When your kid is trying hard on their own and just can’t improve their grades, it may be time for a tutor. That probably sounds easier said than done when you consider all the factors — because even good tutors can be very different from each other.
- Subject Matter v. Emotional Intelligence: Knowing the material is obviously an important ingredient to tutoring, but how well the tutor “reads” the student is just as important. Does the student respond to mild encouragement or more nudging?
- Your Neighbor’s Tutor: The tutor that your neighbor or friend uses is not automatically right for your student. This goes back to emotional intelligence, but it also may be due to a different level of subject matter.
- The First Hour: The first meeting between your kid and the tutor shouldn’t really contain too much tutoring. The tutor should spend time with the student, finding out about the school and social dynamics that may be holding them back.
- Interfacing with the Teacher: Some tutors and teachers will gladly confer with each other, but not every tutor has the access or inclination to maintain a network like that.
- Standardized Tests: Some tutors “teach to the test” when it comes to the SAT and ACT. That is, they don’t teach any other subjects besides math and English. Whether you want a surgical tutor like that, or a well rounded one, is a decision that you’ll probably want to run by the teacher for that course.
- Price: You can expect hourly rates to be, basically, $50 and up. Of course, there may be less expensive tutors who deserve more money, and more expensive tutors who deserve less money.
Reviews can probably help in the last mile, but I would treat them with the same skepticism as an Amazon review. Because that’s the world we live in now.
If you need help implementing any of these suggestions, or even have some of your own, please contact us.
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