By Shani’s Tutoring

https://www.sophias-diary.com/directory/listings/shanis-tutoring/

We all want to make sure that our children get the very best. It is up to us as parents to prepare them for the world and make sure that they reach their full potential! However, sometimes this may require some outside help, such as a tutor. If your child is struggling in school or feels that they aren’t getting the most out of their class time, it could be time to look into private tutoring options.

There are loads of options out there, though! There are various agencies, as well as independent private tutors who work on their own. Also, not all forms of tutoring will work for every child. All of this, plus the fact that anyone can start a tutoring business with a bit of determination, means that it can be a challenge to know if you are making the right choice.

Well, we are here to help you! Here is a list of things that you should consider when looking for the perfect private tutor to support your young person.

Assess Why You Need a Tutor

Tutors can help your child with a variety of things. For example, you could hire a tutor to help your child with one or more of the following things:

• Going over the things your child learnt in class to help them to consolidate their knowledge and recap confusing topics.
• Providing your child with extra support to complete their homework and revise for exams.
• Giving your child extra practice and examples of things that they learnt in school.
• Helping your child to catch up to their classmates if they were previously in a different school or education system. This supports them in gaining independence and becoming more confident in their skills.
• Marking extra essays and giving feedback for any exam questions child has completed outside of their school hours.
• Boosting your child’s knowledge and skills beyond their current school level, helping them to prepare for their exams early.
• Inspiring a bright child if they feel as though they are not being challenged enough with their current school level.

So, since there are so many reasons why you could be recruiting the help of a private tutor, it is crucial to think about your child’s personal aims. What is their current level? Have they missed any school for any reason? How well have they responded to learning in school? Do they often feel bored or confused? Do they second-guess themselves? Do they need a confidence boost?

This will help you to communicate your expectations to tutors when you’re in the researching process. The more that a tutor knows about your child, the easier it will be for them to know if they are the right fit for your needs. Plus, they can better prepare for the first lesson!

Ask Others

When looking for a private tutor, it is always a good idea to ask other people for help. People that you know can give the tutor an extra stamp of approval that you need to feel confident in your decision. However, asking other people that you know and trust can give you the extra stamp of approval to make you feel more confident in your decision.

Try to ask other parents if they have had any good experiences with a tutor. Ask for recommendations in social groups and social media communities that you trust, like Sophia’s Diary! If your child already has a tutor for one subject, why not ask them if they know anyone who can help with a different class? A trusted teacher at your child’s school might be a huge help, too!

Once you have chosen a shortlist of tutors, it’s a good idea to keep asking other people. Look at their reviews on their social media. Find people who can vouch for their professionalism and results.

Of course, agencies like MyTutor and directories like SuperProf can be a great help, too. They can absolutely help you to find an amazing tutor to suit your child’s needs! Nothing beats the first-hand experience of a tutor’s methods, though. Plus, if you find someone close by who’s great and independent, you can help to support a local, small business.

Request a Meeting

Most tutors will be happy to arrange a meeting with you free of charge – especially for online tutoring!

This meeting could be from a five-minute Q&A to a one-hour taster session, or even longer! It may be a private class with you and your child. Or it could be a group class where students get to bounce off one another. The format of this meeting isn’t important. It’s fine as long as the tutor gives you a chance to see them interact with your child and answers your questions.

If you are having an online meeting with a tutor, it is important that:

• Talk about prices is upfront and honest. If a tutor is avoiding specifics with costs, they could have some hidden fees!
• The tutor shows their face on camera. Of course, technical difficulties may happen. However, if the tutor is refusing to let you see them and they don’t have a good reason, it’s a red flag, and they should be avoided.
• The tutor interacts with your child in front of you. After all, this is about them, not you! A good tutor will ask your child questions, such as their interests and their favourite school subjects. They may even spend more time talking to your child than you. Plus, it is always a good sign if they call your child by their name!
• You should feel comfortable to communicate with the tutor. Of course, the child comes first. However, you also need to be able to set clear goals. You should feel as though they are responding appropriately and positively to your questions and requests.

By the end of the meeting, both you and your child should feel happy to continue working with them. If not, it’s better to find someone else!

Talk About the Workload

During your meeting or phone call, make sure to talk to the tutor about the workload. How much preparation do they expect your child to do before each lesson? Will they be giving your child homework? How intensive are their sessions?

