It may be that, since lock-down began, your child’s progress has slowed, or even halted, and they are struggling a little with school work while stuck at home without the guidance of their teachers. Perhaps you had seen some evidence that they would benefit from some extra help even before the schools closed. Whatever your reason for looking for a private tutor, there are a number of things you should consider in order to help you make the riight choice.
BUDGET- Regardless of how large or small your budget is, the cost of the tuition should be high on your list of considerations. Look for recommendations and/or referrals as this is always a good sign. Always review the tutor’s website if there is one as it is often possible to get a good, or not so good, ‘gut feel’ from the on-line presence that the tutor or tutoring company is presenting. As with all goods and services, it pays to ‘shop around’ for the best value and do bear in mind that ‘best value’ may not mean ‘cheapest’. Finding a tutor to assist with your child’s education is one of the most important investments you will make – it is crucial that you make the right choice for the right reasons.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE – Clearly, as with any job, we need to know that the candidate is up to the task. You should, therefore, ensure that the tutor has an expert level of subject knowledge and this is especially important for those studying at a higher level – ‘A’ Level and Degree Level students, for example. Confident and high calibre tutors will be able to demonstarte their expertise through the provision of Degree Certificates and/or testimomnials from clients they have previously tutored. If confronted by a potential tutor who is unable to provide this, then perhaps you should continue your search. Tutor Help have a very robust recruitment process which ensures we employ only the highest calibre tutors. We can only provide the highest quality tuition service by employing the best people – so we do.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES – Of course, while of crucial importance, a tutor’s subject knowledge is not all we should look at and some consideration should be given to personality, character, interpersonal ability, motivation and communication skills. You, as the parent of a struggling youngster, need to feel confident this tutor is the one you need to help and you are more likely to get that feeling if he or she communicates well and has a confident and affable personality. Why they are doing the job can also provide positivity and all our tutors are motivated by a love of their subject and a desire to pass that knowledge to others. Knowing ‘what is required’ Is also very important and this is why, at Tutor Help, we carry out a learning style assessment as part of the initial free consultation so we are able to deliver lessons in the way that best suits the learner so as to ensure maximum benefit from them. Having spent some time with the learner, our consultant will get a feel for their personality in order to match them with the ideal tutor with whom they will naturally bond. A good relationship between tutor and learner is essential – how many times are we able to make the link between a child who is struggling in a particular subject and that child’s poor relationship with that subject’s teacher ? At Tutor Help, our processes will ensure no such issue gets in the way.
LOCATION – Too many people get hung up on finding a tutor who lives round the corner. Location should not be the vital and significant consideration that a lot of parents insist on and, with the current lock-down regulations that are in place, you don’t need to consider it at all. There seems to be a general feeling that on-line tuiton is merely “better than nothing” – it is, in fact, “much better than better than nothing” and some excellent results can be achieved through tuition delivered via one of the many excellent on-line applications that are now available.
FLEXIBILITY – Always try and find a tutor that is as flexible as possible. Online tutoring, by it’s very nature can offer short notice opportunities not possible with face to face visits and it would be advantageous to engage a tutor who is happy to be flexible and can deal with short notice changes.
CREATIVITY – No matter what our learning style, we all enjoy lessons much more if they are interesting, fun and creative and this is especially important for younger, possibly KS1 and KS2, learners. A tutor who is very ‘text book’ orientated and offers lessons based on readng page after page of ‘technical’ content may not retain student interest as well as the tutor who really knows their craft (and subject) and offers more interactive sessions. Retaining the interest and engagement of a student will inevitably lead to significant improvement in their performance levels and confidence. So there you go, just a few tips as to what you might like to consider when selecting a tutor for yourself or your child. Of course, we’re all different and will have our own specific requirements but I hope the above guidelines help you to make the right choice for you. While we are still in the midst of lock-down and the vast majority of our schools remain closed, and even when we get back to normal, if you feel a tutor can help, please give us a call on 01978 253887 or submit a webform, and our representative will be in touch within 24 hours.
BUDGET- Regardless of how large or small your budget is, the cost of the tuition should be high on your list of considerations. Look for recommendations and/or referrals as this is always a good sign. Always review the tutor’s website if there is one as it is often possible to get a good, or not so good, ‘gut feel’ from the on-line presence that the tutor or tutoring company is presenting. As with all goods and services, it pays to ‘shop around’ for the best value and do bear in mind that ‘best value’ may not mean ‘cheapest’. Finding a tutor to assist with your child’s education is one of the most important investments you will make – it is crucial that you make the right choice for the right reasons.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE – Clearly, as with any job, we need to know that the candidate is up to the task. You should, therefore, ensure that the tutor has an expert level of subject knowledge and this is especially important for those studying at a higher level – ‘A’ Level and Degree Level students, for example. Confident and high calibre tutors will be able to demonstarte their expertise through the provision of Degree Certificates and/or testimomnials from clients they have previously tutored. If confronted by a potential tutor who is unable to provide this, then perhaps you should continue your search. Tutor Help have a very robust recruitment process which ensures we employ only the highest calibre tutors. We can only provide the highest quality tuition service by employing the best people – so we do.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES – Of course, while of crucial importance, a tutor’s subject knowledge is not all we should look at and some consideration should be given to personality, character, interpersonal ability, motivation and communication skills. You, as the parent of a struggling youngster, need to feel confident this tutor is the one you need to help and you are more likely to get that feeling if he or she communicates well and has a confident and affable personality. Why they are doing the job can also provide positivity and all our tutors are motivated by a love of their subject and a desire to pass that knowledge to others. Knowing ‘what is required’ Is also very important and this is why, at Tutor Help, we carry out a learning style assessment as part of the initial free consultation so we are able to deliver lessons in the way that best suits the learner so as to ensure maximum benefit from them. Having spent some time with the learner, our consultant will get a feel for their personality in order to match them with the ideal tutor with whom they will naturally bond. A good relationship between tutor and learner is essential – how many times are we able to make the link between a child who is struggling in a particular subject and that child’s poor relationship with that subject’s teacher ? At Tutor Help, our processes will ensure no such issue gets in the way.
LOCATION – Too many people get hung up on finding a tutor who lives round the corner. Location should not be the vital and significant consideration that a lot of parents insist on and, with the current lock-down regulations that are in place, you don’t need to consider it at all. There seems to be a general feeling that on-line tuiton is merely “better than nothing” – it is, in fact, “much better than better than nothing” and some excellent results can be achieved through tuition delivered via one of the many excellent on-line applications that are now available.
FLEXIBILITY – Always try and find a tutor that is as flexible as possible. Online tutoring, by it’s very nature can offer short notice opportunities not possible with face to face visits and it would be advantageous to engage a tutor who is happy to be flexible and can deal with short notice changes.
CREATIVITY – No matter what our learning style, we all enjoy lessons much more if they are interesting, fun and creative and this is especially important for younger, possibly KS1 and KS2, learners. A tutor who is very ‘text book’ orientated and offers lessons based on readng page after page of ‘technical’ content may not retain student interest as well as the tutor who really knows their craft (and subject) and offers more interactive sessions. Retaining the interest and engagement of a student will inevitably lead to significant improvement in their performance levels and confidence. So there you go, just a few tips as to what you might like to consider when selecting a tutor for yourself or your child. Of course, we’re all different and will have our own specific requirements but I hope the above guidelines help you to make the right choice for you. While we are still in the midst of lock-down and the vast majority of our schools remain closed, and even when we get back to normal, if you feel a tutor can help, please give us a call on 01978 253887 or submit a webform, and our representative will be in touch within 24 hours.
