Back to Blog

Anna Barry - New Franchise owner

After becoming disenchanted with the politics of working at a university, Anna Barry decided to take control of her future and open a tutoring business.Moving from Auckland to Kerikeri in search of a more relaxed way of life, the mum of one says she now has a much more balanced lifestyle and time to spend by the sea with her partner and two-year-old daughter.“I’ve always loved the water and used to go fishing and dig for clams when I was young,” says the American-born Barry.“Now we have ...

Hamish - 10 years with Impact!

Today is a special day for Hamish and myself. Today is the 10th birthday for Hamish working at mathZwise and Impact Tutoring. Thinking about this particular number, I thought it was a great idea to consider some ten facts that Hamish would be interested in; Ten per cent of the world is left-handed.Crabs have 10 legsThe Korean alphabet has 10 vowels10 was a sacred number to Pythagoras Ten is the highest score possible in Olympic competitions.The top rim of the basketball goal is al...

That unmistakable sinking feeling.

The unmistakable sinking feeling when you read a question and no matter how hardyou try, you can’t recall the answer. The blank space on the page stares backat you, unblinkingly, waiting for you to write something, anything. But nothingcomes.It’s a common experience for students during exams. They know they’ve heard or readinformation relating to the question but no matter how hard they try, they can’t bring it to mind. As the pressure piles on and stress levels rise, it becomes even har...

Working parent guilt and how to resolve it

The guilt of being a working parent can be overwhelming, and it's made even worse when your child is struggling at school. You want to do parenting 'right' and make the best possible decisions for your child but often nothing you do feels like it's enough.You're not alone."Working parent guilt" is common but not often spoken about (most likely because people think like they should have the parent-work situation sorted).The truth is, raising children takes time and money, and that perhaps best su...

Hilarious children's books x 10

Here's 10 choices by Mel1.DRAGONS LOVE TACOS by Adam RubinWant to get a dragon to come to your party? Just serve tacos! Dragons love all kinds of tacos! But be careful not to accidentally serve them spicy salsa …2. GRUMPY MONKEY by Suzanne LangHave you ever woken up feeling grumpy for no reason at all? Jim the chimpanzee has! He’s in a terrible mood, and all the advice from his friends is really not helping! Maybe he just needs a day to feel grumpy3. THE BAD GUYS by Aaron BlabeyThey sound li...

All ideas that make an impact, start out small

A little idea can grow into something that’s quite impactful, but it won’t just happen. The idea needs to be nurtured and it’s not always going to be easy, and that’s why people often give up.You see, we’re sold the notion of “overnight success” so when you can’t take a little idea and grow it in a single step, it can seem too hard, maybe even impossible and not worth trying.We think that’s a shame because those little idea could positively impact not only your own life but the...

Amazing Library titles

‘The sloth who came to stay’ by Margaret WildAmy’s family is speedy! They are always in a rush - there is no time to talk or play -until Amy brings home a sloth. Then things start to change, very slowly... ‘Flying Furballs: Take-off!’ By Donovan BixleyTake-off! Is a collection of stories and fun facts, and includes: an exciting comic;maps and character bios; ‘how to draw’ characters; puzzling problems; and anoutrageous new stand-alone Furballs story! ‘Shiny snow machine...

What is Dyscalculia?

Collated by Jean McKenzie.  This is information is based on information from Dr Anna Wilson of Learning Brainz, Judy Horningold, Education Consultant, Angelica Benson, Lindamood-Bell Learning Process.  These 3 consultants are world renowned in NZ, USA and UK.What is Dyscalculia?A severe difficulty in mathematics, not explained by general cognitive difficulties or educational opportunities. Mathematical ability is substantially less than would be expected from the person’s age, i...

Why we love you visiting the Library

The librarians at Te Awamutu Library love it when people come in to see us. Here are 4 reasons why we love it when you visit. You too should check out your local Library.1)    We love helping people find the information that they need – and even information they didn’t know they needed!Do you want to learn about the ocean? Dinosaurs? Raising sheep? Countries around the world? The library is packed with information – and we may be able to help you find some amazing books abou...

Brighteye Driving school

Your defensive driving facilitator is Sheryl Moffat, Sheryl has been a professional driver forover 30 years.Sheryl spent 22 years as a Taxi driver and 10 years as a Taxi Company Manager.During this time, she drove 10 and 12-hour shifts night and day, through rain, floods, andfoggy nights. This taught her how to be an alert and safe driver, a great part of this time wastransporting special needs children in a total mobility vehicle to and from school and outsideactivities and transporting senior ...

MCAT pack - Achievement criteria and guidelines

Achievement Standard 91027Subject Reference Mathematics and Statistics 1.2Title Apply algebraic procedures in solving problemsLevel 1  |   Credits  4  |  Assessment  ExternalWhat’s it all about?This achievement standard is derived from Level 6 of The New Zealand Curriculum,What’s inside the Assessment?Achievement CriteriaAchievement• Apply algebraic procedures in solving problems.Achievement with Merit• Apply algebraic procedures, using relati...