Talk to your child about their workload. Find out how much homework they do each day, and come to a decision on whether you think that is enough or if you would like them to do more. Most children will tell you that they have too much homework as it is! So, it’s a good idea to come to your own conclusions, too, based on how tired your child is, how many hours they dedicate to homework per night and their personal limits.

Every child should have some time to unwind and do the things they love during the week. So, make sure that you don’t overload them! If they get enough homework from school already, make sure to communicate that to the tutor and find out how much homework they want to give your child. Make sure that you’re on the same page about this! Plus, make sure that they’re willing to be flexible and change their homework levels depending on the time of year.

Review the Tutor’s Online Presence

Most tutors will have an online presence. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for online tutoring or face-to-face. The chances are, they have some information about their services, prices and hours online somewhere.

If you are looking for online tutoring, it is a good idea to check the tutor’s website, business social media or both. They don’t need to have their own domain name and a fancy website. An active social media page or a simple site (such as a Google My Business website) can do the trick. You just need to be able to check that they engage online from time to time. After all, maintaining a basic website is a good sign that they are proficient enough with technology to offer an efficient online class.

It is also a good way to find out more information. Many tutors have a blog where they offer free help and advice to parents. Some give out sample resources, or video demos of their teaching, for free or at a discounted price. These can give you a great idea of the tutor’s unique style and methods so that you can assess their abilities.

If you are looking for someone to come to your house, you should check to see if you can find their prices, as well as a picture or video of what they look like. It can be daunting to let someone into your home, so knowing who is going to walk through your door beforehand is a step to keeping yourself safe.

Of course, if you’re travelling to the tutor, you should also find clear directions on their website, as well as a health and safety policy. The more information they provide, the better!

Include Your Child in the Process

Every child is unique. They have their own needs, interests and desires. So, it can be vital to involve them in the process of selecting a good private tutor. After all, if your child isn’t responding well to a tutor, then they won’t learn much, and you’re wasting your valuable time and money! So, make sure that they feel as though they can learn with the person you choose.

First of all, assess your child’s personal learning style. If they learn well independently, one-to-one tutoring may be the perfect solution for them. If they are social learners, then they may thrive in a group setting where they can engage with and talk to like-minded students. Most young people fall somewhere in the middle, though, so you may want to talk to them personally about their own preferences.

Do you have more information on the way they learn best? There are loads of different types of learners out there. For example, audio, visual and kinaesthetic – just to name a few. Ask them if they learn best when they watch documentaries, use flashcards, read books, etc. Then, relay that information to the potential tutor. A good tutor will keep this in mind and adapt their lessons to match the information.

Once you’ve had that all-important first meeting with a potential tutor, ask your child how they felt about it. Let them weigh in and give their opinion so that you can find a tutor that makes them feel comfortable. If a child feels comfortable with their tutor, then it is easier for them to engage with the lessons and be encouraged to come out of their comfort zone.

Accept That More Money Does Not Mean Better Quality

It is very easy to assume that prices reflect quality when it comes to private tutoring. That’s usually true when you’re paying for services, right? Well, that is not always the case when it comes to finding a private tutor.

There are many, many factors that contribute to the price per hour. For one, the age of a tutor can have a massive impact on how receptive people are to them. That means that younger tutors will usually need to charge less because parents tend to assume that they’re inexperienced, even if they are great. Plus, location plays a large part in price, too. The more affluent the area, the higher the average cost per hour of tutoring will be.

It also depends on the type of tutoring that you’re looking for. If you want a face-to-face tutor, it will cost them to travel to you or to maintain a classroom space. On the other hand, online tutors have fewer costs, and so they can afford to charge you less. Plus, they don’t have to worry about travelling from one location to the other, so they can fit in more sessions per week. Group classes will similarly be cheaper for you, as tutors can split the costs between multiple students.

Then there are the agencies. Since they take a cut of the hourly rate, independent tutors will usually be more cost-effective.

Remember that tutors set their own rates. That means that some tutors can overcharge or undercharge for their services. Of course, their rates will also reflect their level of experience and their qualifications, but it’s not the only thing that could play a part in the price. So, keep an open mind when it comes to rates. Let quality speak for itself.

Remember That a Tutor and Teacher Are Not the Same Thing

As a tutor, I have been asked many times if I am a qualified teacher. Usually, it puts parents at ease to know that I’m currently studying and will be getting my PGCE in English in the near future (hopefully). That makes sense! After all, you want someone who’s been trained to teach, right?

