Recently, parents have been increasingly raising the topic of tutoring. Some are dissatisfied with the quality of school education, others are worried about their child’s academic performance, and others are thinking about future instruction. This question is especially relevant when preparations for exams, tests, and quizzes begin in the second semester. How to understand whether or not your child needs a tutor? And how to choose a good teacher?
What to consider when choosing a tutor
A parent needs to understand what kind of help he or she or she expects from a specialist: doing homework with a child or real knowledge of the subject. In the first case, only the grade improves. However, suppose you want to get a solid understanding of a particular subject and expect to get a good result in the exam. In that case, you will have to study according to the program offered by the chosen teacher.
It is necessary to choose a specialist with whom the child will feel comfortable communicating, who will explain the material in an accessible language. If the child studies because you decide so, the result can take a long time to come. Sometimes you can find a calculus tutor online.
Where and how can I find a good tutor?
The important point is that not everyone needs a tutor. Classes in a small group are usually cheaper, and the effect will be just as good if the teacher is a professional. Working one-on-one with a tutor without peers is less fun because there are no equal interlocutors, rivals, and peers.
The success of the lessons depends not only on the tutor but also on the child and the parent. Because the tutor gives knowledge, helps to understand the subject, and the child needs to actively study, ask questions if something is unclear, do homework.
Does the child really need a tutor?
You shouldn’t be guided only by school grades. Get a third-party opinion. If a child doesn’t like the teacher, and you understand that this is not a caprice – stop torturing your child, even if you were recommended to this teacher. You want to learn from a person who you like, creates a friendly atmosphere.
Pros and cons of tutoring
The main disadvantage of a tutor is the problem of controlling the results of mastered knowledge. You can pay a tutor to do your child’s homework for years and then find that there is no chance of a good grade on the exam. That’s why regular monitoring is necessary.
On the plus side, you can get individual work. It is convenient if a person comes to your home, but this is also a disadvantage because it is difficult to create a full working mood in such conditions.
When is a tutor not helpful?
When grades deteriorate, parents look for problems in the learning process: the teacher tells poorly, discipline in the classroom is poor, the son or daughter does not make effort and does their homework badly. And the problem is often not learning but lack of motivation. In this case, tutors not only do not solve the problem but exacerbate it.
In this situation, improving grades is the same as fighting the symptoms rather than treating the disease. Parents risk wasting time and money without getting the results they need, even if the tutor is the best. If specialist help is needed, professional tutors work effectively with motivation problems.
