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Our lovely Margaret's thoughts...

Here’s a few of my thoughts: One of the many reasons to love tuition is that it provides a child/student another adult to build a positive and trusted relationship with their Tutor. The one-to-one attention they enjoy helps them to realize that they are valued. Their success with their tuition increases their confidence in other areas of life. During tuition, the student has the tutor’s full attention and isn’t ‘lost’ in the busyness of a regular classroom – this is especially benefi...

Alice; Science = passion and knowledge.

Kia Ora!I am Alice, and I’m thrilled to be joining Impact Tutoring as an online tutor in Physics and Chemistry. I am currently based in Dunedin studying my third year at the Otago University Medical School. Science has always been a passion of mine, and studying Medicine really lets you see how these fascinating disciplines interweave to make up, well… us! My purpose as a tutor is to enlighten and excite students and guide them towards a deeper understanding of Physics, Biology and...

Admin extraordinaire - Erin

I am Erin and I work behind the scenes at Impact Tutoring. I work in the office as Business Support with Jean.  My background is a long history of volunteer work, within schools, fundraising and PTA’s. I also created and established an amazing store called ‘The Storeroom’. We sold this to live a more simple life and downsized to a bus.  Being a mum to 4 amazing boys, an ex-dairy farmer alongside my husband for 21 years, many hours of organizing committees and fundraising, startin...

Reese - our Senior Literacy wizz

Hi, my name is Reese Clarke-Dearing and I am one of the secondary school literacy tutors for Impact Tutoring. For the past two years I have studied at University of Waikato majoring in History and Geography. I take an interest in Maori and indigenous histories as well as human geographies. In the future I plan to take a role in education, with my dream becoming a teacher. Creating curriculums within my field of interests, or working within the field of history whether that is in education or res...

Learner disruption solution

Learners have faced a lot of disruption and it's more important than ever to ensure they've got access to the support they need now. So I'm thrilled to say that at Impact Tutoring we're able to provide quality online courses to help our learners and learners from Mathematics for a Lifetime Trust too. We are very aware of the importance of deep long-term memory which only practice and understanding can bring. This then plays out for our learners when it's assessment time. Putting it bluntly - the...

Welcome to Christine

A wee bit about me;I enjoy gardening,reading,jigsaw puzzles but most importantly spending time with family and friends.Am an honest,supportive and caring person who loves to not only assist the students I tutor but also learn from them as well.Previously I was working at Action Tutoring in Cambridge but have now joined the Team at Impact. This suits me very well as I am a Te Awamutu person and love the environment at Impact. My role is face-to-face tuition with Junior Mathematics. I have worked ...

Noeline - our super positive Tutor!

Hi All,My name is Noeline Ottaway. I have had the pleasure of being part of the Impact Tutoring team for the past four years, helping students with both literacy and mathematics. I live on a large lifestyle block on the outskirts of Te Awamutu. When not tutoring I assist my husband with his property maintenance business, alpaca shearing during the summer, and pottering in my garden. I also enjoy reading, knitting and spending time at the beach. Best of all, I like to spend time with my gran...

Jean's why :)

I'm a firm believer in the potential of education to help people flourish and that's why at ImpactTutoring we put emphasis on creating a stimulating environment that encouragesa love of learning. It's incredible to see our students grow in confidence as they become more competent with thesubject they're getting tutoring help with. And while that's important, it'sthe realisation that they can learn and seeing the positive changes in themthat tugs at my heart strings. When you know you can learn,...

So why Tuition?

Heard about tutoring....but wondering what the benefits are? Here are the top 6 benefits we'veidentified from our years of experience supporting students: Individualised learning – customised lessons and activities so the lessons are engaging and learning is maximised. Focused attention – with the low student to tutor ratio, in many cases 1:1 or 2:1, tutors are able to tailor the sessions to each person's individual learning style. Transforms attitude to learning – encouragement and p...

It takes a village...

Having a daily debrief worked for our family. We would have at least one sit down meal a day, where we were together and could discuss whatever we felt like. Before we started was a great time to remind our children to check their bags for school notes, left-over lunches or smelly PE gear. You may find that the ‘how was your day?’ question, might not generate as much information as you thought it would. If this is the case then try some more specific ones. ‘Please tell me what made you lau...

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is each lesson?  1 hour.  Most students have 1 lesson a week unless there is urgency eg NCEA exams.What is the Tutor / Student ratio?  1 Tutor to 2 students maximum. NCEA 2 and 3 one Tutor to 1 Student ratio.Does the student need to bring resources?  We supply all the resources.  Primary level take home their work books which allows parents/ caregivers the opportunity to share what they are studying.  Secondary level are encouraged to bring homework if they...

Why Impact Tutoring?

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 changes in their learning journeys too. What we have created is a business that empowers learners for their choices in l...

Bradley is the best!

My name is Bradley Egglestone and I tutor Primary and Intermediate maths at Impact Tutoring. Maths was always a subject I found challenging and enjoyable at school.  I'm currently in my third year of study at the University of Waikato. I'm studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in molecular and cellular biology. Once I've completed my Bachelors I plan on doing an extra year to gain my teaching qualification.  I currently live in Hamilton and I enjoy playing football for the local...