Well, hiring a qualified teacher to give your child private sessions can have some great benefits. However, it is important to understand that private tutors are not the same as teachers.

Never underestimate students as tutors. Sure, they might not have or be working towards a teaching qualification like I am, but they can be just as great as a qualified teacher. An undergraduate student can really benefit your child’s education in many different ways. You know they’re passionate about their subject and constantly learning. They are closer to your child in age, so it is easier for them to build a rapport. They tend to be tech-savvy and fun. Plus, they usually weren’t in school very long ago. They remember what it feels like to learn! They’re doing it right now! So, they teach with that in mind.

One-to-one and small-group tutoring takes a whole different set of skills to planning and executing classes of up to 30 students. Being a qualified teacher does not mean you will automatically be a good tutor and vice versa. Plus, a tutor who also teaches full time has hundreds of children that they need to think about and cater for. It’s harder for them to remember the unique needs of your individual child.

There are many bright children out there who just don’t respond very well to conventional teaching methods. That’s when a different approach, like a student tutor, may benefit them.

Ask for Credentials

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Preview(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)Add titleHow to Choose a Good Private Tutor for Your Child

We all want to make sure that our children get the very best. It is up to us as parents to prepare them for the world and make sure that they reach their full potential! However, sometimes this may require some outside help, such as a tutor. If your child is struggling in school or feels that they aren’t getting the most out of their class time, it could be time to look into private tutoring options.

There are loads of options out there, though! There are various agencies, as well as independent private tutors who work on their own. Also, not all forms of tutoring will work for every child. All of this, plus the fact that anyone can start a tutoring business with a bit of determination, means that it can be a challenge to know if you are making the right choice.

Well, we are here to help you! Here is a list of things that you should consider when looking for the perfect private tutor to support your young person.

Assess Why You Need a Tutor

Tutors can help your child with a variety of things. For example, you could hire a tutor to help your child with one or more of the following things:

• Going over the things your child learnt in class to help them to consolidate their knowledge and recap confusing topics.
• Providing your child with extra support to complete their homework and revise for exams.
• Giving your child extra practice and examples of things that they learnt in school.
• Helping your child to catch up to their classmates if they were previously in a different school or education system. This supports them in gaining independence and becoming more confident in their skills.
• Marking extra essays and giving feedback for any exam questions child has completed outside of their school hours.
• Boosting your child’s knowledge and skills beyond their current school level, helping them to prepare for their exams early.
• Inspiring a bright child if they feel as though they are not being challenged enough with their current school level.

So, since there are so many reasons why you could be recruiting the help of a private tutor, it is crucial to think about your child’s personal aims. What is their current level? Have they missed any school for any reason? How well have they responded to learning in school? Do they often feel bored or confused? Do they second-guess themselves? Do they need a confidence boost?

This will help you to communicate your expectations to tutors when you’re in the researching process. The more that a tutor knows about your child, the easier it will be for them to know if they are the right fit for your needs. Plus, they can better prepare for the first lesson!

Ask Others

When looking for a private tutor, it is always a good idea to ask other people for help. People that you know can give the tutor an extra stamp of approval that you need to feel confident in your decision. However, asking other people that you know and trust can give you the extra stamp of approval to make you feel more confident in your decision.

Try to ask other parents if they have had any good experiences with a tutor. Ask for recommendations in social groups and social media communities that you trust, like Sophia’s Diary! If your child already has a tutor for one subject, why not ask them if they know anyone who can help with a different class? A trusted teacher at your child’s school might be a huge help, too!

Once you have chosen a shortlist of tutors, it’s a good idea to keep asking other people. Look at their reviews on their social media. Find people who can vouch for their professionalism and results.

Of course, agencies like MyTutor and directories like SuperProf can be a great help, too. They can absolutely help you to find an amazing tutor to suit your child’s needs! Nothing beats the first-hand experience of a tutor’s methods, though. Plus, if you find someone close by who’s great and independent, you can help to support a local, small business.

Request a Meeting

Most tutors will be happy to arrange a meeting with you free of charge – especially for online tutoring!

This meeting could be from a five-minute Q&A to a one-hour taster session, or even longer! It may be a private class with you and your child. Or it could be a group class where students get to bounce off one another. The format of this meeting isn’t important. It’s fine as long as the tutor gives you a chance to see them interact with your child and answers your questions.

