How To Choose The Best Private Tutor For Your Child
By Stuart J Adams
For many parents trying to choose the right tutor, it can be a bit like choosing a car if you've never driven one before. You know you want one that's 'good' but it can be a bit confusing knowing how to judge what makes one good or not. Although there's plenty of 'user friendly' advice resources that first time car buyers can find online, finding someone to help you know how to choose the best tutor is a lot more difficult, even though the tutor you choose for your son or your daughter may well be a far more important decision that impacts their future than most others you will have to make. Your child's tutor is after all, not just another teacher; they will be your son or daughters own personal role model.
Why It's So Important To Choose The Right Tutor
Whether our kids are struggling with their confidence or just struggling with everything; parents who know their children well enough know full well, that the attitude they form towards their schoolwork will have the biggest impact on their performance. And the attitude they establish is largely determined by their surroundings.
You know how the class they are in at school has a big impact on how well they perform? A different teacher and a different group of classmates can make a big difference sometimes. Well consider that when we're talking a private one-on-one tutor, the difference here can be even bigger. If you get a tutor who does not understand the way your child learns best, who makes each lesson boring or tedious and does not make learning specifically relevant to your child, then the overall experience will be a negative one.
So if your son or daughter has already established a negative feel towards the areas they need more help, then this is the last thing you want. Get a tutor who has the ability to change the way your child thinks about and feels towards their schoolwork in a positive way however, and the rest will fall into place from there.
Are They A Teacher Or Just A Student?
Just like a first time car buyer might be looking for a car "that goes fast" or that is the right colour, many parents who are uncertain what to look for in a tutor make the same common assumptions. The most common one is that a classroom school teacher makes the best tutor. Whilst a classroom teacher certainly would have some of the right experiences and understandings about learning and about classroom curriculum, not all school teachers make good tutors and not all great tutors are school teachers. It's a bit like the confused car owner looking for something safe, who buys a 4WD with the assumption that being a 4WD automatically makes it safer. In may be, but not necessarily. Having a better idea of what personal attributes to look for would put you in a far better position to make the right decision.
Personality - A Good Tutor Is A People Person
The most important personal attribute of any good tutor is the ability to communicate in a way that makes the learner feel motivated, enthusiastic and confident in their ability to master and enjoy whatever challenges come along. In other words, a good tutor must have good people skills, particularly when it comes to making learning fun and interesting for young students.
They must be able to explain complicated concepts in a way that 'makes sense' to their student, and must be able to do so in a way that inspires their student want to engage in what they are learning. No matter what the tutors qualifications, work experience or job title is, if they are not able to do that then they will fail your child.
Whilst many school teacher's and highly qualified professions are great at doing this, we have not found any significant correlation between these personal attributes and any specific qualifications. Instead, we do find significant correlations between these attributes and specific personality traits. For that reason, a good tutoring company will look at a tutors communication style and personality; not just the degrees they hold or the marks they achieved at school or university.
Should I Just Find Someone Privately?
You might be able to find a tutor who works in a 'sole trader' role in your local area. Just as buying a car from a private sale might be a bit cheaper than getting one through a reputable dealer with a warranty, finding someone operating as an individual for cash in hand jobs might be cheaper too, however there is also much less certainty about the reliability of who you're getting.
If you are going to find someone this way, it is still important to find out if they follow the above criteria by asking them what their approach to tuition is specifically. Depending on how much you value legitimacy and legal requirements, you might also wish to make sure that they have passed a working with children check, hold a valid liability insurance policy and that they're willing to provide you with invoices and other legitimate paperwork.
As a general rule, it is always better and more reliable to find a tutor employees by a reputable company. The question that parent's want answered therefore is how to know whether a particular company really does provide a good quality service, or whether they just look good on the surface. The following gives you some guidelines to know what to look for.
How To Differentiate A Good Tutoring Company From A Dud
The first way to tell is to have a look at their recruitment process, by pretending as though you are looking for work with that company as a tutor. Which criteria do they emphasise as being the most important? Do the seem more preoccupied with things that can be quantified on a piece of paper, or attributed that are qualified in a personality?
