For Grace, Straight ‘A’s Were a “Happy Byproduct” of the Holistic Benefits of Tutoring

From youth through to adulthood, life is full of challenges. For young kids, the social and academic pressures associated with high school can unfortunately detract from what could – and should – be some of the best years of their lives. Regrettably, anxieties regarding academic performance can lead to disengagement from school work and peers, and has the potential to lead to more severe mental health issues. One of the key contributors to success, however you define it, is the presence of a strong support network. The story of Year 10 student Grace and her journey with Academic Personal Trainer, Blake, is a testament to the holistic role tutoring can provide for young students.

Working hard has never been Grace’s problem, On the contrary, she felt like she had been working harder than she ever had before. Unfortunately, Grace wasn’t seeing this effort reflected in her grades. She’d try and try and try, but her results seemed to be stuck at Cs, and this began to cause Grace some anxiety, as she felt like there was nothing she could do to improve.

Wanting something to change, Grace and her family got in touch with A Team Tuition for help, and eventually she started working with Blake. Grace admits that at first she was “super anxious” about having a tutor.

“In the beginning, I really struggled to stay engaged and comprehend what Blake was trying to teach me,” recalls Grace. “I was super anxious.”

Blake could also sense Grace’s concerns, noting that initially she was really stressed about every single piece of work she had, and he could see how a lack of confidence in her ability was really affecting her.

Over the course of their time together, Blake shared with Grace that the secret to success for her was to work smarter, not harder; putting in hours and hours of work was just draining energy and adding stress if it wasn’t focused on the curriculum, and aimed at what her assignments actually involved. Blake showed Grace how to refocus her efforts in a more concise and productive way, which has ultimately allowed her to reduce her workload, and ease her stress. He has also been able to explain some of the trickier concepts to Grace in a way that she can easily understand.

“I used to work a lot more hours trying to achieve higher grades, but I never got the results I wanted,” says Grace. “I actually work a lot less hours now than I used to… and I’m a straight A student! The best part about working with Blake is he is able to explain things in multiple different ways which helps me understand the topics more comprehensively. He has helped me feel less stressed about learning and studying, and I feel way less anxious about assignments now too.”

After just one term working with Blake, Grace went from a ‘C’ to an A in English and after one year, Grace is now a straight A student!

Grace’s parents Kerrie and Russell are immensely happy with their daughter’s improved grades. More important, however, has been the reduction they have observed in her anxiety:

“The goal was never a straight A student; this has just been a happy byproduct,” explain Kerri and Russell. “Grace’s partnership with Blake has helped take the anxiety and stress away from her studies, and improved her mental health.”

Ultimately, success of any kind should never be at the detriment of an individual’s growth and happiness. Of course, grades are important, but never more so than the mental health of a student. Grace and Blake’s story is a fine example of how the support of an Academic Personal Trainer is a purpose-built stone capable of attending to both of these birds.