Look for a Tutor - 15 Questions to Help Qualify a Tutor

· 10 min read
Look for a Tutor - 15 Questions to Help Qualify a Tutor

1. What can you charge? Fees can range anywhere from $15-$75-hour. Usually at the low end of the scale are people without degrees or teaching credentials. They might also be senior high school or college students seeking to earn some additional income. Based on their academic knowledge and their capability to explain things, these less expensive tutors may or may possibly not be a good match for your child. At top of the end of the scale are people who have advanced degrees (Masters and Doctorates) together with college professors. Again, just because they look good in some recoverable format and charge lots of money doesn't mean they're the best tutors. What you are seeking is someone your son or daughter can relate to and understand, someone who explains things in different ways until your child "gets it." Feel lucky when you can find a certified teacher who includes a good rapport with your child that charges ranging from $20-$40-hour.
2. What is the length of a session, and how often should the student meet with you? To function as most effective, tutors should meet with students 2-3 times weekly. Sessions can range between 1-2 hour to 2 hours, according to the age of one's child. Very young children have short attention spans and really should meet more often but for shorter periods of time. High school students can focus for up to two hours if the tutor varies the activities and keeps the discussions lively. Even though students are attending 2 hour sessions, they should still talk with a tutor at the very least twice weekly. By only meeting once weekly, students cannot get enough feedback concerning the material they are covering and don't have the consistency they have to succeed in their problem areas.
3. How long are you tutoring? Tutors who've at least one year of experience have had time to work out the kinks in their systems. That's not to say that tutors just starting out won't be excellent teachers for your student, especially if they have previous experience as teachers. However, novice tutors probably haven't exercised their billing system or their cancellation policy or other styles of business matters. They may not have as much resources open to them as tutors who've been running a business longer. Conversely, just because a tutor has 20 years of experience doesn't mean he-she is a good match for the child. Sometimes older tutors get set in their ways and also have difficulty adjusting their system to new material or children with problems focusing. Making sure your student gets along with the tutor is probably the most important factors in ensuring the relationship is a successful one.
4. Are you a certified teacher? Certified teachers have had to pass minimum competency exams in their areas of expertise. So you can be sure that a certified teacher includes a certain routine knowledge of educational concepts and at least some degree of proficiency in his-her subject areas. Generally teachers are either certified as elementary (covering grades K-8) or secondary (covering grades 6-12). As  家庭教師 個人契約 大学生  can plainly see, the certifications overlap at grades 6-8, the middle school years. So teachers with either elementary or secondary certifications would be qualified to tutor these grade levels. With regards to the age of one's child, you wish to try to get yourself a teacher with the appropriate certification. That's not to say a teacher with a secondary certification can't help an elementary student or vice versa. It's just that teachers with an elementary certification have had specialized training dealing with younger children whereas teachers with a second certification have had more opportunity to concentrate on more difficult subject material.
5. How would you handle kids with learning problems like ADHD and dyslexia? Teachers must be aware that students with learning difficulties often require different strategies than students who've not been diagnosed with these challenges. Tutors should be able to outline some of their specific approaches for helping your child predicated on what his-her problem happens to be. For instance, what do they do when your ADHD daughter just can't seem to focus? What type of approach would they take with helping your dyslexic son figure out how to read? You should make sure that tutors are sensitive to these types of learning issues and also have strategies in place to cope with them. One of the qualities that all tutors require is patience, so it would be good for one to observe a tutoring session to see on your own how patient the tutor is with your student. If the tutor does not allow parents to watch a session, perhaps they might enable you to tape or video record a session, so that it is less distracting for the child. Also, get feedback from your own children concerning how helpful the tutor is. Don't continue with a tutor who your child does not like and is not enthusiastic about seeing.
6. What is your area of expertise? Different tutors will have different strengths and weaknesses. Just ask the tutor what they feel safe teaching. Your senior high school sophomore might need help in Geometry, Chemistry, and Spanish. But it is unlikely you will see a tutor who is in a position to teach all 3 of these subjects. Often someone good with Math with also be good in Science, and someone good in English will also be good with a spanish. But you may also find that someone with an English degree is also excellent with first year Algebra. You just never know. Which means you should find out what the tutor's credentials are and how much experience they will have teaching the various subjects your student needs help with. Then make the best decision about whether the tutor is qualified to help your student with the topic. High school students might need to see several tutor in order to get all their questions answered for every subject area.
7. What age student can you like to work with? Many teachers have definite preferences in what age student they prefer to use. Some just enjoy helping younger students because they like the enthusiasm and energy children have. Also, many tutors believe that certain upper-level material has ended their heads and feel more comfortable working with easier subject matter. On the other hand, some tutors prefer dealing with older students because they relate with teenagers better and haven't had working out necessary to have the ability to relate with smaller children. Of course there are a few extra special teachers who is able to effectively work with students of any age. So just discover what age student the tutor feels comfortable with and make sure that matches the age of your child.
8. Do you have any references? Tutors who have been working for at least a year should be able to offer the names and phone numbers of other clients that are pleased with their services. If tutors are just starting out, they could not need names of any past clients, however they will be able to give you the names of former employers, teachers, or friends who is able to vouch for their character. If the references you contact seem the least bit unsure about if the tutor is good with kids, then you should look elsewhere for help. In case a person is willing to give you references, they should be good references that inspire confidence in the tutor's capability to teach your child.
