Tutor Learning Initiative
Next week, all classroom teachers will begin tutoring a group of students from within their grade, as part of the Tutor Learning Initiative. We thought this would be a great time to share some more information about this program.
What is the Tutor Learning Initiative?
The Tutor Learning Initiative is a program funded by the Victorian Department of Education & Training in response to the disruptions to education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have been encouraged to develop a program that best suits the needs of their students, and here at Brunswick North West, we believe the best model for tutoring is one that is led by classroom teachers. Our teachers spend a great deal of time getting to know their students and have the greatest understanding of their specific learning needs. They have developed Individual Learning Plans for each of their students and each week they meet with other teachers to assess student progress and plan explicit learning tasks.
How long does the Tutor Learning Initiative go for?
Each term, we conduct a six-week tutoring cycle, each with a different focus. This term our Foundation teachers have a personal and social capabilities focus, while all others have a Reading focus. In a week, students in the tutor group will meet with their teacher for three, 30 minutes sessions during which they will be given opportunities to learn and practise strategies that are targeted to their learning goals. For one of these sessions, students in the tutor group are withdrawn from a Specialist lesson and the others form part of the Reading Workshops that happen daily in each of our classrooms.
Who is eligible for the Tutoring Learning Initiative?
The Tutor Learning Initiative is an intervention that is provided to students who did not make one years growth, when measured against the Victorian Curriculum, in the 2021 school year. In addition to this, teachers have the discretion to choose students from this group who have similar learning goals, and therefore will benefit from working together in a targeted tutor group.
Did you know that the Tutor Learning Initiative benefits all of our students?
In typical Brunswick North West style, we have taken a creative approach to our Tutor Learning Program and included an added dimension in which our amazing teachers choose a practice improvement goal that aligns with the tutor group but will also benefit the learning of other students. For example, this term many of our teachers have chosen a small group reading practice, such as guided reading or reciprocal teaching, as their goal. Over the next six weeks, they will undertake professional learning and fine-tune their use of these practices, which will improve their teaching of all students, not just those in the tutor group.
This is the second year of the Tutor Learning Initiative and with each cycle we continue to improve the program. We have already seen many students benefit from participation in the tutor groups and we are excited to see the positive impact that we can have on our students throughout 2022.
If you would like any further information about our school’s implementation of the Tutor Learning Initiative, please feel free to contact me, Keir or your child’s classroom teacher.
Emma emma.mallia@education.vic.gov.auKeir keir.jasper@education.vic.gov.au