Working parents who are worried about their children’s academic performance often look for tutors to help them out. The best tutors are reliable, patient, and can produce tangible results such as better exam results and a more engaged student.
Finding a good tutor for your child can be challenging. Here are five important qualities you should look out for:
1) Patience
Child educators are some of the most patient people in the world. Teaching children even part-time can be very taxing and frustrating, but you should show none of that to the child. Good tutors have had a lot of practice when it comes to leashing their patience and can handle the worst misbehaviour from most children.
2) Flexibility
Children learn in different ways and at different speeds, and it’s crucial for a tutor to adapt their techniques to the child’s needs and skills. If teaching a lesson in one way doesn’t help, he or she should be ready to go about it differently.
Some children also need help with different subjects, so a tutor for younger children should be able to be a math tutor, English tutor, and science tutor all at once.
3) Good Communicator
If a person isn’t used to being around kids, they tend to talk down to them and patronize them. Children respond better when you respect them and communicate as equals. They will also keep up with tutoring sessions better if their tutor knows how to communicate effectively.
This is where experience and a bit of knowledge in child psychology come in. Some children need coaxing to do well, while others are more independent learners. Some children open up to friendly adults, while some are more standoffish and suspicious. It’s up to the tutor to, again, be flexible and to arrive at the best way to talk to the child. Open communication is the foundation of an effective tutor-tutee relationship.
4) Emotional Intelligence
Teaching and tutoring a child is delicate work. An offhand comment can stay with them for a long time to come, and educators need to be conscious about what they say and how they treat children.
The best tutors are empathetic and emotionally intelligent, and they know that it’s important to listen to children when they talk. They know how to interpret outlier behaviour. For example, if a cheerful student is suddenly sullen and sad, a good tutor knows to prioritize an emotional check-in instead of forcing them to talk. Knowing how to deal with a child’s mood and habits every day is a very important quality to have.
5) Disciplined
Tutoring is an essential aspect of a child’s education. All their educators should follow lesson plans and study outlines for maximum productivity and efficiency. Tutors are usually paid by the hour, and they should maximize all the time they spend with a student. This takes planning and discipline.
Conclusion
For tutoring sessions to be effective, a tutor should build a good relationship with their tutee. As you look for a tutor for your child, you should look for these five very important qualities. A patient, flexible, disciplined, emotionally intelligent tutor who communicates well with your child can be the key to improved performance in school.
Mathnasium Summerside tutoring teaches math in a way that makes sense to children. The Mathnasium Method has transformed the way kids learn math for over ten years now and across over 1,000 centres in the US and Canada. Our trained math instructors can help your child thrive. Contact us today!