The Sullivan Method – Your Child’s Key to Success in Computer Science

Introducing The Sullivan Method.

Every student deserves to feel confident and capable. We all get into Computer Science for different reasons, and some of us are brand new to coding, or aiming for top grades. The variance in skills and knowledge of students is high for any subject at GCSE, but we believe it is particularly noticeable in Computer Science. The problem is most of the time exacerbated by online learning – which, despite its many advantages, has a poor reputation due to some worldwide events in 2020. For instance, it’s very easy to hide when no-one can see you, and some students avoid the tasks and learning altogether. Struggling students stay unnoticed, and the ‘hands up’ grade 9 students get all the attention, leading to a false impression for a teacher.

We saw a need to address these issues, and developed a solution.

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

John Dewey

How does it work?

The Sullivan Method (our unique, structured teaching approach, grounded in decades of pedagogical research), tackles these issues head on. In short, it’s a blend of direct instruction, regular checks for understanding, demonstrations, and guided practice. All delivered with unfiltered thought processes for maximum clarity. Nothing ground-breaking by itself – but the specifics here give students an unbeatable deal.

There are punchy, attention-grabbing ideas and relevant anecdotes, designed to capture a student’s attention quickly. We space these at just the right moments with our quick-fire polls and cold calling – asking students to give us their answer in front of everyone in the Zoom call to opt in. No exceptions! But it builds confidence like nothing else. Most teachers agree that hands up is a no-go, opting instead to ‘cold-call’ students. We listen to the best of the best, who argue in the right circumstances, it can be beneficial to create a culture that embraces learning and participation. For this reason, we will occasionally, albeit rarely ask for hands up. Students that participate in this way are noticed – and their motivation is shared with parents.

Finally, we fully utilise the impressive range of tools at our disposal, so we waste no time in giving highly memorable learning experiences to our students.

Personalised Feedback

Each week, homework is given to complement the learning done in lessons and through our online platform. We personally mark homework assignments, and this is a feature of our standard package, meaning everyone gets the same deal in this regard – detailed breakdowns of their work, focusing on the most essential details. This, in combination with the weekly parental report, creates a sense of accountability and trust, that gently coerces learning to take place.

Why does it work?

We’re offering so much more than just an online course (although that is available too!) Neither is it a couple of Zoom lessons a week. This is structured education. No longer do you have to worry that your child is gazing out the window or mindlessly staring at their phone, because they have a high-quality task in front of them demanding their attention, and the regular routine keeping them in check. Sullivan Tutor Academy students are engaged and focused. We also have a tough but fair behaviour policy in the event that students disrupt the learning of others, or aren’t meeting our sky-high expectations.

Step-by-step Modelling

By thinking out loud, students get a better sense of how a computer scientist thinks, not just what they think. This allows for a deeper understanding, helping them to apply their skills independently, so that eventually their tutor can fade into the background and let them go without the training wheels. We do this through our philosophy of I DO, WE DO, YOU DO. It is just like learning to ride a bike all over again. There’s a reason we use this model – it works!

Even challenging topics like programming become instantly manageable as our curriculum introduces bitesize chunks at a reasonable pace – and revisiting old content through.

Active Participation

Passive listening doesn’t cut it. It might work for some, but it definitely won’t work for most. We refuse to let your child watch from the sidelines. Through our interactive polls, live demonstrations, quizzes, and more. Participation is expected of our students in Zoom classes – they can answer questions by microphone, and directly through Zoom’s chat feature – whichever feels most comfortable. Your child won’t be expected to appear on camera. All of this interactivity forms part of our collaboration promise. We’re teaching children many useful skills, not just computer science.

Frequent Check-ins

We meant what we said about checks for understanding – they are vital to the learning process. There’s rarely a point in moving on until we can be sure a student has understood the concept. We know that a teacher can’t get inside a student’s head and fully know exactly what they understand and need more help with. That’s why it’s vital we spend time formatively assessing – using the fantastic array of tools we have exclusive to an online format.

Peace of Mind

We know that parents want the best possible opportunities for their children. They want reassurance that their children will succeed and get the results they’re after. To this end, we keep you in the loop, with completely unfiltered lines of communication. We provide clear progress updates, and honest, constructive feedback about your child’s strengths and areas for improvement. You’ll know exactly where they’re at, and we encourage parents to take an active role in their child’s tuition. This matters because most tutors see a student once a week, and very rarely communicate the level of progress a child is making. With us, you get the confidence that your child’s success is our number one priority.

See it in Action

We are committed to your child’s education. Computer Science can be an exciting adventure, but also a tricky minefield. It’s important to have the right mentor guiding them on the journey. Remember, we will talk you through the entire process when you book your FREE consultation (45 minutes!) with us today. We’ll even show you some exclusive sample materials so you can get a feel for how it’s structured.

Get Started Today

Remember, you can get started right now – the Sullivan method will work for your child, and we’ve got plenty of free content right here on our website. Register and you can access the revision technique course (hours of expert guidance) absolutely free. Sign up for our mailing list, and you’ll receive the first two chapters of our Python workbook for free too! (The full version available if you join one of our all-in-one tutoring packages).

We’ll see you in our group tutoring lessons soon!