Private tutoring with connection, guidance and purpose.

Meet Mel

A personal approach to learning — and a long-term commitment to the children I teach.

Hi, I'm Mel. I'm a private tutor and educator based in Sorrento, supporting students from Foundation to Year 9 through one-to-one and small group tutoring.

Sorrento Tutoring began in 2020 with one student during COVID. Since then, it has grown through word of mouth, local families and school connections into a community of more than 50 children I have had the privilege of teaching and mentoring.

My background includes special education and early education, with primary teaching experience across the Philippines, Singapore, Bali and Australia. Along the way, I have also supported students working within the Cambridge curriculum, giving me experience across different education systems, expectations and approaches to learning.

When I moved to Australia, one of the moments that meant the most to me was being asked to teach again. I was genuinely thrilled. What began as one family trusting me with their child's learning became the beginning of Sorrento Tutoring — and, over time, a community of local families and children I have been incredibly fortunate to grow alongside.

My teaching approach draws on play-based and nature-based learning, Reggio Emilia and Montessori principles, Jolly Phonics and structured, explicit teaching. I value having a broad toolkit because no two children need exactly the same thing. But above every method, program or curriculum, I believe meaningful learning begins with connection.

Before a child can take risks in their learning, ask questions or persist through something difficult, they need to feel seen, heard, understood and that they belong. I take time to know the person behind the schoolwork — their personality, interests, humour, strengths, worries and the things that make them light up.

Those details matter. A child's favourite topic, hobby, sport, story or way of thinking can become a bridge into learning. I use each student's unique interests and personality to make concepts more meaningful, while carefully targeting the specific skills, gaps and goals they need support with. The learning is personalised, but so is the relationship.

For me, tutoring is not a short-term fix for the next worksheet or test. It is a long-term relationship built on trust, consistency and guidance. One of the most rewarding parts of my work is meeting children in their primary years, learning how they think, watching their confidence grow, then following their transition into secondary school as they begin to discover their strengths, interests and ideas about the future.

I often think of a tutor as a lighthouse. We are not there to choose a child's destination or steer every decision. We are there to provide a steady point of connection and guidance — helping them navigate challenges, recognise their own strengths and gradually trust themselves to find their way.

As children grow, my role grows with them. Sometimes I am teaching a skill, sometimes challenging their thinking, sometimes helping them work through frustration, and sometimes simply listening. My hope is that every student leaves our time together feeling more capable academically, but also more confident, resilient, self-aware and secure in who they are becoming.