The Tutor Learning Initiative: 2021

In response to the remote learning challenges of 2020 and 2021, the Department of Education and the State Government of Victoria provided schools with funding to support students who were the most disadvantaged by remote learning. At Geelong High School we appointed five experienced teachers into the teacher tutor positions in order to provide extra support in Literacy and Numeracy from Year 7 through to VCE. The programme is ending in the final week of Term 3, and this article is to share our thanks to them and congratulate all the students who have taken part.

From Term 1 through until now, our tutors have done an incredible job supporting our young people, and more than 20% of students have had access to the programme in some form. Other students have also benefited and the teacher tutors have become recognisable and much appreciated contributors to our classrooms on a day to day basis.

Our teacher tutors have also been there for families during periods of remote learning, joining class Webex lessons, running 1-1 sessions, providing support on the phone, and helping students find ways into the learning opportunities provided when they needed it most.

We have also been incredibly proud of the students who have made the most of the expertise and support of our teacher tutors, and are pleased to note all the great successes we have seen both academically, personally and in terms of engagement for those students. A huge congratulations to all those who were involved for stepping up and taking on the challenges of remote learning and the pandemic. As Barack Obama says, ‘Reaching out is a sign of strength...courage... and willingness to learn something new.’

Whilst many of our tutors will continue to maintain a close relationship with Geelong High School and often work with us as supply or short term contract teachers, we will miss them and can’t overstate enough the impact that their support has had on our community in the past three terms. A huge thank you to them for bringing all their energy and enthusiasm to our school for the good of our students.

As part of our commitment to the learning of every child at Geelong High School, we will continue to invest in programmes to provide support when needed, not just as we deal with the pandemic but further into the future as well. Alongside our existing programme we are currently looking to develop increased literacy and numeracy support from 7-10, more help and assistance in career planning with our new pathways administrator Ms Gee, and our always developing wellbeing and support teams.

A huge thank you and congratulations to all our tutors and those students who took part in the programme.

All the best,

Mr Andrew McConchie

Assistant Principal