Finding a Great Tutor: What to Look For

 What to Look for in a Good Tutor

If you’re looking for a tutor for your child, there are quite a few things to consider. This is a big investment for you, as parents! It’s will also open new doors for your child. It is a major responsibility to work with your child to help her succeed in school! In this post I break down some essential factors to consider when choosing a tutor.

Compassion: Working with a tutor is like working with an educator and counselor, all wrapped up into one package. This is why, at Body Brain Learning, we are therapeutic tutors and educators. A good tutor is not only an expert in their subject, they also have compassion and understanding of child development. Many students who come to us have been suffering mentally, emotionally, and socially because of their learning. Finding that balance between gentleness and urging the student to take another step in learning is essential to ensure a positive learning environment and to keep your child to take ownership of their learning.

Student-Centered: A great tutor will focus primarily on the student’s unique needs and approach them as a whole person, rather than just a student. The tutor will be able to understand a student’s struggles, direct them to resources that will help them to grow and develop in their learning journey.

Educational Knowledge: A great tutor will possess a good level of knowledge about their subject, as well as an ability to explain it in an variety of ways. For example if a student comes to me and I learn that they are a creative storyteller and they think in stories and concepts then I will create stories to help them understand difficult content. In addition, a great tutor can make concepts come alive in a way that builds long-term understanding and can help find ways to make learning more enjoyable. Learning through games is one way of building up the joy of learning.

Multiple Intelligences: Every person learns so differently. A great tutor will take time to learn about the child’s learning strengths and challenges and then tailor their teaching methods to accommodate those unique learning styles. If you want to learn more about the Multiple Intelligences Theory of Howard Gardner this video provides a good 4 minute summary. Finally, at Body Brain Learning we incorporate multi-sensory learning methods, using visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile senses in every lesson.

Curriculum: A great tutor will stay up to date on current curriculum and assessments. They should also be able to cater their sessions to a student’s goals, whether they’re tackling a difficult problem set, trying to master a concept that’s giving them trouble, or teaching them to read fluently. In addition, a tutor will be familiar with academic standards of their region.

Family: A great tutor is be able to collaborate well with the learner’s family as well as the student in order to provide the best possible education. Involving the family in the tutoring process can benefit the student by providing additional support. Body Brain Learning we offer to have parents sit in lessons so that they may learn how to teach their own children at home. Equipping families is a core belief for us!

If you want to ensure growth and success for your child, it’s important to consider all of these factors when selecting a great tutor for you or your child. Look for someone who is passionate and knowledgeable and dedicated to helping your child reach his or her educational goals while nurturing their learning spirit.