2016 has been a turbulent year. The UK will leave the EU as a result of the Brexit vote and we have seen a shift to more right-wing politics in several countries, including the United States. These are all worrying trends that do little to alleviate our anxiety about oppression and political and economic wars around the world. In uncertain times like these, quality education is more important than ever. The bespoke education services we provide and our passionate tutors and mentors do their part in improving the knowledge, skills and mental health of the students we teach and we have learned invaluable lessons from 2016 as the year comes to an end. We’ve shared some of them with you below:
1. Children know more than we think
To protect children, many parents and educators think that shielding them from politics and news is the right way forward. One of the important lessons from 2016 is that children pick up on much more than we think and often want to discuss politics to voice their opinions and vent their frustrations.
Whether it is a child telling their tutor that their mum cried after Trump’s election or a pupil asking their teacher whether Trump is racist, children and young people know more about current affairs than we think. As politics govern every aspect of all our lives, we owe it to them to tell them the truth and have informed discussions. They deserve to ask questions and have their opinions considered and respected. Therefore, giving children and young people such space can help awaken their sense of social responsibility, formulate and organise their thoughts, and teach them to respectfully defend their opinions. This will hopefully help them grow into confident adults who have principled views and feel a sense of responsibility to make this world a better place.
2. Quality mentoring alleviates anxiety
We recently introduced meditation in many of our tutoring lessons to calm students’ minds. Modern life is stressful and it is of little use when our chatterbox minds judge everything that we do. Sometimes we just need to have some peace and quiet and this video is a great start in the right direction as we learn to calm our “monkey minds.” Therefore, one of the key lessons from 2016 is that our emotional wellbeing matters just as much as academic success. Our caring tutors and mentors are perceptive to our students needs and put relationships with their students first. With the growing crisis in children’s and young people’s mental health this is the least we can do. And if we can help alleviate students’ stress and anxiety one lesson at a time, it makes our work all the more rewarding.
3. Bespoke education significantly boosts confidence
The up side of a decrease in levels of anxiety is a significant boost in confidence. Our last of the lessons from 2016 is, therefore, that bespoke learning can seriously increase students’ confidence. Many students lack the one-on-one attention that is important for a sense of self and confidence in the classroom and once they miss foundational content find it difficult to catch up later. Private tutoring can fill these gaps as our tutors and mentors identify the individual needs and goals of each student and create a bespoke programme to help them be the best they can be. We see a 100% increase in confidence in our students as well as a significant increase in grades and results. This stays with them for life as they grow into self-assured young people and adults who are confident in their abilities and not afraid to brave the world.
So, get in touch
We provide private tutoring for all ages and levels – from primary and secondary school to GCSE and A-levels, and university courses. Each tutor is also a mentor and they are hand-selected and trained to follow our service protocols, DBS-checked and inspiring teachers. To discuss your or your child’s tutoring needs, contact us at 02030867311 or info@ubertutors.co.uk to speak to one of our education consultants. We are always happy to hear from you!
