Are you considering getting a private tutor to help your child with their studies? Are you struggling to decide how to go about it? Worry not, we’ve put together a guide to help you through the process.
The short answer is, No. Tutoring is not necessary, for most children school is enough. However, tutoring can be effective for students struggling at school. Be that due to the class moving too quickly, not getting enough individual attention, or maybe because the teacher’s style does not suit the student.
A better form of tutoring, especially these days, is online tutoring. The online tutoring industry has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, with many online tutoring websites now offering a variety of different packages, with teachers and timings suited to any student. Online tutoring also allows for studying from the comfort of your own home, and especially during a pandemic, is an extremely safe way to do so.
In this day and age, finding a tutor is easier than it has ever been before. Just open up your favorite search engine and do a search. You can find both home and online tutors very easily in this way. Here are some other places to look:
Local Schools
Another option is to look for a tutor in local schools, perhaps in the school your child already goes to. The biggest advantage of going this route is that parents can be assured that the tutors have already been vetted by the school.
Tutoring Centers
Tutoring centres employ teachers of different fields and levels of experience, giving parents a wide pool to select the correct tutor.
Why Hire a Private Tutor?
Many schools and school teachers struggle to ensure the demands of all their students are met. The teachers themselves are not to blame for this, however, as most schools simply take on too many students for a single teacher to be able to properly handle.
This results in the teacher having to give a more generalized lesson, without being able to focus on the needs of individual students. Students in such situations may feel their teachers are ignoring them, and losing faith in their schooling.
In this case, private tutoring can compensate for the lack of attention the students are receiving from their school teachers. Instead of home tutoring however, it may be more prudent to give online tutoring a chance.
With an online tutor, you can enroll your student in either a class, or with a tutor for one on one sessions. In a smaller class, or in one on one sessions, your child can receive a lot more individual attention than they would in a regular school classroom.
Benefits of Online Tutoring
Selecting the right tutor can be very difficult, after all, you’re handing someone the responsibility of looking after your child’s education. To make this difficult task easier, here are a few key factors to consider when looking for a tutor.
Difficulty
If your child is studying something that is too difficult for you yourself to properly teach, it is probably best to hire a tutor. Someone with experience both in the subject and in teaching.
Time
If you have prior commitments, such as a demanding job, or a sick relative to care for, or even classes of your own, hiring a tutor might be a good decision, as it is important for your child to be able to continue their education even if you don’t have the time to properly teach them.
Distractions
If your child struggles with distractions, and your presence in the classroom is a reason for distraction, it may be best to hire a tutor. If you can find the right tutor they will be as strict as a regular teacher, and will be able to keep your child focused on their lessons.
Specific Focus
If you think you can handle most of the subjects that your child needs to be taught, it’s probably best to continue teaching those yourself. However, if there is a specific area that you struggle with, or that your child finds particularly challenging, it may be best to hire a tutor who specializes in the subject, and to let them handle it.
Follow this guide, and you’ll know all you need to hire the perfect tutor for your child.
