Summer break might be almost over and the school’s about to begin! Perhaps you are one of those go-go parents who has already planned ahead to ensure your kid catches up with the challenges the new academic year brings. Yet, what if you are that laid-back parent who is not very bothered or one of those rare parents who think school is enough and your kid doesn’t need any extra pressure? Even if you are, there isn’t any harm in some extra encouragement and additional support of tutoring besides the regular academic activities, right?
If you think your child could benefit from the additional tutoring, all you need to find next is a promising tutor. Be sure to follow these 11 most relevant pointers to find the perfect match.
1. KNOW TO YOUR CHILD FIRST
It is rather stressful to pick a offline or online tutor who can help your child the best. But before you start searching for one; you can feel more assured if you start by talking to your child first. Keep the conversation positive “We know how science can be a challenge sometimes? Maybe, we can find someone who can help you with exactly what you need. Wouldn’t that be great?” If your child is aware of his/her needs, he/she may be more likely to want help and improve. Parents often know the best so take that call but first listen to what your kid has to say!
2. ASK FOR TESTIMONIALS
Begin your search by talking to other students, parents, your child’s teacher, principal and others from within the school community. These are some great resources to find a good tutor around you. You can find ads in local newspapers and online, but tutors who come highly recommended by someone you trust and know can definitely go on the top of your list.
3. INTERVIEW THE TUTOR
Ask for the tutor’s credentials, training, experience and references. Before you hire, get to know how the tutor is and what expertise he/she has to offer. Does he/she have experience in working with students at your child’s grade level? Can the tutor address your child’s specific needs? What remuneration does the tutor expect and what times of the week is he/she available? Meeting the tutor can also help you to gauge the attitude and overall personality of the tutor.
4.SET CLEAR GOALS
Be sure of what you want and set clear goals right from the beginning. It is important to discuss with the tutor what you expect from the tutoring, whether it is homework help, focusing on exams or working on the basic skills of a subject. The goals will help to create a partnership between you, the tutor and the child. Finding the right tutor becomes so much easier when you all think as a team.
5. PLAN AND SCHEDULE IT RIGHT
Having a tutoring plan beforehand is very essential. You can request the tutor to share his/her ideas and describe his/her tutoring plans keeping in mind the needs of your child. This can help you understand if the tutor has a good understanding of your goals. Timing it right is necessary too. You can check how flexible the tutor is if you schedule the tutoring after-school hours or over the weekend, allowing those much-needed breaks from the school routine.
6. FIND THE TUTOR’S SPECIALITY
Knowing what the tutor you pick has to offer is necessary, but getting to know what they are best at is what will bring you the best experience too. Some tutors are good at exam practice, while some are better at building confidence, helping the student learn the basics and simply making learning fun. Tutors will be able to tell you exactly how they can prepare your child in a specific area if you let them know what areas your child needs more improvement in.
7. KNOW THE TUTOR’S TEACHING METHODS
Each tutor has his/her own style and approach to teaching. If it is a one-on-onr or tution center, Knowing the tutor’s teaching methods can be useful in checking how your child will respond to tutoring in comparison to learning at school. The teachers at school are rushing to complete the syllabus and have to follow the teaching pedagogy set by the school. But the tutor has more freedom and can build his/her methodology according to the child’s learning pace and time.
8. CHECK HOW THE TUTOR CONDUCTS ASSESSMENTS
While looking for the right tutor, you want to make sure that you know the tutor’s assessment methods besides the teaching methods. If you need help for your child in a certain subject area, it is important to let the home tutor know that and check how they could set assessments for their specific needs. Good tutors will bring their own resources, assessment papers that they can develop to fit your child’s learning needs.
9. REQUEST PROGRESS REPORTS
Arrange to talk to the tutor to periodically monitor your child’s progress. Many tutors offer weekly/monthly progress reports, check off goals and redefine them, if there is a need to do so. You can ask for a sample report so that it may guide you in checking how the tutor evaluates the assessments and how helpful the reports might be to you and your child.
10. PLAN A TRY-OUT SESSION
Before you finally say YES to the tutor of your dreams, check if the tutor is open to planning a test session. It’s just like Basketball Try-Outs or Auditions to bag a role in the next school play! By planning a Try-Out tutoring session, you can feel more assured of how comfortable your child feels in the presence of the tutor. The tutor for kids also gets a chance to meet the child and you get the opportunity to sit in a session and watch how the tutor and your child relate to each other.
11. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
A good tutor comes with great responsibility! As a parent, it is important to remember that you have a big role to play in the learning process. After each tutoring session at tution centers, you can check with the tutor to understand what is expected from your child when the tutor is away. Whether it’s memorizing the multiplication tables or completing the given assignments, it is essential that you show your support to the tutor’s teaching efforts by working with your child at home.
Well, now that you have found the top 11 ways to find the right tutor, all that is left to say is “All the best and hope you find your right tutor soon!” Checkout PartyOne for Online tutors and more.