If you are having an online meeting with a tutor, it is important that:

• Talk about prices is upfront and honest. If a tutor is avoiding specifics with costs, they could have some hidden fees!
• The tutor shows their face on camera. Of course, technical difficulties may happen. However, if the tutor is refusing to let you see them and they don’t have a good reason, it’s a red flag, and they should be avoided.
• The tutor interacts with your child in front of you. After all, this is about them, not you! A good tutor will ask your child questions, such as their interests and their favourite school subjects. They may even spend more time talking to your child than you. Plus, it is always a good sign if they call your child by their name!
• You should feel comfortable to communicate with the tutor. Of course, the child comes first. However, you also need to be able to set clear goals. You should feel as though they are responding appropriately and positively to your questions and requests.

By the end of the meeting, both you and your child should feel happy to continue working with them. If not, it’s better to find someone else!

Talk About the Workload

During your meeting or phone call, make sure to talk to the tutor about the workload. How much preparation do they expect your child to do before each lesson? Will they be giving your child homework? How intensive are their sessions?

Talk to your child about their workload. Find out how much homework they do each day, and come to a decision on whether you think that is enough or if you would like them to do more. Most children will tell you that they have too much homework as it is! So, it’s a good idea to come to your own conclusions, too, based on how tired your child is, how many hours they dedicate to homework per night and their personal limits.

Every child should have some time to unwind and do the things they love during the week. So, make sure that you don’t overload them! If they get enough homework from school already, make sure to communicate that to the tutor and find out how much homework they want to give your child. Make sure that you’re on the same page about this! Plus, make sure that they’re willing to be flexible and change their homework levels depending on the time of year.

Review the Tutor’s Online Presence

Most tutors will have an online presence. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for online tutoring or face-to-face. The chances are, they have some information about their services, prices and hours online somewhere.

If you are looking for online tutoring, it is a good idea to check the tutor’s website, business social media or both. They don’t need to have their own domain name and a fancy website. An active social media page or a simple site (such as a Google My Business website) can do the trick. You just need to be able to check that they engage online from time to time. After all, maintaining a basic website is a good sign that they are proficient enough with technology to offer an efficient online class.

It is also a good way to find out more information. Many tutors have a blog where they offer free help and advice to parents. Some give out sample resources, or video demos of their teaching, for free or at a discounted price. These can give you a great idea of the tutor’s unique style and methods so that you can assess their abilities.

If you are looking for someone to come to your house, you should check to see if you can find their prices, as well as a picture or video of what they look like. It can be daunting to let someone into your home, so knowing who is going to walk through your door beforehand is a step to keeping yourself safe.

Of course, if you’re travelling to the tutor, you should also find clear directions on their website, as well as a health and safety policy. The more information they provide, the better!

Include Your Child in the Process

Every child is unique. They have their own needs, interests and desires. So, it can be vital to involve them in the process of selecting a good private tutor. After all, if your child isn’t responding well to a tutor, then they won’t learn much, and you’re wasting your valuable time and money! So, make sure that they feel as though they can learn with the person you choose.

First of all, assess your child’s personal learning style. If they learn well independently, one-to-one tutoring may be the perfect solution for them. If they are social learners, then they may thrive in a group setting where they can engage with and talk to like-minded students. Most young people fall somewhere in the middle, though, so you may want to talk to them personally about their own preferences.

Do you have more information on the way they learn best? There are loads of different types of learners out there. For example, audio, visual and kinaesthetic – just to name a few. Ask them if they learn best when they watch documentaries, use flashcards, read books, etc. Then, relay that information to the potential tutor. A good tutor will keep this in mind and adapt their lessons to match the information.

Once you’ve had that all-important first meeting with a potential tutor, ask your child how they felt about it. Let them weigh in and give their opinion so that you can find a tutor that makes them feel comfortable. If a child feels comfortable with their tutor, then it is easier for them to engage with the lessons and be encouraged to come out of their comfort zone.

Accept That More Money Does Not Mean Better Quality

It is very easy to assume that prices reflect quality when it comes to private tutoring. That’s usually true when you’re paying for services, right? Well, that is not always the case when it comes to finding a private tutor.

There are many, many factors that contribute to the price per hour. For one, the age of a tutor can have a massive impact on how receptive people are to them. That means that younger tutors will usually need to charge less because parents tend to assume that they’re inexperienced, even if they are great. Plus, location plays a large part in price, too. The more affluent the area, the higher the average cost per hour of tutoring will be.

