Your initial engagement with a student is incredibly important and will set a precedence for your learning relationship. Your first engagement may not necessarily be the first lesson, but begins from the when a student, interested in lessons, makes contact with you.

In preparing for your first lesson with a new student, here are four things you should be sure of:

Do you have a portfolio?

If so, bring it along! A portfolio is a collection of your experiences and work, it can include relevant documents such as your transcripts, lesson plan templates you use, your CV, your police clearance, past work and tutoring experiences, references and resources you may use, as well as any success stories from your previous tutoring experiences

Do you have contactable/written references from past tutoring or related jobs?

Whenever you have a successful tutoring experience, be it privately or through an organisation or school, make sure to get a reference! A person’s name and contact number will suffice (be sure to ask their permission first), but if you can get a couple of written up references/recommendations/feedback, this is a bonus and will go a long way!

Are you familiar with the tutoring subject?

At this stage you should know which subject(s) you will be assisting the student with, and at which level (i.e. primary school, high school, tertiary). Be sure that you have familiarised yourself with the subject, the current curriculum used at this subject level and what the outcomes of this subject are for students. Come overly prepared.

Are you familiar with the details you will need to attend the first lesson?

(ie. if it’s in person, do you have reliable transport? Do you know the location? Does the student know the location? If it’s online, is your internet working well? Do you have access to the whiteboard needed?)

We would recommend you make a checklist for yourself that you need to go through before each initial engagement with a new student.

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