The Seven Springs Education family made the move to online tutoring almost two years ago in order to continue to provide high-quality educational services to our students during the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, we have truly learned to harness the power and amazing benefits online tuition holds. To celebrate this anniversary, our tutors and leadership team have chosen their favourite aspects of virtual lessons.
Online Tutoring offers Flexible Solutions
When we first transitioned to online learning, we worried that tutors would be less effective when not physically present. However, we’ve found the opposite to be true. Online tutoring allowed us to respond quickly to changes, meaning that as student and tutor circumstances changed, no matter where they were, we could make a lesson work for them. Even as restrictions increased, our attendance levels improved, and students particularly appreciated the individual attention from tutors when they lost the hands-on support of school classrooms.
Technology also allows us to be geographically flexible. Seven Springs Education is proud of the highly experienced and qualified tutors on our team that we get to share with students across the UK. Online lessons enable a Cambridge University maths graduate in London to support a GCSE student in Newcastle, and a qualified KS1 teacher in Bath to take an interactive phonics course with three students in Penzance. Online tuition facilitates learning connections that would otherwise not be possible, whilst also adhering to rigorous safeguarding procedures to keep students safe at all times.
Consistency is Key
It should come as no surprise that in this period of change, we’ve loved the tools that help things stay the same. Consistency is an undeniable force in the face of fluctuating circumstances and we have found that both students and tutors appreciate the certainty online sessions provide.
This sense of continuity is especially important now. As Mr Rob shared, online teaching allows students ‘to continue their learning under difficult circumstances, and … express themselves in a small-group environment.’
Tutors have also reported that these connections are just as strong online as in person and that consistency helps students to build trusting learning relationships. As Ms Iqra says, these genuine connections ‘make the lesson more interactive, interesting and educational in aspects of life that aren’t in textbooks.’
Creative Solutions are at our Fingertips
The great thing about teaching online is that we have books, articles, videos, images and more available at our fingertips. A quarter of our teachers chose access to online resources as their favourite thing about video lessons. This is important to Ms Ceri as it allows her to ‘take an adaptive approach to the lesson materials in accordance with students’ focus and energy levels. This might mean adding a video or a game, or adjusting activities to make them more discursive and engaging.’
Ms Jean has found that the virtual world is a great help when teaching tricky concepts: ‘In some literacy lessons, there can be unfamiliar vocabulary where pictures are very helpful to students’ understanding of the context. My students love it when I look things up with them, and we usually end up learning something new together.’
This creativity is what makes learners succeed. At Seven Springs Education, we love to nurture curiosity in our students, and online lessons are an excellent way to do that. What’s your favourite thing about online learning?