National Tutors Conference 2024 – Highlights
As I write this, it is nearly three weeks since the 2024 National Tutors Conference. It feels like yesterday, whilst at the same time we are already looking forward to next year!
We were blessed with glorious weather, which set the tone as our delegates arrived, bringing virtual friendships and connection into real life.
The day began with an eye opening Keynote from Ayush Agarwal at Pencil Spaces, prompting us collectively to move into an understanding of how ‘Tutors using AI’ is the power position. It was a little disconcerting to be reminded that “The Robots Are Here” – for Sci-Fi buffs, maybe a recollection of I-Robot might have briefly passed through our minds (or that might just have been me!). To see the power of AI tools in action was a truly inspiring and thought provoking start to the day.
A range of workshops followed, delivered by our wonderful hosts, covering a range of topics including strategies to grow your business, software demonstrations, mindset and coaching elements, neurodiversity in tutoring, staying safe as a tutor and how to become an Entrance Exam tutor.
Workshops and networking, interspersed with plenty of brews and a delicious two course buffet lunch, led us into our Keynote Speakers.
Returning for the second year, Drew Povey once again held the room in the palm of his hand.
Drew walked us through strategies and concepts around negative / positive self talk and how they impact on us in our lives and businesses. Always rooted in robust science and research, Drew’s delivery interspersed with real life experience, his usual humour and crowd pleasing tactics (because we are all motivated by chocolate, right?!), held us spellbound and a lot of lightbulb moments happening throughout.
Bringing the daytime schedule to a close was Sharon Cawley, who led us through an emotional and heartfelt journey to where she is now.
Referencing the now famous ‘Pit Pony’ video, Sharon brought me and Su onto the stage to share a moment of reflection about the power, reach and impact that the recording has had. It was an emotional moment, not just for the ‘Pit Pony Girls’ as we are now affectionately called, but for so many people in the room who credit watching the video as being the moment they made their own decisions about what was next for them.
Sharing deeply personal memories of her own childhood, her parents and the lessons she learned that she applied in her life after teaching, Sharon delivered a compelling keynote that was a real highlight of the day, with some key takeaways, not least of which that thirty foot is a key unit of measurement. If you know, you know!
With a plan to get everyone up and dancing, very nearly scuppered by technology, but fixed by one of our delegates (the greatest minds of Silicon Valley and the public speaking circuit quite literally schooled by a primary school teacher!), the day ended on a real high.
The evening get together saw us all share a delicious three course meal, interspersed with what has now become known as the “B&M Raffle” (no official affiliation, it’s just where we got the prizes from).
Highlights included Drew wandering around with his bag of raffle tickets; guests becoming (worryingly) competitive over the raffle; the ‘on the spot’ ingenuity and creativity of one particular table with their pink binbags and the absolute delight of winning a tub of ‘The Pink Stuff’ – all moments that we could not have planned for, but genuinely are being talked about on a daily basis even a few weeks after the event.
None of this could have been done this year without the significant subsidy and sponsorship provided by Conexus Tuition Franchising and generous sponsorship and support from Pencil Spaces and Ayush Agarwal. Thank you so much – it is so valued and appreciated.
We loved sharing every moment with everyone and we genuinely cannot wait until next year!
The countdown has begun.
Can’t wait to see you there on 29th July 2025 at the Chesford Grange Hotel and Conference Centre, Kenilworth.
Sarah