9. Where can you tutor? Find out if a tutor prefers to just work at his-her home, your home, or perhaps a neutral location like a library. Many tutors like to work at their very own home. To start with, it is more efficient for them. They can line up clients back-to-back and not lose any time on the road or be caught out if their tutoring student cancels in it. Tutors also find it easier to have all their supplies and materials readily available and never have to tote them around and possibly forget something they'll have to effectively teach the student. If tutors use their own home, make sure that they are working at a well lit place conducive to studying with no distractions. Also, ensure you feel comfortable leaving your son or daughter alone with them. If not, ask the tutor to let you stay in a nearby room through the tutoring session. Other tutors will travel to your home. Be prepared to pay an additional fee because of this service, since the tutor will undoubtedly be out additional time and gas money to travel to you. For tutors who feel their home is not ideal for tutoring (because they have young children or live in a little apartment), they would rather happen to be their clients' homes, plus some of them won't charge any additional fee. Other tutors prefer a neutral location for tutoring like a library because they think it more conducive to studying, and it ensures the safety of both the tutor and the student.
10. What's your cancellation policy? You shouldn't be surprised if your tutor requires one to sign a paper that says in the event that you cancel a tutoring session without at the very least 24 hours notice, then you will be charged for that session. Tutors make their schedules predicated on an agreed upon time making use of their clients. Often they have other clients who would like to tutor at the same time your student is scheduled, however they have to turn away ecommerce because you are already taking up that point slot. If you cancel and the tutor is unable to fill that slot, the tutor has lost a few of his-her anticipated income for that day. In the case of illness or an unexpected emergency, most tutors will help you to make up that tutoring session at another time. Also, you have to know what the tutor's policy is if he-she has to cancel on you. You should get a make-up lesson or perhaps a refund for that session. If a tutor cancels you more than 3 times in a semester, you then should consider searching for another tutor.
11. Can you require me to sign a contract? Don't worry if a tutor asks you to sign a paper that confirms the hourly rate, documents how often he-she are certain to get paid, and outlines the cancellation policy. This contract will benefit both you and the tutor. After all, this is a method of trading, and it is good for both parties to have in writing the details about payment and cancellations. However, in case a tutor wants one to sign a contract that commits one to spending money on a specified number of sessions in advance, then you should beware. What if your son tells you following the second session that the tutor is not being helpful, and he hates her? You do not want to have to help keep taking him to her because you signed a contract that says they have 10 sessions together. And you also don't desire to lose all of the money you spent and get no help at all. Then you are stuck. Just browse the contract carefully, and if there are elements of it you don't trust, discuss them with the tutor and see when you can modify the contract. If you can't, don't sign the contract and look for another tutor.
12. Can we meet with you? Most tutors will consent to meet the parents and student (at no cost) before they begin tutoring. This meeting should enable you the opportunity to look at the house of the tutor and inspect the area where the tutoring will need place to ensure it is suitable. When you are scheduling tutoring at a location other than the tutor's home, this meeting will serve as a job interview. Make certain the student has the capacity to attend this meeting. The way the student relates to the tutor is a lot more important than set up parents just like the tutor. If the tutor only talks to the parents and ignores the student, you may want to seriously consider set up tutor should be able to communicate educational information to your child. If the tutor seems interested in your son or daughter than you, go on it as an excellent sign, a sign that the tutor genuinely likes kids. Of course you will want to make certain the tutor communicates with you and realizes your expectations for tutoring. If the tutor cannot meet with you because of scheduling conflicts, the tutor could be too busy to take on additional clients and may not have the time to give your son or daughter the attention he-she deserves.
13. Can you offer any guarantees? There are no guarantees in life. You may want the tutor to promise you that the student's grades will improve or that the student will study more or that student will start to have an improved attitude about doing homework. While each one of these things might result from your student dealing with a tutor, the tutor can't promise that they can happen. Remember if your child is behind in school, it will require awhile to catch up. Don't expect an instant fix to the problem. Once you learn your student is two grade levels behind, don't expect him-her to catch in a single six weeks. Just how do you want to know if the amount of money you are spending for a tutor will probably be worth it? If your student doesn't mind likely to tutoring, and the tutor can demonstrate what they are working on regularly, then you can trust that they are making progress. Needless to say the best goal of tutoring is for the student to become an independent learner, and that means you should make certain the tutor is encouraging the student to take responsibility for his-her studies and not helping the student complete his-her homework.
14. When can you get paid? The way tutors get paid will vary with each one. Tutors can get paid for each individual session, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Some tutors will want their money in advance while some are content to get paid after services have been rendered. Some tutors will be flexible about if they get paid and others will not. Remember that the tutor also offers bills to pay, and so if they have a particular way they want to be paid, try to accommodate them. If they have many clients and each one pays in different ways, it will be hard for them to keep an eye on who has paid and who has not. Make sure you workout an agreement about payment in advance of beginning tutoring in order that everyone will know what to expect.
15. Will you invoice me? Many tutors will not have the ability to take credit cards, but should they do, you will have a record of your payment once you receive your credit card statement each month. If you pay by check, keeping an archive is easy. You either have it on a duplicate check or on your monthly statement. However, in the event that you pay cash, make certain the tutor gives you a written receipt with the date you made the payment and what the payment covers (the dates and lengths of the tutoring sessions). Many tutors will provide you with a typed invoice for tutoring. If that's the case, keep them in a file folder and make a notation on them about how exactly you paid. In the event that you pay with check, write the check number, amount, and date paid on the invoice. In the event that you pay with cash, simply make a notation of the total amount paid in cash and the date you paid it. If you wish, you can also have the tutor initial the info for verification. This type of record keeping means that there's never any discrepancy between you and the tutor regarding payment.