How to find the best tutor. Tips for parents

Deciding whether your child needs private tuition is a very important step. Not all parents come to this conclusion under the same conditions. Some make up their minds when the first bad marks arrive, others decide to wait a little longer, others don't even wait for the results and decide to hire support in the face of a negative attitude.

There are platforms on the internet where finding tutors for after-school tuition is easy as there are many tutors available. However, finding tutors must be done properly as it is something that will make a big difference to your child’s education. As parents we have the opportunity to choose our children's tutors and this is a great opportunity to give them a good education.

A tutor can be a great influence on a student. Private tutors help their students work on their weaknesses and help them overcome them. A good tutor will establish a bond with their students. That is why it is important to choose well.

With all the private tuition available, getting it right is a complicated task and the results are not always as fast as expected. Here are some guidelines for finding a tutor for your child, how to detect if your child needs private tuition and what to do from that moment on.

How to decide if your child needs private tuition

It is normal to think that your child needs after-school tuition when you start to see worrying grades. Having bad marks is not always necessary, a drop in performance is also an indication that your child may need private tuition.

But this is not always the case, there are many different reasons behind why your child may have disappointing grades, therefore private tuition may not always be the solution. Try to find the reason why your child is underachieving and whether a tutor will help.

Private tuition for children is complicated because it adds more to their workload, even if it is in a dynamic and perhaps more entertaining way. This is why it is important to think about it carefully so as not to overload your child.

First and foremost, it is always best to be in contact with your child’s school teacher. They can provide information about the problems your child is having and will be able to recommend whether private tuition is necessary or not.

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Private tuition does not mean failure

If you have decided to get private tuition for your child, you must be clear that this is not a failure. And in no case should it be seen as a punishment, this will make private tuition counterproductive. Private tutors should not be seen as an enemy but as extra support.

We do not all have the same abilities, one person’s strength may be another person’s weakness. No one is perfect at everything so we should not consider a bad grade at school to mean failure. Needing extra help is perfectly normal.

Once the problem and solution have been detected, it is just a matter of time to overcome it. If students see private tuition as something negative, they can easily become demotivated. They should see their private tutor as a figure of hope who will be there to support them.

Private tutors or tuition centres

The first thing to bear in mind when finding tutors is that they are not the only option. There are also tuition centres. Tuition centres offer a different service in some respects, and they have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

• Number of students. Having peers can be an advantage, you can progress together, you can study together and classes become less intense and more relaxed. However, there is more danger of distractions or the tutor not being able to pay as much attention to the students.
• Several subjects. Some tuition centres provide several tutors for several subjects, so if your child needs a maths and physics tutor, for example, this may be the best option.
• Material. Tuition centres usually have teaching materials such as worksheets, books, blackboards and games available.
• Space. If you don't have a good study space at home or you don't know a tutor who has one, a tuition centre can be a good solution. Having a classroom at your disposal is a good way of making sure you have a good place to study where you can do your homework with the help of a tutor.
• Time. Most tuition centres offer several hours of after-school tuition. Take into account that your child has already spent the whole morning in a classroom and that more time can be counterproductive. Too much study time can be counterproductive.

How to find a good tutor

On our platform you will find tutors for different subjects, for example, maths and physics tutors, chemistry tutors and French tutors. You can also find tutors in tuition centres or through recommendations. Here are a series of guidelines to follow before making a decision:.

1. Ask for references. The first thing to do is to check the private tutor’s experience. Although it is very important, you should not radically rule out those who have never tutored before. Sometimes the desire of the beginner is worth more than the experience. We must take a good look at their interests and everything they have done in life, not only in education. Perseverance, hard work and patience are fundamental in a good private tutor.
2. Interview without the student. It can be a good idea to arrange a brief interview without your child present, so that you can talk freely about your child's strengths and weaknesses, and you can confess your concerns without any reservations. Remember that private tutors are your best ally.
3. Interview with the student. This can be before the first class. A small, relaxed meeting where your child and the tutor get to know each other, talk about their concerns and set goals together.
4. Trust. After this process you have to have full faith in the tutor since your child will be working with the tutor without your presence or help. 

When to hire a private tutor

The best time to find a tutor is when you need one. If you detect a problem, don't wait for it to get bigger because you want to wait until the start of a new course or term, the sooner you do it the better.

Having said that, the beginning of the school year or term is when most private tutors are free, both in primary and secondary education and you will have more options to choose from.

Despite credentials and the fact that some tutors may be better than others, one of the key things is that the tutor has a good relationship with your child. It is important that they understand each other and get along well, and this does not depend on a certain time of the year.

Which subjects are most in demand

There are subjects where finding tutors is easier. Language tutors, maths and physics tutors, biology tutors and chemistry tutors are all in high demand as these tend to be the areas where students struggle.

However, children may need tutors any subject, not just tutors for maths and science. Just because it's an art or humanities subject, does not mean that your child does not need help with it. There is a false perception of easy and difficult subjects, you should not rule out the fact that your child may also need private tuition for less common subjects. 

Where and when to have private tuition

One of the most important things is to know where the private tuition will take place and how much time it will take. As we have already said, it is important to bear in mind that a student usually spends about eight hours a day in a classroom, and when the afternoon comes, it is normal that they do not feel like continuing to work. This is why it’s important to create a good study environment. A place that makes them think differently from the classroom, your child’s room or the living room can be a good idea. 

 The results

Private tuition is not magic. If poor results persist it is not necessarily the fault of the private tutor. Often too much responsibility is placed on the tutors. Private tutors reinforce knowledge that is learnt in school, and this may not translate into quick results. Sometimes, good marks take time to arrive. The important thing is improvements in attitude, that your child understands the subject and that study habits are created. Beyond results, private tuition is important for your child to learn and mature and whilst they may not appreciate the help now, they will be grateful in the future.