Case Studies, Coffee, and Controlled Chaos
(Now Featuring Bear as My Trusty Sidekick! 🐾☕)
As I sat here today, scrutinising yet another case study before it’s presented today over a steaming mug of coffee, I can’t help but reflect on the sheer amount of effort (and occasionally controlled mayhem) that makes these peer groups happen. At my feet, the kittens are causing absolute carnage—one has stolen my pen. Another is eyeing up my keyboard for an unauthorised nap spot 😼. Bear, my ever-loyal sidekick, surveys the scene with the weary patience of a seasoned professional. He knows the drill. Presentation night is coming.
And it starts early. Far too early for Bear’s liking.
Long before the first cup of coffee has fully kicked in, my laptop flickers to life. As I dive into tutor group prep, Bear sighs loudly. It’s one of those deep, world-weary sighs that says some of us have more important things to do right now. Like sleeping or reminding you that breakfast is overdue. He throws me a pointed look, shifts position with dramatic flair, and flops back down. Bear is resigned to his fate as the underappreciated supervisor of this whole operation. 🐶
Behind every student bravely stepping up to present is a team working tirelessly to make it happen. Ammar, our scheduling mastermind, is busily orchestrating what can only be described as speed dating for tutors. He matches students with the perfect person to guide them through their skeleton sessions. (“Looking for someone who works with adults. This case needs a tutor with experience in ARFID. Another would benefit from experience in high secure LD forensic services. Enjoys long walks through a very complex case formulation?”). The Directors and Leadership team are deep in the trenches, supporting our newest tutors as they prepare and partner with students. We navigate the joy (and occasional drama) of case study skeletons. We work alongside them because, just like our students, they are an essential part of this ever-growing learning community.
By the time a student presents their ASI3 video, we’ve usually met with them at least five times on the modules and ASI2 EASI case study. We know their journey, their progress, and sometimes even their go-to stress strategies. Tea seems to be a solid winner. This is what makes live learning on Zoom so special. It’s not just about delivering content; it’s about truly knowing the people learning with us, offering tailored support, and making sure they feel part of something bigger.
Presentation Day/Night: The Chaos and the Magic 🎤✨
The Tutor Group presentation on the day/night is itself a full team effort! Everyone is on deck, ensuring that therapists leave with fresh insights, deeper clinical reasoning, and sharper sensory therapy goggles. Presenting a case study can feel as nerve-wracking as accidentally hitting Reply All on an email meant for one person 😬. It’s also full of moments of growth, laughter, and that brilliant aha! feeling when things suddenly make sense.
Meanwhile, the Leadership Operational Team and Tutors are juggling their own diary schedules or evening home lives. Some are grabbing a moment between dinner and bedtime stories. Others are sneaking a listen while doing the washing up (or ironing (@ Mandy !). No one wants to miss out. The lecturer chat feed is buzzing, with Ros dropping FOMO messages as she watches the tutor and lecturer mentoring chat space conversation unfold.
🗨️ “That video was incredible!”
🗨️ “Oh no, I missed that new research – send the link!”
It’s a fine balance between family life and professional learning, but the commitment to being a part of the discussion is unmistakable.
Then comes the real magic. The tutors and markers review and mark what has just been presented. They do this in real-time. To the outside world, we might look like elegant swans gliding across the water. Beneath the surface, we are ducks—waddling, paddling furiously, and working at full speed. Cursors race across the shared Google file, thoughts colliding in real time, so each person presenting gets feedback on the day (or night)!
We are hunting for those moments of flow, or therapist sheets brilliance. We pull out key teaching points and link the learning back to theory and practice—all while multitasking as questions float ( and spin!) in on Zoom and Telegram. Someone has just been kicked out of Zoom, a tutor is frantically messaging for the link. Bear looks at me as if to say, You’ve got this… probably. But also, let’s not forget that post-presentation treats are due in exactly 35 minutes. 🕰️🐾
While I might be running on adrenaline and the last remnants of my coffee, Bear knows that when presentations finish at 2.00 pm or 9:30 pm, it’s his time. He has been quiet with no cuddles for 2 hours. The moment the final Zoom call ends, he materialises at my side, giving me the look. The one that says you may be done with case studies, but I am not done waiting for my game of catch or milk and treats. No amount of tutor group debriefing will distract him from this sacred ritual. 🥛🐾
Building a Thriving Learning Community 📚🤝
Our tutor groups are thriving. Just last week, 63 people attended just one tutor group. Therapists from across the UK, Ireland and abroad joined. That’s 63 opportunities for shared learning, 63 moments of deeper thinking, and statistically speaking, almost 63 chances for me to spill my coffee while multitasking. ☕😂
This community is a lifeline in a field where so many practise solo, without ASI-trained colleagues nearby! Whether it’s tutor groups, special interest peer groups, or our beloved Coffee and Chat, there’s always someone to learn with, share with, and grow alongside. No one is left behind.
Here’s to another week of early morning prepping for those tutor group case studies. Another deep dive into clinical reasoning, and another battle with the kittens over whether my laptop charger is a toy (spoiler: it’s not).
As Bear gives me his usual “I’m the real brains behind this operation” look. He not-so-subtly reminds me that his well-earned walk is now indeed overdue. I’m reminded once again that this work, while occasionally chaotic with last-minute changes emailed in, and traffic jams en route home from therapy at Merlin before Tutor Group, is always a privilege.
And if tutor matchmaking ever becomes a reality show, Ammar might just have a new career lined up. 😆🎬