Tutoring journeys: From volunteer to teacher
For many, the idea of teaching is a distant aspiration – a rewarding career path, but one that can be blocked by a lack of classroom experience or the demands of a busy professional life. But what if the confidence and experience needed to make that leap were available with a flexible, one-hour-a-week commitment?
At Action Tutoring, we see incredible people using their time as volunteers to gain genuine classroom experience, test their calling, and ultimately step into teacher training with a head start. Here, three of our former volunteers share how their tutoring journeys became the key stepping stone in their pathway to teaching.
Rich: The confidence to change course completely
For 15 years, Rich worked in the world of financial services, but part of him always felt teaching was his true calling. After stepping back from the corporate “coalface,” he found himself ready for a new purpose – one focused on helping individuals again, but in a different way.
‘I aspired to help people, but I needed the confidence to take the plunge into teaching,’ Rich explains. ‘Action Tutoring was the missing piece of the puzzle.’
Volunteering provided him with the opportunity to spend time in a school environment, seeing the direct impact of his work. Rich found that this experience was the “keystone” that gave him the absolute certainty he needed. Now deep into his on-the-job teacher training, he’s thankful he jumped:
‘I am so thankful Action Tutoring was there for me as a gateway into that self-discovery I needed to get to this place of fulfilment and feeling like I’ve found the thing I’m meant to do.‘
The impact wasn’t just on his confidence; it was on his pupils, too. He recalls one memorable moment:
‘One of my three pupils in the programme last year improved her attainment by something like 10-15% in benchmarking assessments over the four months we had together. That was her hard work and effort – and she deserved every extra mark of it. But I, and the Action Tutoring programme, gave her a leg up that helped her on her way to that amazing achievement. Knowing that makes me super proud. ‘
Khusbu: Developing skills that cannot be gained elsewhere
For university student Khusbu, her journey began as a university volunteer placement, but quickly transformed into a fulfilling passion. Like many future teachers, she discovered the unique joy of connecting with pupils and seeing academic breakthroughs.
‘During my placement, I saw a lot of students begin to enjoy maths, who previously found it very difficult or boring, and watching them make progress was wonderful.’
Khusbu believes the experience provided essential, real-world skills that a university experience alone could not offer. By being exposed to young people of different ages within a school environment, she learned to adapt to varied school systems, communicate clearly and effectively, and master time management – all core skills for a successful teacher.
‘Being exposed to students of different ages, that too within a school environment, gives you experiences that cannot be gained elsewhere.‘
For those worried about lack of experience, Khusbu offers reassurance that Action Tutoring’s resources provide a solid foundation.
‘There is a very clear structure and outline of what needs to be done. The Action Tutoring book is very easy to follow and makes tutoring really easy. You don’t necessarily need to have experience to volunteer – Action tutoring provides plenty of guidance and the best part is that it allows you to learn a lot and develop skills that you can use in many other fields that have nothing to do with teaching.’
Her advice to new volunteers? A bit of prep time (we recommend up to half an hour) and relationship-building!
‘Take the time to familiarise yourself with the resources and get to know the students – what they like to study, their weaknesses and even their favourite footballer (watch out for Messi vs Ronaldo arguments!).’
Tim: Managed commitment, maximum return
Tim, like Rich, was in the process of applying for teacher training and needed practical experience. His concern was finding a commitment that was manageable alongside life admin.
‘Action Tutoring seemed a good fit as the commitment of one hour a week felt quite manageable,’ Tim recalls. He started tutoring English despite applying to teach maths, proving the flexibility and quality of the support materials.
‘The workbooks provide clear, easy-to-follow plans for sessions, the training team provides extra training sessions if you feel they are required and the local coordinators are always in the room with you during your tutoring sessions to provide support as you need it.’
For Tim, the reward was personal. ‘It might not sound much, but after three months working with my group, having them thanking me for my help and taking a genuine interest in my next steps made it all feel worthwhile.’
His experience has already paid dividends in his current role: ‘Using the skills developed whilst tutoring has helped me both build relationships with students as well as understanding their learning needs, which should pay dividends when I start teaching their classes.’
Take your first step
The path to teaching requires confidence, experience, and the right support. At Action Tutoring, we’re committed to providing our volunteers with the framework to understand the curriculum, form bonds with students and ultimately deliver effective learning.
All you need to get started is a genuine interest in your subject and a desire to help young people.
Ready to discover your own journey?
