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Looking for the Perfect Tutor
By Renae Abboud
Teachers have a natural ability to teach, just as tutors have a
natural ability to tutor. Not everyone can teach or tutor, unless
they have an innate aptitude to do so. For parents, finding a tutor
who can provide educational support to your child is more than just
looking in the newspaper. Parents need to be cautious in choosing
the right tutor or company to provide this support. Here are some
things to consider when interviewing a tutor or company.
Licensed or Certified
Many parents think these two words mean the same thing. In fact, to
be licensed by the state, teachers should have either a bachelor’s
degree or master’s degree in education, have passed a certain number
of teacher preparation tests, completed student teaching in a
school, have a criminal background check and a child abuse record
check, and have been fingerprinted. In other words, the teacher who
is in the classroom with your child has gone through this process
and is licensed to teach according to the state’s Department of
Education. Also, ask for a copy of the license. Certified can mean a
whole different thing. When a tutor or company states they are
certified, you should ask who provided them with a certification.
Check up on their education and degree.
Degree
You might think that a tutor with a master’s degree is more
qualified than one with a bachelor’s degree. However, it will
ultimately depend on what the degrees are before a comparison can be
made. For example, a tutor with a master in education may not have
had a bachelor in education. Their prior degree might have been in
math, engineering, or even political science. However there are some
teachers who hold a bachelor and a master degree both in the field
of education. More questions regarding a tutor’s degree should be
asked before understanding how much education training the teacher
has gone through.
Experience
Tutoring will mostly involve a teacher’s ability to understand how
students learn, assess the student’s learning style, and adapt their
tutoring sessions based on that individual student, you should ask
many questions regarding the tutor’s experience. A teacher who is
familiar with the education system will have more to offer due to
their vast amount of experience in student learning. Ask detailed
questions about the tutor’s experience, considering both classroom
and tutoring experience and in how it relates to student learning.
Expertise
A tutor who states he/she can tutor grades K-12 in all subjects may
not be a tutor to hire. Great tutors will be honest regarding their
area of specialty. You can find tutors who can teach all subjects
K-6. However, the middle and high school teachers generally teach
one or two subjects in which they specialize. If your child has a
learning disability or is in the school ESOL program, you may need
to find a teacher who might specialize particularly in that area.
Their expertise and familiarity in the standards of learning and
program of studies for your school district is also of valued
importance.
Communication
Tutors should be not only willing to communicate with all
responsible people for your child’s education, but actually make
that contact and keep it up. A great tutor is one that communicates
often with all educators involved in your child’s education,
including counselors and LD or ESOL teachers. Without communication,
tutors might be working on areas that are not of significant
importance when it comes to the child’s education. It is very
important for a tutor to get feedback and provide feedback to the
team of people responsible for the student’s day-to-day education.
Skill Building
It is very important to have a tutor who works on skill development
and not spend the entire time on homework only. While homework can
be the main reason for a tutor, working on skills such as study
habits, test-taking skills, organization, etc. will lead the child
to be more responsible and allow for more independence.
Finding the perfect tutor is not something you can accomplish in one
phone call. Parents should make a few contacts to different tutors
or tutoring companies to compare the services they offer. If one
particular company or tutor is generously lower in rate than the
others, make sure you are getting quality tutoring services from a
qualified teacher. Your decision to invest in a tutor for your child
is one that will reap benefits to their education. Remember, the
match should be based on what is in the best interest of the
student, so take your time and consider all of your options.
Renae Abboud, former Fairfax County school teacher, owns a tutoring
company. She hires state licensed teachers to provide educational
support to students in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
www.rtutoring.com |
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