If you’ve just booked some blocks of tutoring with Pearson on Bramble, you may well be wondering how it will all work. Of course, you’ve got details of the groups of lessons to choose from and your teacher handbook to guide you through the whole process.

At this point, you’ve already spent time deciding which students will receive support, grouping them appropriately and setting them up online. Now you’ve selected the best tutors for them, you are probably hoping you can just leave them to get on with the tutoring. And that’s true to a point, but with a tiny bit more time and input, you can ensure greater success for everyone. 

In fact, Pearson tutoring sessions do not require a great deal from you. Pearson tutors are teachers too, so we understand your job and can strive to ensure our work supports yours in parallel. The following ten tips will help you – and your students – get the most out of tutoring support. 

Before tutoring begins:

1. Your tutor will send you an introductory email soon after they have been selected for your block. This will tell you all you need to know about the first session. If you have time to reply, that’s a great way to start building a rapport.

2. Before they begin, the tutor needs to know which two groups of lessons you would like them to cover with your students. Giving your tutor this information in advance is a big help, as it will help them with preparing any resources for their first session.

3. The ideal tutoring model involves a face-to-face meeting between the teacher and tutor in the first session. If you have several sessions starting at the same time, or you are teaching other students while the tutoring takes place, let your tutor know – most of them can work around these variables. If it is not possible for you to meet the tutor, there is a template you can use to share all the information you think they may need.

4. Compile information the tutor should know about the students, but don’t worry about including too much detail. Tutors will get to know your students quite well over the course of 15 sessions.

5. Find an appropriate room for tutoring. This step requires some thought. Students (and tutors) work best in a quiet space. Headsets are really helpful if several groups are working in one room, and each student ideally needs their own laptop or tablet. Of course, students need to be supervised during tutoring sessions too, so make sure someone is on hand to help.

Worried about whether they’ll know how to use the technology? 

My experience tells me that your students will undoubtedly be able to use all the functions of Bramble effectively within minutes of beginning their session. There is nothing to worry about! 

6. During tutoring sessions, it can be helpful if students have paper and pencils, or individual whiteboards and pens, for times when they want to do any working off-screen. After all, there is only so much that can be done on the screen with a mouse and keyboard!

The second session will involve Pre-Tests for the two chosen groups of lessons. With the introduction of the Birdseye feature in Bramble, it is now possible for three students to be working on a page at the same time, without seeing each other’s work. This means Pre-Tests can often be carried out onscreen and results gathered immediately afterwards. This will save you from having to print out and administer the tests, as well as scanning them and sending them back to your tutor. Post-Tests can be carried out in the same way in Session 14.

7. Always check to see what comments your tutor has included following the session. These will offer a concise summary of the session, giving you a good idea how confident the students were with the areas covered. This is also where you will find Pre- and Post-Test scores for your students.

8. Need to reschedule? No problem. If you need to reschedule a session due to an unforeseen clash, this is usually possible. Just contact your tutor as soon as possible. Of course, tutors may also need to reschedule occasionally, and we very much appreciate your support if this happens. 

9. Don’t forget, all Bramble sessions with Pearson are recorded and are accessible with the smart search feature. This not only gives you access to the recordings but it can be used as a unique resource for students to practise a skill, or for exam revision.

After tutoring:

10. Just like the first session of a block, the final session is intended to include a face-to-face meeting between the teacher, tutor and students. Don’t worry if you aren’t available, Pearson has designed a final feedback form for your tutor to send at this point. This will include scores for Pre- and Post-Tests as well as details about progress and next steps for learning. At a glance, you’ll be able to see how the sessions have benefitted each student, so be sure to take a look.

I have found from working with many teachers that everyone has a different approach to communication. This is no issue at all; it really is up to you, and what suits your routine. You will be given an email address for your tutor, so you can get in touch with them if you need more information, or if there is something you feel they should know. 

Remember: Pearson tutors are teachers too, so once your sessions are up and running, you really can leave them to do the tutoring, knowing your students are getting the extra help they need.