When you have a teenager, it can be hard to know how they’re really getting on in school. Grades give you an idea, but they don’t tell the whole story. Vikki, a mother of teenage girls Eve and Faith, was feeling a bit out of the loop when it came to her daughters’ studies. She decided it would be a good idea to get them support with their learning through tutoring.
Here, we share the experience of the Spencer family, and how Eve and Faith’s relationship to their studies (and to each other) transformed after getting that extra bit of support, in just a few short months.
Worrying mock exam results
When Eve got her GCSE mock results, she was not happy to see that she’d received a D in Economics. Faith was worried about her results too, as she’d gotten a level 4 in Biology and Chemistry. ‘We thought tutoring might be a good option then,’ their mum Vikki said. She and husband Jeremy wanted to do something to support their daughters, and it soon paid off.
Over the course of five months, Faith was able to turn her level 4 into an 8, and Eve was delighted to get an A in Economics. Eve was happy to tell us, ‘My results will help me get into the uni I want–the uni of my choice.’
Grades matter, but they’re not everything
More than the big improvement in Faith and Eve’s grades, Vikki and Jeremy were pleased to see their daughters excited about learning. “They come out of their sessions with their tutor and they’re all bubbly, rattling off some Biology or Chemistry.” Eve and Faith’s relationship to learning also changed the way they talked to each other. Spending less time on their phones, sharing interesting knowledge they’d picked up in their session with their parents.
“They come out of their sessions with their tutor and they’re all bubbly, rattling off some Biology or Chemistry.”
Vikki, mum
How lockdown changed learning
Before lockdown, the Spencer family weren’t so sure about online learning. But they went for it and quickly saw how much it suited them. Eve tells us, ‘After my taster session, I really felt comfortable with it.’ Faith also had reservations, at first. She worried that tutoring would mean extra work on top of her homework for school. But she quickly saw how it was supporting her. She told us, ‘Because it’s one-to-one learning, I don’t feel weird asking questions. If I don’t understand something, my tutor picks up on that, and she tells me, “Let’s go over it again,” with a lot of patience.’
Parents Vikki and Jeremy really appreciate the online platform. As the sessions are recorded, Faith and Eve can go back at any time and revise. It also gives them peace of mind, as they can see what’s happening in their daughters’ tutorials.
‘Because it’s one-to-one learning, I don’t feel weird asking questions. If I don’t understand something, my tutor picks up on that, and she tells me, “Let’s go over it again,” with a lot of patience.’
Eve, A Level student
That extra boost in confidence
It can feel intimidating to ask questions in a large classroom when you’re a teen. Being called out in a group as a teen (and as an adult!) can create stress, especially if you’re not sure that you’ve got the right answers. Eve tells us, ‘Tutoring has made me feel very confident with how I handle myself in class.’
Faith agrees with her sister’s experience, and even vouches that she now finds satisfaction in solving problems in Maths. Even though she didn’t used to be a big fan of the subject. ‘I owe a lot of that to my tutor, because it was just that extra level of confidence in myself and in those subjects that I really needed.’
‘Tutoring has made me feel very confident with how I handle myself in class.’
Faith, GCSE student
Every person has their own unique relationship to learning, depending on how things have been going at school and at home. It isn’t always possible for teens to get the attention they need in a big classroom, or at home when parents have so much to juggle.
We were so happy to see how tutoring has helped the Spencer teens. Not just with their grades, but also with how they feel about learning. As Vikki sums up so perfectly, ‘The excitement for learning is what really matters.’
You can watch the full video of the Spencer family’s story below.
To learn about how MyTutor can help your teen, book a call with one of our Tutor Experts.