.
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• Trying to teach an alternative curriculum

As a maths tutor in Melbourne, it is essential that we follow the lessons and guidelines under the Victorian Curriculum since it is the leading curriculum designed for students in Victoria. It would be a mortal sin to teach an alternative curriculum since it will not only confuse your students, but it will also deviate your lesson plan leaving it ineffective.

• Focusing too much on skills and not enough on contextual problem solving

 
An effective maths tutor must not only focus on skills and shortcuts, but they must also help students construct a deep understanding of mathematical processes through contextual problem-solving. This means they must be engaged to explore, test, and verify their solutions to various mathematical problems.

• Not recognising each student as an individual and focusing on their individual needs

 
Each student has their own strengths and weaknesses, so tutors must focus on their individual needs. Their lesson plan and teaching style must be flexible and conform to their student’s current skills and knowledge.

• Rushing through multiple concepts in each session

 
Information overload is real, and you wouldn’t be an effective tutor if you rush through various concepts in one session. Try dividing difficult concepts into bite-size and easy to digest lessons. This will provide your student more time to learn each concept by heart before you move on to more challenging lessons.

• Not allowing time for summaries and reflection

 
After each tuition, you should ensure that your student understood what you taught them, and the best way to do this is to let them summarise the lesson. You will also know the gaps and misconceptions once they have explained to you what they have learned.

• Not embracing technology

 
You should take advantage of our modern technology and use it to engage your student and enhance their learning. There are useful apps that can let you track the progress of your student and artificial intelligence that can provide you with data that you can use in your lesson plan.

• Not building a good rapport and connection with your students

Building rapport with your student can be tricky, but it can make a difference when teaching. That is why a good tutor should be approachable and easy to get along with. They often use humour to set up a more relaxed and friendly environment that could develop into a stronger tutor to student relationship.

Learn more about home-based tuition.

​For students and parents, the holidays are a time to have a break and enjoy the great outdoors, but in reality, many students will still need to complete their homework. That is why we put together several steps for tacking holiday homework, so it becomes manageable for the whole family.

There are varying opinions when it comes to holiday homework, but it can actually benefit your child in more ways than one. In fact, teachers feel that it is the best time for students to complete their project-based work.

Your child will also develop time management skills in the process since they will need to properly budget their time and bring balance to schoolwork and fun time.

As parents, you can help your child prepare for and complete their homework by following some of these suggestions:

• Do it early in the holidays

Just because it’s called a holiday homework doesn’t mean your child should start one month before the break ends. It would help if you encouraged them to start early and schedule their time well. It is recommended that they devote at least 1-2 hours per day for their homework so that they can accomplish their work in no time. Don’t allow them to procrastinate since this can lead to poor output, and their project will suffer in the long run, especially if they are cramming.

• Create a schedule

With a little organisation and discipline, your child can get all of their homework done on time or before the holiday ends. Therefore, you must help them develop a plan that will break down their tasks into smaller and manageable parts.

• Set goals

Let your child set their goals like setting a time frame on when they should finish their homework. They must also decide how much time they need to complete their work and how many hours they must devote each day.  

• Let them highlight questions they don’t understand

If they encounter some questions or instructions on their project that they don’t understand, it’s best to highlight these questions so you can help them tackle it one at a time or convey these questions to their tutor if they have one. For sure, a qualified tutor will be able to support them, so they can fully understand what needs to be done.

• Let them study with their friends

Group study can have numerous advantages, especially when done right. Therefore, you should let your child study with their friends, and they will be able to stay on track. They will also acquire an accountability partner who will stay with them until they complete their project.
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• Take regular breaks

For your child to complete their project, they must devote at least 1-2 hours per day, and they must take regular breaks during this period. This will ensure that they don’t burn out or lose interest in what they are doing.
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• Reward them for their efforts

Completing homework during a holiday break is not an easy task to do since you need to overcome several distractions. That is why when your child does complete his or her project, it’s just right to reward them and make sure that it is something that they really like. This will encourage them to do better next time and be more responsible in managing their time.

Overall, parents have an important role in their child’s education, and they have the responsibility to steer them in the right direction. This means helping them develop good study habits and cultivate a positive attitude towards school and the tasks they need to accomplish.

A sudden rise in coronavirus infections has been identified in several areas in Victoria since the easing of restrictions last month. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews warned that a statewide lockdown could be an option if the outbreaks are not contained properly.

As of June 30, there are 10 Melbourne postcodes that are deemed hotspots by the government and will remain under quarantine until the end of July. So, residents under the restricted postcodes will not be able to leave their homes except for essential purposes.