The second thing is to make sure that the company provides specific training to their tutors, and stipulates that their tutors follow a specified approach. If they don't, then basically all the company is doing is acting as a middleman, whilst sending you out a tutor to do whatever the tutor pleases. This is kind of like buying a car without knowing anything about the car that you're being sold, other than that it's a car that has passed the dealerships standards.
This is actually a common problem you will find among tutoring companies. The reason that they often do not provide specific training or required procedures to their tutors is because quite often, the tutors are sub contractors rather than employees. A company can't really require a sub contractor to follow company rules the same way an employee must. Sub contractors are cheaper to provide work to, which is why many tutoring companies do it this way. For this reason, always ask whether the tutor is an employee or a sub contractor, and if they are an employee; what kind of training to they receive and what kind of standards does the company require them to adhere to? If the company is confident in their own standards, they should have no problem providing you with specific details.
What Standards Are Important For A Tutoring Company
Specific Curriculum: Many tutoring companies have their own curriculum that their tutors are required to follow, irrespective of what areas the student needs specific help with and irrespective of what the student is doing at school during class. For students who are already achieving top marks at class and want to extend their skills, then this approach can be like 'cross training'. For students struggling in particular areas and want to do better in class, this approach tends to be confusing and overwhelm the student.
For this reason, make sure that the company specifies that their tutors take steps to ensure that they find our specifically what your child is doing in class, and follow their classroom curriculum. Make sure they also take steps to find out what your child needs specific help with, and is flexible enough to be able to focus on those areas.
Communication With School: The most effective way of doing this is when the tutor actually takes steps to communicate with the child's teacher(s) at school. If your tutor is able to form a good rapport with your child's school teacher, it is a great way to bridge the gap of communication between the home and the school. It helps the tutor know specifically what is going on in the classroom. If there are particular areas that your child's school teacher knows they need more assistance with that they do not have time for, they can just tell their tutor who can give them the added assistance they really need.
Because this is such a critical part of good tuition, you should not only insist that your child's tutor is willing to communicate with your child's school teacher, but that they are willing to initiate communication.
No Lock In Contracts: If you are not happy with your tutor, you should be under no obligation to continue with them, and only be charged for the lessons you have already had. Any company who wants to charge you up front fees or lock in contracts should be avoided. If the company knows that their employees are great tutors, there should be no need to do this.
Focus On Specific Skills: Ask about what specific skills the company's employees are required to focus on. Do they focus on computer skills as well as no computer skills, or is it only one or the other? Do they focus on specific confidence building strategies, or will they treat your child as an emotionless robot? Do they also provide opportunity to focus on assessment skills, higher order thinking skills and autonomous leaning skills? Do they specifically aim to find out what kind of learning styles your child is strongest in, or do they treat everyone as though they are the same?
Additional Support: A good tutoring company does more than just provide parents with a tutor. A good tutoring company cares about understanding each parents specific concerns, and aims to empower parents to know what they can do to support their children's learning needs. Check the companies website to see if they have a login section for parents, and find out what additional resources and support services they provide for parents specifically, or are they just a middleman?
For more resources and information on choosing the right Tutors Sydney, see the Home Tutoring Sydney website for more details.
Make sure you hire the right tutor for your son or daughters needs. A good tutor should understand the way your child's mind works, and have the right personality that they can look up to.
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Choosing a Tutor
By Raichel Ronayne
When your child struggles with homework night after night and you read school reports about falling grades, you may consider hiring a tutor. Before you make a choice, you should ask questions so you can make an informed decision.
Does your child really need a tutor?
Falling grades and homework struggles are usually signs that your child needs a tutor, right? Not always. There can be several reasons that affect your child's performance at school and finding the cause and solution may take a little investigation.
If your family has just moved to a new area, your child may feel insecure about being "the new kid" in school, or if your child has advanced to middle or high school, he/she may feel unsure about performing well in new subjects. These kinds of insecurities should pass with time and experience.
