This week, mum of two Alli joined us from her home in far northern Australia.
“We chose Cluey because we live in a remote location,” says Alli, whose two children are in Years 8 and 10. “I thought, while we have a choice locally, I really loved that you guys are able to vet a large number of applicants and really choose people who are most qualified.”
The quality of Cluey tutors and their impact on her children’s learning has been the biggest factor in Alli’s decision to continue with regular sessions for each of her children.
“I think it’s the tutors themselves — the way that they engage with my children. They [the tutors] never make them feel like they are stupid or wrong or struggling. They help them see how they can improve and elevate what they’re doing, and always acknowledge the good that they saw in the session.”
On using technology as a tool for learning…
Far from acting as a barrier to learning, technology offered Alli’s children flexibility, which in turn shaped their attitude and willingness to log on each week.
“The reason Cluey works for us is that [my kids] can be doing something right up until the time before they’re tutoring. Here they are, they can just log on. When it’s over they can turn it off, we can have dinner, we can get on with our lives. So there’s a big convenience factor.”
“I also like that there’s video and a shared workspace. It wasn’t audio-only or skype-only. There’s a lot of technology wrapped around it.”
Measuring the effectiveness of Cluey tutoring…
Alli argues that a shift in the attitude of her son and daughter has been the most significant measure of their progress. “In general I’ve seen an improvement. My kids are more willing to sit down and give it a go. My son in particular is willing to take a stab at it. I think that’s a big success.”
“It’s not because I’m working with him — he doesn’t enjoy working with his parents on his writing — it’s because of his tutor.”
In the end, Alli feels that the one-on-one attention her children receive with Cluey builds their confidence and offers her family peace of mind that they’re covering the topics outlined in the Australian National Curriculum.
“I love that for a full hour, there’s somebody focused on improving my child’s skills in an area that really matters.”
Watch our interview highlights here and stay tuned for more parent insights over the coming weeks.