This unexpected outbreak will affect students, parents, and schools in Victoria because some health protocols must be enforced to avoid further infections, and strict protection of students will mean implementing the new normal in school premises like social distancing and wearing of masks.

Response from the government
The government is fast to respond by spending up to $45 million on extra cleaning activities and sterilising of schools, which includes frequently touched surfaces. Schools are also advised to implement staggered drop-off systems, which is necessary to reduce the number of people congregating at the school gate.

Teachers and other staff are also required to use personal protective equipment like masks to lower the chances of transmission. Also, students are not allowed to drink from water fountains, and there will be no school assemblies, excursions, and camps.
 
Response from the Victorian residents
Victorian residents and businesses have adapted the new normal, and they are willing to follow health protocols to protect their families and the community. This means social distancing will be implemented in various businesses, and residents will minimise their activities outside of their houses, like avoiding non-essential outings in the community.
 
What if you’re in a hotspot?
If you’re in a hotspot and you and/or a family member are not feeling well, it is essential that you call a health professional to get the needed treatment and support. However, if you don’t have any of the symptoms of Covid-19, you should always protect yourself by doing the following:

• Washing your hands often with water and soap for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching either your nose, eyes, and mouth, especially with unwashed hands
• Staying at home and avoid crowded areas
• Coughing or sneezing into your sleeve and not your hands
• Following guidelines set by authorities in your area

Impact on schooling for the remainder of the year
Although schools in Victoria are not officially closed, the recent events have already changed the way schools operate. In fact, they are now more vigilant in implementing health protocols as well as regular cleaning of essential facilities. Teachers, students, and parents must also adjust to the new normal, which is currently in effect in various countries around the world.

Schools might also leverage technology more during this pandemic, so teachers will communicate and collect lessons and assignments using websites, emails, cloud storage, and videoconferencing software. Students will also form study groups online to tackle their homework and other school activities.

So, will schools lockdown again in Victoria?

It all depends on our current situation and the actions of the government to contain the outbreaks in several hotspots, and limit the spread of transmission. So let's all do our part to try and limit interactions and infections so that schools and businesses, including in home tuition, can continue to function as normally as possibe.

Many students are asking if they should start studying for VCE exams even if it is several months away. They would also like to know how they should be studying and the preparations they should do to pass the exams successfully.

Most students would consider studying one to two months before the exams, but that is not enough since it will overload them with various lessons and content along with practice exams that they need to conduct to better prepare them for the actual one.

Usually, students cram before a major exam, but research shows that this is not as effective as studying over many sessions, because this will result in better long-term retention. That is why if you haven’t started yet, you better start now!

However, this doesn’t mean you should be smashing thirty practice exams per week? Obviously not since that would be absurd. What you should be doing is to start preparing gradually for your VCE exams, and here are some of the things you can do to get ahead of the pack.

• Make sure your notes are top-notch

It is essential to refine your notebook and gradually adding essential content for reference during exams. These will include algorithms, notes, formulas, examples, explanations, and calculator instructions.

In addition, you need to make sure that your notes are ordered logically. Whether it is typed or handwritten, you can save more time if you label specific topics, and this is more beneficial for maths subject since your notebook is your primary reference.

• Do several practice exams per week but don’t overdo it

It is wise to conduct several short practice sessions that are distributed over several days in a week because this enables long-term storage. In fact, one full-length practice test was proven more effective than conducting several full-length practice sessions within one week.

For maximum effect, experts recommend that you do one full-length practice test five to six days before the final VCE exam.

• Get in the habit of practising questions as soon as you learn new skills

To better understand when and how to apply each new skill you’ve learned or concepts you have mastered, we recommend that you try practising questions in context and out of order. This will provide you the means to properly tackle difficult questions on your exams since it may be similar to the ones you’ve already been practising.

• Start timing yourself

The more you time yourself, the better you handle stress and pressure during the actual exams. Also, you don’t need to worry if you’ve done poorly a few times because you can always repeat it and do better the next succeeding practice exams.

The main objective of this activity is to know where you are lacking and what you need to work on in order to speed up your time and become successful with your exam.

• Practice past exam questions

Another simple tip to better prepare you for the exams is to practice past exam questions. In fact, this is as close to the real thing as you can get, and it will tremendously improve your chances of success. Usually, examiners will re-use or re-word questions, so practising past questions will give you a significant advantage.

Overall, the more you are prepared, the better you’ll do in your actual exams. If you’re looking for VCE maths tutoring in the Waverley area, contact us today!

