Students often need help to catch up on subjects they don’t fully grasp. If a student is out of class for a week, they often struggle to learn the missed information while they are still attending classes that may build off of the material missed.
One way to overcome these issues is to work with a tutor. A tutor will have a firm grasp of the material and be able to give the student the time and attention needed to fully understand difficult concepts.
There are a lot of advantages of hiring an online tutor, but you need to know how to choose the best tutor for you. These steps can help:
1.) Online vs In-person Tutoring
When choosing a tutor, you’ll have to decide whether you want to work with an in-person or online tutor. There are obvious benefits of both, but most students are opting to work with an online tutor.
The benefits of each type of tutor are sometimes difficult to discern. Use this guide to help you decide which would work best for you or your student:
In-Person Tutor
An in-person tutor will require you to commute to the tutor or pay more for the tutor coming to your home. Both of these come at an expense, but an in-person tutor does offer:
- One-on-one sessions,
- Hands-on learning, and
- Relationship building.
If an in-person tutor is another student trying to earn extra money on the side, they may have the skills and knowledge about the subject, but they may not have experience teaching. Oftentimes, these tutors will only tutor for a semester or two before stopping due to their own scheduling and time constraints.
It’s always better to work with someone who is a tutor part-time or full-time because these tutors will be there today and even a year from now if the student needs help.
Online Tutor
Online tutoring has come a long way in recent years. Platforms, such as Zoom or proprietary systems, are in place to assist in the tutoring process. Students and tutors can easily schedule lessons online, and there’s no need to commute or spend extra money to have the tutor come to your home. Often the schedule for an online tutor is much more accessible, and there is no commute time for the student or parents. Scheduling a tutoring session around a busy student’s schedule can be difficult, so a more open, flexible online tutoring system might be best for students and parents with a packed schedule.
When you hire an online tutor, you’ll benefit from some of the following perks:
- Easy, no-commute tutoring,
- Top-tier tutors, and
- Online learning at any time.
One of the key advantages of online tutoring is that you’re not limited to tutors who are just in your local area. The selection of tutors can include individuals who are plane rides away from you, which means that they can be some of the most advanced tutors in a particular subject or content area.
The benefits of online tutoring are vast, with the ability to work with tutors who are the best-of-the-best, the freedom to choose from multiple tutors, and also the easy scheduling options.
There’s another benefit that often goes overlooked but is vital to the learning process: session recording. Online tutors often allow you to record sessions so that you can review them at your own pace time and time again.
In-person tutoring doesn’t offer session recording, meaning that if a concept was missed, you need to schedule another tutoring session to relearn it.
2.) Tutor Specialty
What subject is the student not excelling in? Some students need general overall help, while others need help in a particular subject, such as a specific Statistics, Algebra I, or Chemistry course. If your child or yourself needs help in one subject, finding a tutor who specializes in the topic is your best option.
For example, a math tutor is much better suited to help you with Geometry than an English tutor who just dabbles in math.
Ask the tutor who you’re working with if they can do the following:
- Help you reach your goals and
- Provide progress reports.
Additionally, you can also ask the tutor what level of expertise they have in the subject(s) that you need the most help in.
3.) Availability
What level of availability do you need? You need to be able to schedule a tutor at a time that works best for you. It’s important to work with tutors who can accommodate your needs. Many online tutoring platforms can connect you with a tutor in a matter of minutes.
Every student learns at a different pace – some slower and some faster. Individuals have individual needs, so finding the right tutor at the right time is essential.
Find a tutor that can be available when you need them most. Whether you need one session a week or have to schedule an additional session before a test, the tutor should be available to help you.
4.) Try a Tutor Out
Finally, when you think that you’ve found a tutor who you would like to work with, give them a try. A session or two will allow you to better understand the tutor’s teaching style and if they’re a good fit for your or your child’s specific learning needs.
If the tutor’s style doesn’t help solidify the information in a student’s mind, you can always work down your list of tutors to find one that you truly like. Your needs are the focus here, so making sure you have the right match is a major priority.
Professional tutors can help students catch up and excel in subjects that are normally difficult for them. Recognizing when you need help and how to find it is an important decision in a student’s educational process. However, if you choose the right tutor, they’ll become an invaluable part of yours or your student’s education.
Train The Brain is dedicated to providing world-class service at a price anyone can afford. If you’re looking for online tutoring services or homework help, sign up for an account or call us at 888-299-3506 for more information.