Does your son or daughter need an academic tutor? Or, are you a student yourself looking to get up to speed? Here, Fairfax, CA tutor Jason N. explains the importance of finding the right tutor for you, and what exactly to look for…
Finding the right academic tutor can be daunting. This person will play a pivotal role in your child’s academic success so it is important to find someone who is the right fit for your family.
Here are some factors to consider when making your decision.
What Makes a Good Academic Tutor?
A good academic tutor is someone who is patient, knowledgeable, and able to tailor their teaching style to the needs of the individual student when providing academic tutoring services:
- Patience is important, because it can be frustrating for both the tutor and the tutee when progress isn’t made as quickly as desired.
- Knowledgeable academic tutors are also essential; they need to be able to answer any questions the student has and explain concepts in a way that is easy to understand.
- Finally, since every student learns differently, a good academic tutor will be able to adapt their teaching methods to fit the individual’s needs. This might involve using different types of resources or providing more or less support, depending on what is most helpful for the student.
By taking into account the individual strengths and weaknesses of the student, a good academic tutor can make all the difference in their success.
Learn more about how to find the right academic tutor (and what to look for in an academic tutor resume) by watching the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQd431dw4cA
What is a Tutor Job Description?
Tutors often fill multiple roles in the lives of their students. In addition to being a knowledge expert, tutors are also mentors, coaches, and motivators. Here are some of the most important duties of a tutor that may help you to understand if you’re trying to find an academic tutor for yourself or your child:
1. Be a Knowledge Expert
Of course, the most important part of being a tutor is having in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. A tutor must be able to answer any question a student has and elaborate on key concepts. Beyond just knowing the material, a tutor should also be up-to-date on the latest developments in their field.
2. Be a Mentor
A good mentor establishes trust and builds relationships with their mentee. As a tutor, you will likely form long-lasting relationships with your students. It is important to be patient, caring, and understanding with your students. Always work to create a safe and supportive learning environment.
3. Be a Coach
Coaching goes hand-in-hand with mentorship. As a coach, you will help guide your students towards success. This involves setting goals, providing feedback, and helping them stay on track. A big part of coaching is supporting your students through challenges and helping them overcome obstacles.
4. Be a Motivator
Students often need someone to believe in them when they doubt themselves. As a tutor, it is important to build your students’ confidence levels by praising their successes (big or small) and highlighting their strengths. Showing excitement about their progress will help keep them motivated to continue working hard.
What Are the Effects of Tutoring on Academic Performance?
Parents often seek out tutoring for their children in the hope that it will improve their grades and academic performance.
While there is no guarantee that tutoring will be successful, research has shown that it can have a positive effect on students of all ages.
One study found that elementary school students who received weekly tutoring achieved higher test scores and made greater gains in reading and math than those who did not receive tutoring.
Another study found that high school students who were tutored in a particular subject improved their grades in that subject, even if they had previously been struggling. Tutoring can also help to improve study habits andtime-management skills, both of which are essential for academic success.
Ultimately, while there is no guarantee that tutoring will work, it can be a valuable tool for parents who want to give their children a academic boost.
How to Find the Perfect Academic Skills Tutor for Your Needs
Unfortunately, it is common for students to feel like their tutor is not a ‘good fit’ and thus search again for another one. Looking for the ‘right’ tutor can be an arduous process. Many students and parents believe that finding a good tutor is only about his or her subject acumen. Here I review other, often-overlooked factors to keep in mind when looking for a tutor, to raise the chances of finding someone you or your son or daughter works well with and feels helped by. When you finish, hopefully you’ll know what else to look for!
Your Tutor Should Form a Relationship With You
Effective tutoring hinges on your tutor’s ability to connect with you on a personal level in a few ways that have little to do with the subject matter. I’m not saying your tutor needs to be your best friend but he or she should tune into and express interest in your interests and personality. The relationship you construct with your tutor may be just as important (if not more important) than his/her subject knowledge. It’s often what makes the professional relationship ‘click’ or not. You only feel comfortable and push yourself to learn and grow if you feel respected, comfortable, and safe with your tutor.
Your Tutor Should Be Sensitive to Your Needs & Preferences
Effective tutors cater to the specific needs and preferences of each student. A basic example of this is discovering what you enjoy the most, i.e. reviewing books together or always practicing conversation if Spanish is the subject, and your tutor should be able to go with it, match you and meet you where you are. Your tutor should be open and receptive to your requests. In this sense, your tutor needs to be sensitive enough to detect where you are emotionally regarding your subject matter and tailor his or her “educational interventions” appropriately. This implies responding empathically (without over-doing it), validating your difficulties and complexities of the given subject. For example, if the subject is Spanish, you should feel comfortable communicating to what extent you would like him/her to correct your pronunciation (frequently or barely ever) depending on your preferred learning style, motivation to learn and comfort being corrected, and your tutor should adjust his style accordingly.
