Gladstone, Queensland

I was recently in Gladstone, Central Queensland, and it was a surreal experience. There was a bit of a disconnect: the people were very proud of their industrial town, whilst the many visitors from Sydney, Melbourne, etc. had difficulty viewing it through the same rose-coloured glasses. I applaud the great sense of pride the locals displayed, and Gladstone has certainly grown into a thriving town, but this is primarily due to the expansive industry in the area such as the gas processing plant, electricity power plant and the aluminium refinery. The environmental effects of this industry (e.g. dredging to expand it) made it difficult to see the place in the same positive light. I know that industry needs to exist and that it brings prosperity to a town like Gladstone and Queensland itself, but what will happen when the power plant shuts in 2028, or when many of the industry jobs become automated? I am interested in knowing how the town will become self-sustainable? A large percentage of the money is being taken by Rio Tinto, etc. (i.e. millions of dollars are going offshore daily), and at what price?

I am not meaning to come across as a rampant greenie or ignorant of the situation--I know that the industry creates a lot of employment in the Southern Great Barrier Reef area. As an outsider looking in, however, I have been influenced by the conservationist cause. I welcome comments from Gladstone locals and am happy to be set straight. I'm sure that I have many misunderstandings about the whole situation. Please leave a comment below.

Tutor Doctor, Sydney's North Shore

I have been an employee at Tutor Doctor for nearly three years now. My colleagues ask me why I do it since it offers a lot less pay than teaching or private tutoring, especially when compared to the casual rates available for teaching. Well, the simple answer is that it's actually very rewarding work for the following reasons:

1) The parents are serious about their child's academic progress. They purchase a number of hours in advance, understanding that progress is a long-term venture and that academic success is not achieved overnight. The tutor is able to invest time and effort into the student, knowing that the tuition will last longer than a mere five or so sessions. This ultimately benefits the student once momentum in learning starts to kick in.

2) The employer seeks feedback from the parents at regular intervals, thus building a systematic evaluation of the employee's performance over time. This becomes a valuable connection for an educator because it documents their teaching skills in a commercial setting outside of the school context.

3) Tutors are trusted to lead the sessions according to their expertise and experience. This is more enjoyable that having to adhere to saturated curriculum topics. Rather, the tutor is able to tailor the learning progression to suit the individual student's interests and needs. Tutors are also able to get to know their students well, ensuring that gaps in knowledge and skills can be continually revisited and reinforced.

4) The one-to-one tutoring environment allows for exponential growth as the tutor provides scaffolds then gradually removes them. Dedicated time spent interacting and engaging with an adult, a 'more knowledgeable other' (Vygotsky, 1930/78), is an invaluable experience for young children and adolescents.

5) Tutoring can be quite cathartic for a teacher. All of those school-based lessons that were never taught or fully resolved due to interruptions or student issues can be efficaciously used in the tutoring context, providing the tutor with feedback for improving their teaching in subsequent sessions.

These are the main positive outcomes of one-to-one tutoring. If you're truly a dedicated teacher, and money isn't your main motivation, consider working for Tutor Doctor. You'll gain a wealth of knowledge as you prepare for diverse tasks on a plethora of topics and texts. You will grow as an educator as you also learn from those you teach!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Tutor Doctor.

Text by Melanie Davies © 2018