5 keys to creating a quality online course

There are so many benefits of signing up to learn online but as you might have experienced, some courses can leave you feeling really let down.We’ve seen examples where organisations have simply put a pile of information online and left students to make sense of it all. That’s not helpful and can certainly put you off learningonline again.Here at Impact Tutoring we’ve invested a lot of time and effort into developing quality courses, so if you’re dubious about saying YES to another cours...

Our 10th birthday blog from Jean

Ten years ago my expected pathway was moving on from a Deputy Principal to a Principal role so imagine the surprise from everyone when I announced that I was stepping into business and beginning a Tutoring company!Originally called MathZwise, using a franchise model by the talented  Kathy Redwood, this allowed me to step into the business world but still running my own ship so-to-speak.  I will always be grateful for the 5 kids and parents from Pirongia School, Waipa area who walked in...

Angela Neville, Educational Psychologist

Love of Learning offers cognitive and educational assessments with Angela Neville, a registered educational psychologist.Angela has previously been a teacher, as well as a structured literacy specialist educator. She therefore has a depth of understanding and expert knowledge about specific learning difficulties, behavioural issues, and social/emotional problems.Her interests include kayaking, cycling, hiking, skiing, and she enjoys movies, music and singing.A full cognitive and educational asse...

Why should I practice Maths?

Five reasons why it will help me...Confidence boost: Regular practice and success in mathematics can significantly boost your self-confidence. As you solve mathematical problems and overcome challenges, you develop a sense of accomplishment and gain confidence in your abilities. This newfound confidence can extend beyond mathematics and positively impact your overall self-esteem and belief in your problem-solving skills.Sense of achievement: Mathematics often presents challenging problems that r...

Reading is for everyone!

If you’re a kid who doesn’t really like to read,or who thinks books are boring......maybe you just haven’t found the right one yet! Here is a collection of fun, cheeky and downright silly books that you can try! You can read them by yourself, with a parent, or your favourite soft toy! Pop down to the library and get one of the friendly librarians to help you find one that you’re sure to love.Books for kids who don’t like booksI hate reading – Seth BaconI don’t want to read this boo...

8 compelling reasons why you need tuition

1. You don't click with your teacher - sometimes people just think too differently and can't find a way to communicate effectively. With a tutor you can find a way that works for both of you2. You feel overlooked with so many others in the class - teachers have to spread their attention over a lot of students and sometimes they can give more to some than others. A tutor can focus all of their attention on you2. You feel overlooked with so many others in the class - teachers h...

Congratulations Hamish - our Online course Designer

Today (16 October , 2023) I received recognition for all the hard work I put into writing my thesis, graduating from the University of Waikato for the second time, this time being conferred a Master of Science (Research) degree, awarded with first class honours.I wrote my thesis on a comparison of propagation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves under ideal circumstances vs circumstances which provided dampening effects that eventually cause the waves to dissipate.A lot of time was dedicated ...

Learn how to reduce exam stress so you feel more confident

Left to run rampant, stress in the lead up to and during an exam can significantly impact on theresults you achieve. And not only that, but it can also knock your confidence.Love them or hate them exams are part of school life and rather than allowing the stress to become all-consuming, we talked with Impact Tutoring founder Jean McKenzie to learn more about what you can do to feel better prepared and less stressed.We’ll take look at this from 3 perspectives including how to study for an exam,...

What is tuition and why does it matter?

What is Tuition and Why Does it Matter?As a home-school graduate I have immense appreciation for the benefits of one-on-one tuition.It’s often hard at school for students to get enough of the teacher’s attention.  Sometimes, they might not quite understand something the teacher has said, but don’t get the chance to clarify.  Or, they might need extra help on a particularly tricky assessment, time that doesn’t correspond to what the teacher is able to give them.Tuition steps int...

Impact's Why.

We believe in the potential of all people to flourish with the confidence that is instilled through customised learning.What we created was a stimulating environment that encourages a love of learning through targeted tuition.Over time we understood that parents and families always want to provide their child with access to the freedom that education provides.In fact we know that many parents feel frustrated when they can’t help their child improve.Likewise we know that adults want to make cha...

Eating mac and cheese

There is a certain comfort from eating mac and cheese. It’s warm, cheesy and filling.Comfort zones are things which can be hard to see, but you know they are there. Like you know you should not really eat mac and cheese for every meal, however comforting it is.Every transition your child has gone through has required them to leave behind a feeling of comfort, in preference for a feeling of curiosity.When our children are young we are their comfort zone, where we go, they go.Then they start sch...

8 great reasons to visit the Library

THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS! We have books about nearly everything! Do you like funny stories? Do you want to learn about other countries? Or are unicorns and dragons more your style? We have all of these and so much more! Some have pictures, some have lots of words, others rhyme or are just plain silly – but there is something for everyone!2. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Not only do we have a huge range of picture books, chapter books, and non-fiction books, but we also have a great selection of jig...