Your Tutor Should Be Sensitive to Your Age, Comfort Level, & Intellectual Capacity of Subject
Effective tutors are especially aware of the developmental stage of each of their students. Younger students mean more visual learning, for instance. This doesn’t only refer to your chronological age but also your intellectual capacity and overall level of emotional maturity to handle the discomfort of not knowing while having an outsider explain. Your tutor should be sensitive to this, as it will also help the two of you gauge the optimal amount of time to conduct a tutor session, which can usually range anywhere from 30 minutes up to 3 hours. The goal is for you to feel challenged in the subject matter before you reach your threshold (i.e. when your brain feels fried).
Your Tutor Should be Hopeful, Fun, Creative, and Encouraging
Another overlooked aspect is the level of hopefulness, encouragement, positive reinforcement, and praise your tutor brings to the table, especially in the face of your frustration, doubt, insecurity, and sometimes mere lack of interest in subject matter. If you get an answer right, or make any type of progress, you deserve praise or positive reinforcement. In this case, your tutor should give you a ‘high-5,’ or a similar gesture, to foster the professional relationship with you and express caring. Furthermore, your tutor’s ability to infuse passion, playfulness and creativity into the tutoring sessions is essential; they can feel drab or routine if you do same thing every time, and even more so if your school teacher in that subject matter bores you. This particularly applies to you if you don’t want tutoring but your parents insist. You most likely won’t get anywhere if your tutor doesn’t spark your interest in the subject and do a little bonding before attempting to teach. This will also later help your tutor appropriately challenge your knowledge of the given subject, pushing you to learn without going over your head.
Your Tutor Should Use Language You Understand
There is a giant schism between your tutor’s knowledge of your subject and his or her tutoring skills. We have all had teachers in high school or college who didn’t teach us much, despite their expert status on the given subject matter. Your tutor’s job is to explain key concepts, patterns, and ideas from our subject non-esoterically, in layman’s terms and in a fun way tailored to your personality and interests. This includes mnemonic devices, stories, songs, pictures, anything ‘out of the box’ that links the subject matter to your life in a personal way and makes it more ‘friendly’ for you. Your tutor’s ability to do this will stem from the professional relationship he or she builds with you.
Your Tutor Should Get You Actively Participating
Effective tutors frequently elicit student participation. Outcome studies show that student participation is directly related to tutoring’s success. If you are passive or quiet, you most likely aren’t learning much. If you’re quiet with your tutor, no need to panic, just request a more collaborative approach with your tutor. He or she should be able to ask you, “How can I make this a better experience for you so we can work together more effectively?” A tutor’s relational skills and ability to accommodate to your specific learning needs cannot be overlooked; it is often more important that his or her subject acumen.
It Ultimately Depends on You!
Lastly and most importantly, remember that the most effective tutors can’t ‘make’ you pass a class if you don’t focus and put the work in. You’ll usually need to work harder than your tutor, as tough as this may sound. You most likely will need to study in between tutoring sessions. If you pass or not, learn or not, take advantage of the sessions or not, it reflects your effort too, as opposed to only your tutor’s abilities. That stated, voice your needs to your tutor. If he or she doesn’t adapt to your learning style, subject needs and preferences, it most likely will be time to try someone else.
What is the Difference Between Tutoring and Academic Coaching?
The terms “tutoring” and “academic coaching” are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between the two. As you look for the right tutor, it’s important to understand the difference.
Tutoring is focused on helping students understand specific concepts and academic material. On the other hand, academic coaching is focused on helping students develop long-term study skills and strategies.
Academic coaches work with students to assess their strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and create action plans. They also provide guidance and support throughout the semester to help students stay on track. As a result, academic coaching can have a profound impact on a student’s academic success.
While tutoring can be beneficial, academic coaching is a more comprehensive approach to improving grades and boosting confidence.
What Qualifies You As a Tutor?
Are you thinking about getting a tutoring job yourself – or just want to rehash once more what goes into being a great academic tutor?
While the requirements to becoming a tutor may vary depending on the subject, institution, and grade level, there are some qualities that all good tutors share.
First and foremost, tutors must have a thorough understanding of the material they are teaching. They should be able to explain concepts in multiple ways and provide examples that make the material more relatable.
Additionally, tutors should be patient and adaptable, as they will often be working with students who have different learning styles. They should also be able to manage their time well, as they will often have to juggle multiple students and tasks. Finally, good tutors must be able to create a positive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes.
By possessing these qualities, tutors can set their students up for success both inside and outside the classroom.
What are you waiting for? Hire an academic tutor today – and watch yourself soar.
Jason N. tutors in English and Spanish in Fairfax, CA. He majored in Spanish at UC Davis, lived in Mexico for 3 years where he completed a Master’s degree in Counseling, and studied Spanish Literature and Psychology at the University of Costa Rica. Learn more about Jason here!
Photo by Tulane Public Relations
Suzy S.