Thinking about getting started with Art of Smart?
Florence and her three children have been working with Art of Smart over the last 5 years for English and Maths.
We recently chatted to Florence who shared her experiences in working with Art of Smart over the last 5 years and the impact itâs had for Patrick, Wilfred and more recently Shallom who just finished her HSC!
Prior to getting started with Art of Smart, what help was Shallom needing?
Shallom had communicated to us she wasnât âgetting itâ for English. She wasnât getting the degree of support from her school in terms of getting feedback on her work.
As parents we werenât professionals to understand the gaps that Shallom had and Shallom identified English as the subject she had the biggest area of need. Her essays in particular was an area where she wasnât getting it, so we decided to get help and get in touch with Art of Smart.
Weâd worked with Art of Smart in the past for support for Shallomâs older brother Patrick.
In that case, before we approached Art of Smart, weâd enrolled Patrick in another service near our house which was 3 students to 1 teacher. However he found he wasnât getting much out of it so we then searched for other options and found Art of Smart!
How did you hear about Art of Smart?
It was that long ago I canât even remember! It was over 5 years ago when we started with Art of Smart!
I was a little hesitant initially as youâre taking a leap of faith, however the information we received was good. The main thing we were hesitant about was we wanted to make sure we found a tutor who could deliver and meet Patrickâs needs.
When youâre working in a classroom, itâs very one size fits all regardless of where a student is at. We wanted our son to get value, to fill gaps, and actually help him towards his goals for the HSC.
In the end we decided to take a dip, and that was 5 years ago and we havenât looked back!
What was the moment you knew youâd made the right decision?
When my children find someone who is meeting their needs, there is a level of motivation increases. So they work harder and their self drive increases. They also talk about what they are doing in the lessons and the areas they need to work on. They also have more confidence.
We observed all of this happen very quickly for Patrick, Wilfred and Shallom when they started working with their Art of Smart tutors.
Our son Wilfred was very committed to attend lessons – he didnât want to miss sessions or be late!
So the drive from them to want to attend the next class and to do the work, apply what was taught and complete the work given was a big indicator that weâd made the right decision!
When Shallom started working with her Art of Smart tutor Emily, the beautiful thing about Emily was that she was committed, focused, and she had the skills to be able to identify Shallomâs areas of weaknesses.
She then drew up a plan in a very limited timeframe to help Shallom build confidence and her knowledge base and skills in addressing the HSC English questions.
Whatâs the best thing your tutor has done to support Shallom?
The best thing Emily did to support Shallom was first all to build a rapport with Shallom.
If Shallom didnât feel comfortable with Emily, she wouldnât have felt able to express her needs, and also not respect Emilyâs instructions and guidance. Emily created a safe and relaxed environment for Shallom to be able to learn.
She didnât just jump into things and say âThis is what you need to do!â She spent time learning what Shallom needed, what her gaps where, and what help she needed so she could develop a plan that actually worked. So she didn’t make any assumptions and this meant the sessions were tailored to Shallomâs needs.
Initially we thought, however as Emily went through this process, âJust do it! Jump straight in, we donât have much time!â, but on reflection this was key as it enabled Emily to develop a fantastic plan that targeted Shallomâs needs.
Would you recommend us? If so, why?
The whole process from administration, selecting a good tutor to ensuring that the student was satisfied has been fantastic.
As an organisation Art of Smart has been able to maintain professionalism and consistency over the last 5 years!
I would not hesitate in recommending Art of Smart for looking for a good tutor, and a good company to work with on an ongoing basis.
We had tried looking at other services locally however all the options didnât meet our own needs and the way they were packaged and designed was very complex.
The great thing as well is that things donât always go smoothly and you want to know youâve got the support of an organisation who will work with you, understand your needs, and be there to help, which is what Art of Smart does!
Any other comments?
As parents we might have the tendency to say, âWhat about cost? Iâd prefer cheaper options?â
We found that the cheaper option isnât always the best option!
If you think Art of Smart is a little pricey, youâre not paying just for the tutor, youâre paying for the whole holistic process where everyone is working towards getting the best outcome for the student.
Art of Smart isnât just out after giving you a tutor, charging you and then going away.
They are an organisation that understands what it feels like to be a parent and student, and the challenges they face in investing in this additional cost.
Itâs not just about making money – Art of Smart genuinely care.
Evidence of this is that after assigning a tutor to a student, Art of Smart follows up not just once, twice or three times, but ongoing, to ensure parent and student are happy, and that the student getting value. I couldnât ask for more!
Are you looking for a tutor who could change your teenagerâs life?
We pride ourselves on our inspirational coaches and mentors â just like Emily!
We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a large variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at our state of the art campus in Hornsby!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today!Â