For students and parents, the holidays are a time to have a break and enjoy the great outdoors, but in reality, many students will still need to complete their homework. That is why we put together several steps for tacking holiday homework, so it becomes manageable for the whole family.

There are varying opinions when it comes to holiday homework, but it can actually benefit your child in more ways than one. In fact, teachers feel that it is the best time for students to complete their project-based work.

Your child will also develop time management skills in the process since they will need to properly budget their time and bring balance to schoolwork and fun time.

As parents, you can help your child prepare for their homework by following some of these suggestions:

• Do it early in the holidays

Just because it’s called a holiday homework doesn’t mean your child should start one month before the break ends. It would help if you encouraged them to start early and schedule their time well. It is recommended that they devote at least 1-2 hours per day for their homework so that they can accomplish their work in no time. Don’t allow them to procrastinate since this can lead to poor output, and their project will suffer in the long run, especially if they are cramming.

• Create a schedule

With a little organisation and discipline, your child can get all of their homework done on time or before the holiday ends. Therefore, you must help them develop a plan that will break down their tasks into smaller and manageable parts.

• Set goals

Let your child set their goals like setting a timeframe on when they should finish their homework. They must also decide how much time they need to complete their work and how many hours they must devote each day.

• Let them highlight questions they don’t understand

If they encounter some questions or instructions on their project that they don’t understand, it’s best to highlight these questions so you can help them tackle it one at a time or convey these questions to their tutor if they have one. For sure, a qualified tutor will be able to support them, so they can fully understand what needs to be done.

• Let them study with their friends

Group study can have numerous advantages, especially when done right. Therefore, you should let your child study with their friends, and they will be able to stay on track. They will also acquire an accountability partner who will stay with them until they complete their project.

• Take regular breaks

For your child to complete their project, they must devote at least 1-2 hours per day, and they must take regular breaks during this period. This will ensure that they don’t burn out or lose interest in what they are doing.

• Reward them for their efforts

Completing homework during a holiday break is not an easy task to do since you need to overcome several distractions. That is why when your child does complete his or her project, it’s just right to reward them and make sure that it is something that they really like. This will encourage them to do better next time and be more responsible in managing their time.

Overall, parents have an important role in their child’s education, and they have the responsibility to steer them in the right direction. This means helping them develop good study habits and cultivate a positive attitude towards school and the tasks they need to accomplish. If you think your child might need tuition for maths in Glen Waverley, give us a call today!

No country in the world is prepared or has foreseen the consequences of the worldwide pandemic. In fact, no measures were taken to ensure the safety and continuous operation of schools and universities. School closures have been declared in various countries since early March 2020. Although schools have resumed in Victoria and several parts of Australia, since the 9th of June.  

Online tutoring is now a vital tool to our education system and there are various factors that’s been driving the online education industry, including the increasing number of online courses and open universities from top universities around the world. But with the school closures due to the spread of the coronavirus, online education is now the leading platform to use and is supported by the government.

That is why both parents and schools are now adopting these changes and are now choosing home-based education and online tutoring for all students.

Benefits of online tuition 
The most significant benefit of online tuition is that it makes learning fun for students, and tutors can also gain valuable info through online assignments. In fact, they can use artificial intelligence (AI) to gather data from apps used by their students, and this will help them determine the most efficient way of customising their lesson plans.

The tutor will know what their student is writing on the screen, especially if they are using Android tablets or iPads. This, in turn, will provide the tutor with insights into your child’s learning patterns and behaviour during their assignments.

Another great feature of online tutoring is its capability to provide students with video tutorials that can help them tackle challenging assignments. This will ensure that your child will have a step-by-step guide or insight on various concepts that they are studying.

Most importantly, if your child is unable to make their tutoring session, it is easy to reschedule the day or time of tutoring. However, this is not possible with brick-and-mortar options, since they are not that flexible when it comes to changing schedules.

Home-based tutoring is now back
We understand that online tuition is not for everybody since home-based tutoring is now back in various parts of Australia, and this option works best for some families. In fact, some students will also require a more hands-on approach than others, and they prefer a more traditional set up than on a computer or tablet device.

Since most of the restrictions that authorities have implemented during the lockdown are now being eased up, you can now choose in-home tuition for your child. In fact, tutors are now available for both online and in-home tuition in various locations around Melbourne.

Overall, whichever option you choose, you need to make sure that you only hire the best tutoring service provider like Maths Tutors Melbourne for your child. They can provide you with certified maths tutors in Glen Waverley, Mount Waverley, South Yarra and most other areas throughout Melbourne. They all have a thorough knowledge and understanding of all maths topics within the Victorian Curriculum and Victorian Certificate of Education.