There may also be other reasons your child is having problems with his schoolwork: There may be a personality conflict with a teacher, encounters with schoolyard bullies or your child may be feeling pressure to succeed because his/her friends seem to easily grasp new concepts.
Your child may be unable or unwilling to articulate the source(s) of problems in school. If so, talk to his/her teacher(s). Ask them if your child's behavior in class has changed; is there reluctance to participate in class discussions? Has your child been disruptive in class? Or does he/she seem isolated on the playground?
Searching for a tutor
Finding the right tutor for your child is a time-consuming process. You can begin your search by asking your child's school if they recommend individual tutors or commercial tutoring centers. In addition, ask other parents if they have experience in hiring tutors.
If you consider using a commercial tutoring program, ask about the credentials of the tutors they employ and how they conduct their tutoring sessions. Some centers may assign a different tutor for every session or children may spend most of their time working with tutoring software. If you're going to make a financial commitment, make sure you're getting your money's worth. Below are some specific questions you should consider in your search:
Consider the financial commitment of hiring a tutor
Before you make a decision to hire a tutor, consider your financial commitment. Find out if commercial tutoring centers offer package deals such as charging one price for a specific amount of sessions instead of charging per hour.
Independent tutors usually charge by the hour and the average price varies by location. At the minimum, a good tutor charges $20 to $35 an hour depending on their education and experience. Expect to pay more for a tutor specially trained to teach children with learning disabilities.
Finally, ask yourself how much time will your child need to improve his/her grades? A few weeks? A few months? Anticipate a longer rather than a shorter time to see improvement. For example, if you can only afford a tutor for a few weeks but your child needs more, you should consider alternative resources like math or writing software.
If your child has learning disabilities, make sure that a potential tutor has been specially trained to teach your child. Many tutoring centers don't employ tutors with special training, so you may have to seek out an independent tutor or consult with a center that specializes in learning disabilities.
Choosing a tutor can be time consuming and difficult and there are many things to think about and questions to ask. Nevertheless, once you find the right tutor, the positive changes in your child's performance and confidence are worth it.
References
Broatch, Linda (09/22/2003). Questions to Ask Tutors. SchwabLearning.org, Retrieved 08/07/2006, from [http://schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=80]
Hall, Susan (09/28/2001). Finding a Good Reading Tutor. SchwabLearning.org, Retrieved 08/07/2006, from [http://schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=362]
Are You Caught in Tutoring Craze? [Television series episode]. In The Early Show. New York: CBS News.
10/04/2004). Hiring a Tutor for Your Child [Television series episode]. In The Early Show. New York: CBS News.
RaiChel Ronayne is a writer/reviewer for http://toptenreviews.com/. TopTenREVIEWS features expert reviews for technology and entertainment products and services. The company has served over 60 million Internet visitors, has over 400,000 pages of original content and provides users with free access to in-depth product and service reviews with side-by-side comparisons and industry related news and articles.
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Private Tutoring - How to Choose the Best Private Tutor For Your Child
By Sean Tearney
There are many things you should look for when choosing the right private tutor. Sometimes though it will come down to trying various tutors out and seeing which one works best with you. Outlined here are the characteristics you should look for and the steps you should then take to ensure you've chosen the right person.
Choosing your private tutor - Male, Female?
If you're choosing a private tutor for your child, be aware that with all the best intentions you and your tutor may have, children can take an instant unwarranted dislike to new adults in their home. Your child may relate better to male teachers than female teachers or vice versa. Ask your child which they would prefer as they will then feel involved and it will become their decision to select the tutor rather than it being forced upon them. It can be very difficult to judge how a person will get on with your child without actually trying it. We encourage our clients to try our tutors out, if they don't work out with the children there's usually another tutor available to take over. There's a fine line between perseverance with a tutor that isn't getting on well with your child and giving up too early before a tutor is able to make a "breakthrough". We all know how stubborn children can be!
