Designing great sessions

What makes a great SkillSwap session

Great sessions are focused, practical and collaborative. Learners should leave feeling clearer, more confident and closer to their goal than when they joined.

Before the session

• Read the learner's profile and skills-to-learn
• Re-read the session topic or any notes from chat
• Prepare a loose outline: questions, examples, mini-exercises

If you're unsure what they need, send a quick message before the call:

• "What would make this 45 minutes really useful for you?"

During the session

1. Start with alignment (5 minutes)

• Say hello and make the learner comfortable
• Ask what they want to leave with by the end
• Briefly confirm the plan: "We'll focus on A, then B, then Q&A"

2. Go deep, not wide

• Use concrete examples, not only theory
• Share your screen to walk through code, designs or documents
• Encourage the learner to talk, ask questions and think aloud

3. Close with clarity

• Summarise the key points you covered
• Suggest 1–3 next steps or resources
• Ask if another session would be helpful and on what topic

Using the tools inside SkillSwap

• Use screen sharing for live walkthroughs
• Share links and notes in the chat so they can revisit later
• Keep an eye on the remaining time so you can close calmly

Being honest about your limits

It's perfectly okay to say, "I'm not sure about this part" or "this is outside my experience". Learners value tutors who are honest more than those who pretend to know everything.

Related articles

• Preparing for a session (for learners)
• How to become a tutor
• Video call basics