There has been a huge increase in the number of tutoring platforms and agencies in the last decade. For parents it can be an overwhelming experience to sieve through the vast number of tutors, find the right educator and ensure that their child receives the correct academic support. As an educator with over 10 years of experience, I provide actionable tips to simplify the process of finding the best tutor to support your child on their academic journey.
1. Find an educator rather than a tutor
A tutor is an umbrella term that covers a huge range of individuals, from a fresh-faced A-level student keen to earn some extra cash to a qualified teacher with decades of experience. Regardless of experience, most tutors focus primarily on teaching the prescribed material for a specific subject, with little focus on the wider aspects of education.
In contrast, an educator is someone who does private teaching for a full-time job and covers a much broader range of skills, including supporting their students with exam technique, revision planning and career development. An educator teaches essential study skills that can be applied across all subjects. It is crucial to have a conversation with an educator before hiring them to establish their teaching style, work experience and pedagogic methods.
2. Look for academically-driven and success-orientated tutors
It is important to find an educator that has a strong track record of academic achievements and is success orientated. These type of educators inspire students to do well in their work, help them see the bigger picture and guide students to the right path with their university and career choices.
Interestingly, research has shown that a simple change in a teacher’s attitude towards underperforming students to believe that all students have the potential to do well in their studies resulted in those students attaining significantly higher grades. Hence, tutors and educators who are naturally success orientated and academically driven will naturally pass this motivation to their students, allowing them to rapidly progress in their studies.
3. Shop around and understand the pricing structures
Make sure to look through several tutoring websites before you choose a particular tutor. You are quite likely to find the same tutors on different tutoring platforms. It is important to understand that different tutoring platforms charge different commissions, either on-going commission or a one-off charge to release their details. It is possible that you will find the same tutor on a different website for a cheaper price.
4. Check tutor reviews and ask around
It is essential to check a tutor’s reviews and see how other students and parents found their lessons. Usually, outstanding tutors will have many reviews and their profile is top of the list. Alternatively, you can ask friends and family whether they have any recommendations for an excellent tutor. Parental networks can be useful in providing tutor contacts.
5. Start sooner and send a proper initial message
It is important to understand that with the huge increase in demand for private tutoring, top educators have limited availability and will usually get booked out closer to exams. I would highly recommend booking lessons with an educator at the beginning of the academic year to provide plenty of time for your child to improve in their academic work.
It is also important to make an impression as a parent, so I suggest sending a proper message rather than using an automated template provided by some of the websites. Not putting time to compose a proper message to an educator can come off abrupt and rude at times. Tutoring is a two-way arrangement and the fit has to work both ways.
Please get in touch if you would like a free consultation on how to find the best tutor for your child by sending a message via my contact form :).
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