Experience and Qualifications
Depending on the level of private tutoring you are looking for you will obviously have different experience and qualifications requirements. Qualification checks are the one way you can be sure that your private tutor knows what they're talking about. For primary school all you really need to look for is someone with either a teaching degree or a university student (undergraduate) that has a great rapport with children. The way to find out if they're good with children is usually through word-of-mouth. Our tutoring service has online feedback for all our tutors so look for something like this if you are going through an agency. The higher the level of tutoring you are looking for the higher the qualifications requirements will be. If you are studying for a degree you will probably be looking for a post-graduate tutor who is specialising in your subject. It can be difficult to check your tutor's qualifications so we recommend you go through an agency that's reputation is hinged on providing high-quality tutoring services and will have checked these kinds of things out for you.
Experience is more important with younger people as experienced tutors will have devised ways of keeping focus and disciplining your child covertly! A friend of mine rewards her children with biscuits which makes them extremely attentive and willing to listen! As with anything, expect to get what you pay for. Highly experienced private tutors generally will charge a premium for their services. There really is no substitute for a highly experienced, qualified and reliable private tutor.
Location/ Availability
Try to pick a private tutor that lives fairly close to you. Traffic delays, especially if you live in a built-up area, can be frustrating for both parties. The closer the tutor is to you the easier it will be for them to arrive on time. Make sure that your tutor's availability doesn't clash with other pre-arranged activities. Childrens diaries are so full these days that it's easy to mix up booking times. Try also to pick a time that leaves enough breathing room for your child either side. The last thing your child wants to do is walk in from school and straight into a home tutoring lesson! It also shouldn't be too late at night as tiredness has a big impact on concentration levels.
Reputation/ Word of mouth
The most compelling motivator to selecting a private tutor is a positive referral. If you can find a tutor that has great feedback from others, especially from your own social group then you're on to a winner! If you know someone that is using a private tutor, ask them if you can sit in on the lesson and watch it. The tutor may be uncomfortable with this so be sure to check with them first. First-hand experience is the best way of choosing a tutor that's right for you.
How do I know I've chosen the right person?
When you have chosen a tutor for your child, be sure to sit in on the lesson if possible. If this is proving distracting to your child then talk to them afterwards and ask them to go over what they covered. Reinforcement of the things they have learned is a proven technique in improving memory skills. Showing an interest in what your child is learning can result in your child taking much more interest in the subject themselves. The proof of the pudding is in the eating so you should see a marked improvement in confidence at school or grades in exams. Private tutoring can be expensive so make sure you are getting good value for money.
ActiveUnlimited has private tutors available for you or your child in a variety of subjects - Maths, English, Foreign Languages and Sciences (Chemistry, Biology and Physics), at all levels from primary and secondary to HSC and beyond. Book a Private Tutor in your area today or Join us as a Private Tutor.
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Do You Know What Qualities Your Tutor Agency is Looking For in Your Child's Future Full-time Tutor?
By Adam Caller
The decision to employ a full-time live-in tutor can have a monumental impact on family life. Perhaps the tutor is being hired to help remedy academic problems, or maintain a consistent education for your child when your family travels extensively. Perhaps conventional schooling has failed your child and the time has come to step away from the traditional school system. Having a reputable tutor agency find and screen candidates is essential. Not only because of the background and reference checks, but also because they know the qualities to look for in the best full-time tutors, and how to ensure a candidate genuinely has those qualities. As parents, awareness of some of the core abilities and characteristics the agency will be looking for can give you confidence when making your final selection from the shortlisted candidates.
Background checks
The best tutor agencies will carry out a great deal of research on the final tutor candidates before you meet them, to ensure that there are no previous convictions. Check that the tutor agency also carries out background research that is sufficiently in-depth to uncover serious accusations that may fall below the radar of a normal criminal record check. Not all tutor agencies do this, and as the live-in tutor will become a member of your household staff and have daily contact with your children, the expertise in this area that the best agencies offer cannot be underestimated.
Academic excellence
Of course, any candidate under consideration must have an outstanding academic career, one which demonstrates a superlative academic track record throughout school and an excellent degree from a top university. This is critical, as the interaction between the tutor and student tends to be more intellectually challenging when the tutor is the single point of call for all academic questions. The speed at which topics can be introduced is faster than when managing a class, therefore the depth of tuition can exceed a standard school curriculum.
