Here, a few of our tutors share the moments that defined their work. Moments when curiosity took over, lessons came to life, and students saw the world differently.
Tutors International’s educators don’t just teach. They live and learn alongside the families they support. Our unique model allows for tailored, in-the-moment teaching that’s often impossible in traditional classrooms.
Balloons, Dragons and a Story on CD
One tutor, working with a family in Germany and Austria, noticed her youngest student (aged three) had become fascinated with balloons after watching the movie Up.
“I set up a helium balloon and a few toys. He began testing which ones would float. As he learned more about weight, he predicted what would rise and what wouldn’t. He discovered his smaller dragon could lift off, but the larger one couldn’t.
That turned into a role-play – the baby dragon had lost his dad and couldn’t fly. We turned it into a CD story. He narrated it, chose the music, and drew the cover. It gave him a huge confidence boost, especially since he’d been shy about speaking English in front of his parents.”
Shakespeare in a Second Language
Another tutor, teaching between London and Luxembourg, helped his student – who doesn’t read independently and speaks English as a second language – connect with Romeo and Juliet.
“He doesn’t read independently and didn’t think of himself as someone who liked books. But while working on Romeo and Juliet coursework, something clicked. He started seeing how the characters connected, and he brought that insight into his own writing. Watching that shift in real time—seeing literature become something personal—was incredibly rewarding.”
Rock Climbing as a Physics Lesson
A tutor in Italy used a rock-climbing session with her teenage student to reinforce a physics lesson from earlier in the day.
“We’d been talking about Newton’s Laws, forces, and energy. Later that afternoon, we went climbing and suddenly everything we’d covered made sense to her. That’s what I live for - watching the spark ignite when learning is applied, when it connects to something meaningful.”
Economics, Conflict and Curiosity
Great tutors don’t just deliver lessons. They detect sparks of interest, even when a student seems disengaged. One educator saw a breakthrough during a conversation about GDP that spiralled brilliantly into geopolitical history.
“We were talking about GDP and ended up exploring WWII, communism, capitalism, and how those systems played out in Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East. For the first time, she was asking questions – lots of them – and genuinely interested in how the world works.”
A Caribbean Bug Exhibition
In a lesson that proved science doesn’t have to come from a textbook, one tutor transformed a tropical adventure into a KS1 biology exhibition.
“We went on a bug hunt in the Caribbean. The children collected specimens and created their own exhibition. It was hands-on, local, and far more memorable than anything in a textbook.”
From Daily Meltdowns to “Give Me a Challenge”
But perhaps the most moving stories are the ones that unfold gradually, where the learning journey is not just about knowledge, but about identity and personal growth.
A tutor in Hong Kong reflected on his student’s transformation:
“She started out withdrawn, often volatile, and struggled socially. There were tantrums, emails from school, complete reluctance to try anything new. I remember the small things—how hard she found it to understand humour or make friends.
Now, she’s unrecognisable.
She’s confident, funny, thoughtful. She has close friendships and actively seeks out new challenges. One of her favourite phrases now is, ‘James, give me a challenge!’ That shift is what tutoring at this level is all about.”
These stories show what can happen when a tutor is matched perfectly with a student. At Tutors International, we don’t just look for the world’s best educators – we look for the best educator for each individual child.