It also depends on the type of tutoring that you’re looking for. If you want a face-to-face tutor, it will cost them to travel to you or to maintain a classroom space. On the other hand, online tutors have fewer costs, and so they can afford to charge you less. Plus, they don’t have to worry about travelling from one location to the other, so they can fit in more sessions per week. Group classes will similarly be cheaper for you, as tutors can split the costs between multiple students.

Then there are the agencies. Since they take a cut of the hourly rate, independent tutors will usually be more cost-effective.

Remember that tutors set their own rates. That means that some tutors can overcharge or undercharge for their services. Of course, their rates will also reflect their level of experience and their qualifications, but it’s not the only thing that could play a part in the price. So, keep an open mind when it comes to rates. Let quality speak for itself.

Remember That a Tutor and Teacher Are Not the Same Thing

As a tutor, I have been asked many times if I am a qualified teacher. Usually, it puts parents at ease to know that I’m currently studying and will be getting my PGCE in English in the near future (hopefully). That makes sense! After all, you want someone who’s been trained to teach, right?

Well, hiring a qualified teacher to give your child private sessions can have some great benefits. However, it is important to understand that private tutors are not the same as teachers.

Never underestimate students as tutors. Sure, they might not have or be working towards a teaching qualification like I am, but they can be just as great as a qualified teacher. An undergraduate student can really benefit your child’s education in many different ways. You know they’re passionate about their subject and constantly learning. They are closer to your child in age, so it is easier for them to build a rapport. They tend to be tech-savvy and fun. Plus, they usually weren’t in school very long ago. They remember what it feels like to learn! They’re doing it right now! So, they teach with that in mind.

One-to-one and small-group tutoring takes a whole different set of skills to planning and executing classes of up to 30 students. Being a qualified teacher does not mean you will automatically be a good tutor and vice versa. Plus, a tutor who also teaches full time has hundreds of children that they need to think about and cater for. It’s harder for them to remember the unique needs of your individual child.

There are many bright children out there who just don’t respond very well to conventional teaching methods. That’s when a different approach, like a student tutor, may benefit them.

Ask for Credentials

Always make sure to ask a tutor for their credentials. Sure, tutors don’t need to be qualified teachers to be great. However, there are many other credentials that they could have, which could put you at ease.

Of course, experience is at the top of this list. If a potential tutor isn’t a qualified teacher, there are many other things that could validate that they’re good at what they do. For example, they could have worked with a trusted tutoring agency or company, like MyTutor or Explore Learning. These companies do the vetting so that you don’t have to!

Plus, a different teaching qualification could be a great help. Tutors could also teach English to speakers of other languages and have a TEFL certificate like CELTA or CertTESOL to back that up. They are great in assessing a tutor’s ability to teach.

Look for tutors who have good reviews and testimonials on their social media. Check their website to see if people are engaging with their content. Ask them to provide references if it will help you.

In terms of a DBS certificate, remember that it is very hard for self-employed tutors to get one on their own. Also, they go out of date as soon as you get them! So, don’t worry too much if a tutor doesn’t have a DBS right now. Just make sure that you request that they get one done. They can do one if you ask for it. If they refuse to submit to a DBS, that’s when the alarm bells should go off.

All in all, make sure that you feel comfortable and safe with the tutor. Check their methods and keep open communication with them.

Good luck!

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Always make sure to ask a tutor for their credentials. Sure, tutors don’t need to be qualified teachers to be great. However, there are many other credentials that they could have, which could put you at ease.

Of course, experience is at the top of this list. If a potential tutor isn’t a qualified teacher, there are many other things that could validate that they’re good at what they do. For example, they could have worked with a trusted tutoring agency or company, like MyTutor or Explore Learning. These companies do the vetting so that you don’t have to!

Plus, a different teaching qualification could be a great help. Tutors could also teach English to speakers of other languages and have a TEFL certificate like CELTA or CertTESOL to back that up. They are great in assessing a tutor’s ability to teach.

Look for tutors who have good reviews and testimonials on their social media. Check their website to see if people are engaging with their content. Ask them to provide references if it will help you.

In terms of a DBS certificate, remember that it is very hard for self-employed tutors to get one on their own. Also, they go out of date as soon as you get them! So, don’t worry too much if a tutor doesn’t have a DBS right now. Just make sure that you request that they get one done. They can do one if you ask for it. If they refuse to submit to a DBS, that’s when the alarm bells should go off.

All in all, make sure that you feel comfortable and safe with the tutor. Check their methods and keep open communication with them.

Good luck!