Ideally a private live-in tutor will be skilled in a wide range of subjects - they may have a degree in a language but studied one or more of the sciences at A-level for example. This variety of knowledge is necessary in order to be able to deal with the intensity of tutoring one or two students full time, not only because the tutor is responsible for educating in multiple disciplines, but also because student questions can cover a wide variety of topics at varying depths.
The very best private tutors can demonstrate that they have passions - for learning and for interests that they have pursued beyond school and university. Professional qualifications are a good indicator of this, but also leisure activities. Many of the best live-in tutors have done extraordinary things; cycled across Europe for example, or enjoy things like parachuting, travelling, activities that are challenging and broaden the mind. Not only can this be inspirational for your child, but also demonstrates that the live-in tutor has a character that is above average; an individual who is adventurous and able to deal with challenges.
Some personality types are better suited to being a live-in tutor than others
The ideal live-in tutor also has a particular type of personality; whilst that person can demonstrate extraordinarily high achievement, they should also have humility. Arrogance and self-absorption are not good qualities for a full-time live-in tutor! Imagine a wonderful physics tutor who also mountain climbs. On paper that sounds great, but if that person is so egocentric that they can't fit into your family, or have dinner conversations that don't center on their great Everest experience, they won't be a good live-in tutor.
A live-in tutor is also a role model
Another question to consider is whether the candidate would make an exemplary role model - after all, he or she is likely to become a major influence in your child's life. Being a role model ranges from not smoking to being responsible in society. It's having an unblemished professional record, and demonstrating total engagement in everything the tutor does, both professionally and in leisure time. A full-time private tutor will be spending so much time with your children that it will be hard to hide any bad habits they might have.
Ultimately, the ideal live-in tutor has to be responsible, resourceful, and someone that you know will be able to deal with any kind of problem that may arise. After all, the tutor will be trusted to care for your child, not only in a study or library, but also when out on visits to galleries, museums and other events. Once the tutor agency has identified the best candidates; individuals with all of these core qualities and more, you can make your final selection with confidence.
About Adam Caller
Adam Caller has been directly involved in education for the entirety of his career, and has tutored students of all ages. He has received specialist training in dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder and is very sensitive to children's educational difficulties. As founder of Tutors International, a worldwide organization providing experienced private tutors to work with children of all ages and nationalities, Adam has turned his expertise to recruiting, training and placing other tutors to help families.
Tutors International specializes in providing tutors for a wide variety of situations, from helping students re-take critical exams, helping pupils with the transition of moving between international school systems, and supporting youngsters with AD/HD and dyslexia. They provide a bespoke service to find the right tutor that suits the child's needs and aspirations, and if a full-time live-in tutor is required, Adam personally ensures that the assigned tutor is the right match for the family and fits in the environment.
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What to Look For in a Spanish Tutor
By Jessica Ojeda
What to look for in a Spanish tutor:
#1
The most important thing a Spanish tutor should have is extensive knowledge of Spanish grammar and not just the ability to speak Spanish. Think about it this way, you and all of your friends speak proper, or at least have the ability to speak proper English. However, how many of you could make a good English teacher or tutor to someone whose native language isn't English? Maybe one or two of several, right? Just because someone is fluent in a language doesn't mean they have the grammatical knowledge necessary in order to effectively teach that language.
#2
A good Spanish tutor must be fluent in Spanish! You might be thinking, well if the tutor meets requirement number 1, which is to have extensive knowledge of Spanish grammar, then they must be fluent, too. However, this thinking is incorrect. The fact is, just because a Spanish tutor may know all the grammar rules of Spanish, doesn't mean that he or she can process these rules simultaneously and at a fast enough pace to be considered fluent.
