Tutors Help Many Students Succeed:
Not Just Struggling Students Benefit

By: Jeremiah Paul Mouton, President
Professional Tutoring Services

At this crucial point in the school year, many parents ask if it is too late to find a tutor. The truth is, it is never too late for a tutor. With only a few weeks left in this school year, students are at an important point in their academic achievement.

Many schools place more weight on the second quarter, so it’s not too late to counter a bad grade from previous semesters. Yet beware. The second semester can include final exams or projects that will tie together all of the information from the entire year.

But this can provide an opportunity to excel with the right assets. A good tutor will work with a student to not only teach new information, but also to review past information and give a preview of what is to come in the future.

Challenging Information

Many parents think tutors are only for students who aren’t making good grades, but this is not the case.  A tutor can teach challenging information to a straight-A student, or help the student with a B get to an A.

Tutors are also employed for homework help, standardized test preparation or other special services. Tutors are expected to not only teach textual material to students, but also to serve as a mentor. They are expected to motivate, coach and challenge in a way that helps students become better people.

The fact is, however, that it is often difficult to decide if a tutor is qualified. Searching for a tutor should be similar to hiring any professional. Parents should ask a lot of questions, observe the qualifications of potential candidates and ultimately use their best instinct to decide whether a particular tutor is a good match for their student. If you are not signing a contract with a tutoring company or an individual tutor, you can “test drive” the tutor. If things don’t work out, it is easy to request a new tutor.

Parental Investigation

Parents should investigate the following aspects of tutors, either directly or from the tutoring company:

·         Qualifications : Educational background, teaching certificates, etc. is important.   Although in many situations, students don’t necessarily need a certified teacher as a tutor.

·         Tutoring Plans : Find out how the company/tutor works through the tutoring sessions. What material will be covered? What will the first session be like? Will the tutor contact the teacher?

·         Observation : Don’t hesitate to sit through tutoring with your child on a few occasions. Tutors often prefer that parents sit in because it guarantees good behavior.

·         Prices : Ask the tutor/company for their pricing plan. If you are employing a tutor from a company, you will probably discuss finances with the company’s office as opposed to speaking with the tutor directly. Be sure that you thoroughly understand the price, policies for missed appointments, billing, extra fees and any contracts you are entering into.

·         Professional Relations : Does the tutor/tutoring company belong to any professional organizations? Does the individual tutor have a role in the tutoring company? Is he/she a member of the decision-making team? How long has he/she been employed?

All of these are good practices when seeking a tutor, yet listen to what your child tells you as well. Make certain they are honest about what is happening in their tutoring sessions. If you decide that your current tutor is not working out, don’t hesistate to find a new tutor or to request a new tutor from the service.