Who is Jean McKenzie? Founder of Impact Tutoring

I consider my journey a ‘Journey of opening doors’. It’s about finding something you care about and care deeply.  We can sit back and do nothing – or make a difference. This is a personal fit for me. As a Deputy Principal my leap of faith into the business world 5 years ago was considered unusual and ‘crazy’ by many but I have never looked back! My first year of Impact Tutoring included a Finalist in the Waipa Business Awards Excellence in New and Emerging going on to win the sa...

Admin extraordinaire

As a leader, I get excited when a team member says "I wonder if...". It makes me smile every time because I know they're thinking about how something could be done better.A recent example of that was Erin, the Impact Tutoring administrator, as she mulled over ways to streamline some of our systems and processes. Over the years, I've learnt to step back and let people explore the options rather than feeling like I have to come up with everything. Fast forward a few months and following on from Er...

Back to school concerns by Ruth Taylor

Back to school concerns With our children returning to school, what is our main concern? Is it what class they are in? Or is it Who they are in a class with? I expect that both the above are on your mind, but the second one comes with the additional question, of what do I do if there is a bully in my kid’s class? Bullying is an emotive word, this is because it can cause mental health issues such as depression, self-harm and at its worst, suicide. The impact of the emotional and psychological ...

Don't panic! But school starts soon...

Managing your life has probably been full on recently, Christmas and summer holidays are always a challenge, especially if you are juggling work at the same time. Having the kids head back to school provides a small light at the end of a never ending tunnel. People without kids may think that school is the tunnels end, but we know better don’t we? Step one: Does the uniform still fit? There is something about the summer season… while we as parents are stretched to our limits of patience...

Kaeden Cresswell - Tutor

I’m Kaeden Cresswell,  I’ve always had a passion for Mathematics and am keen to help others succeed.  I have had great academic success over the last few years at Te Awamutu College, being presented the Bouma Trophy for Academic Excellence, Top Year 11 Student in 2021.  I’ve also had success in Mathematics, being presented the Paul Corboy Cup for first in subject in NCEA Level 2 Mathematics & Statistics with Calculus last year.  In 2020, I was presented t...

Colleen Murray - welcome!

I have always enjoyed teaching young children and my journey started when I was 17 years old.I feel I connect well with students who struggle as this was once me.  I understand the feeling of not being enough or not being like the smart kids in class.   It’s heart-breaking, and no child should feel like this.  I had contacted Impact tutoring to enrol my daughter, and thanks to Jean I now get to use my Primary training.  I look forward to working alongside your tam...

How to 'Sleigh' Christmas

Some peoples experiences of Christmas can be very different, especially between the southern and northern hemispheres. But lets put weather issues aside and I will share with you what I have learnt from my experiences on both sides of the planet. The important things are not that different, so here are my suggestions on what to focus on. S = Self care Look after yourself at this time of year, you do not need to do everything on your own. Make time in the day for a break and focus on topping up y...

Congratulations Hamish - Tutor and Author

We are pleased to be able to share that one of tutors and course authors,Hamish, has completed his Honours at Waikato University recently. When he started out on this journey, his aim was to produce adissertation that he’d be proud of. Well, I’m pleased to share that the 46-pagedocument Hamish submitted was indeed something he was very proud of. Five years of hard work has paid off and the First Class Honours wasthe icing on the cake. Congratulations Hamish. The team at Impact Tutoring and ...

We are on the lookout for a Junior Maths Tutor!

We’re on the search for a new junior mathematics tutor, is that you or someone you know? The role requires in-person tutoring here at our Education Hub in Te Awamutu. While weexpect the majority of your time will be spent at the Hub, as and whenrequired, you may also need to tutor online (full training will be provided for this). The ideal person doesn’t need to currently be a tutor; however they may be a teacher aid,ex-teacher or have worked with children in some way. What’s most importa...

The guilt of balance

We are being bombarded on a daily basis with too many guidelines, rules, ideas and thoughts on how to balance our lives. If we feel we are not meeting the expectations of the masses then these can create a strong feeling of guilt inside us. You feel guilty that your kids are on their screens for too long You feel guilty that you haven’t spent enough time with your kids today You feel guilty that your kids are eating the wrong type of food You feel guilty because your kids are not active enough...

Routines rule!

While some people shun the idea of routines, we all have them, and they underpin how we live our lives. But it’s often not until there’s some disruption in our life, like alert levels, that we realise the impact of those routines. The routines are familiar and give structure both for you and your children, and to some degree will make life easier for you all. But when those routines are disrupted, it can create pressure and stress for everyone. So, if you haven’t already, I’d highly reco...

Exam tips from Ruth

Exams in NZ have been delayed but this means there is a little more time to help support your child to learn more about good exam process. These are my 10 tips. 1. Read all the questions fully before you start 2. Take some deep breaths 3. If the questions are multi choice, read them all, then answer those you are sure of, then try and answer those you think you know, then go back to the ones you are stuck on 4. Make sure you use the right answer book for each paper 5. You do not have to fill in ...