I, personally, can vouch for this! I was a Spanish expert, or so I thought. I was a Spanish major and in my 3rd year of college. I aced all of my Spanish tests and barely had time to study due to work and my other major, geology, which took up most of my study time. I was extremely excited to study abroad in Mexico and felt prepared to "show off" my mad Spanish skills. When I arrived, I was in shock! When my host mother spoke to me and very very slowly at that, tragically, I didn't understand 75% of what she said. I was crushed. I knew that the knowledge was in my brain to understand her, but I just wasn't able to process it fast enough. What it all boils down to is this: I was still translating from English to Spanish in my brain instead of thinking in Spanish, and in order for me to achieve the fluency I desired, I knew I must be able to think in Spanish and not just know Spanish.
Spanish fluency is vital since a student often asks the very important question, "How can I say this in Spanish?", and the Spanish tutor must draw upon several grammar rules and vocabulary at once. This can be difficult or not even possible for a tutor who only has knowledge of Spanish grammar.
#3
A good Spanish tutor must have a great Spanish accent and sound like a native Spanish speaker! Correct accents are essential when learning a foreign language. Therefore, having a tutor with a horrible Spanish accent will cripple your Spanish-speaking abilities. Haven't you been on the phone with a non-native English speaker with a strong accent? It's not the most enjoyable experience as we all know. Much effort must be put into the conversation just to communicate simple ideas.
#4
All good Spanish tutors must possess the ability to teach. No matter how knowledgeable a tutor is in their subject, if they can't transmit their knowledge in a manner in which the student can easily understand the material, they can't make a good tutor.
#5
Chances are if a student needs a Spanish tutor, the student's interest level in Spanish probably isn't too high. A good Spanish tutor must be able to motivate the student and teach them why the subject is important and relevant to their life. The Spanish tutor should be able to relate the Spanish language to the student.
#6
A Spanish tutor must be patient. A good Spanish tutor will understand that the same concept may need to be explained several times before a students understands it. After all, most of the time it's not the first time that the student has been exposed to the concept since the Spanish teacher or Spanish learning software have probably covered it already. Basically, a tutor must understand that they are a tutor and not a teacher. Teachers generally go over a new concept once, and twice if he or she considers it to be difficult. But a tutor must go over the same concept in multiple ways until the student has a good understanding.
#7
A good Spanish tutor must of course be reliable. In order to be reliable a good tutor will have lessons prepared, will have read over the student's work ahead of time if it's available, will have extra learning resources available (i.e. Spanish/English dictionary, pencils, erasers, computer with internet, etc.), and most definitely be able to reliably meet the student's needs. Now, I don't expect that a good Spanish tutor will be able to meet all of the student's needs on the spot, but I do expect them to be able to find a way to meet them in the near future. For example, I believe it's perfectly acceptable for the tutor to say (every now and then), "I don't know the answer to that. I'll research it and have the answer to you by tomorrow," or something along those lines.
#8
We all know that the subjects we get tutored in aren't our favorite by far and therefore, are more than likely on the boring side. That's why a Spanish tutor must have a good sense of humor. Imagine, a boring (at least in the student's eyes) subject coupled with a boring tutor. Not a good combo. It may be so horrible that the student decides to just fail or drop the course! This isn't good for the tutor or the student.
#9
A good Spanish tutor must vary their tutoring styles according to the way the student prefers to learn. You know you have a good tutor when the tutor starts the session like this, "How can I help you learn today?" instead of "This is what we are going to do today." By asking how the student would like to be tutored, the tutor shows that which ever learning style works best for the student, is the learning style that will be used.
#10
And last but not least, a good Spanish tutor will care about the success of the student in and out of the realm of Spanish.
You might have noticed that I didn't include experience in the list of what to look for in a Spanish tutor. I believe that jobs requiring experience before the job seeker can even become a job candidate is in short, ridiculous. How many unknown talents must there be just because they couldn't get their foot in the door due to zero years experience? By not allowing new, inexperienced workers in, unknown opportunities are missed unreached heights never reached.
If you're in the market for a good Spanish or English tutor [http://www.bestspanishtutor.com/services/online-english-spanish-tutoring/], please visit my website, http://www.TheSELVA.com. Tutoring rates are very affordable and satisfaction is guaranteed.
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