This article will discuss the following key reasons for hiring a tutor:
1. Private tuition and a school education go hand-in-hand.
2. Access Bespoke Education
3. Inspire a love of learning
4. Build Confidence
5. Expert guidance and insight
Who is this article for?
Parents or guardians who are considering hiring a private tutor for their child.
Private tuition is becoming more commonplace as many parents realise that school is not enough for their child to fulfil their potential.
Around 43% of London pupils access private tuition outside of school.
1. Private tuition and a school education go hand-in-hand.
Whilst the classroom is an important learning environment for pupils to develop social skills and work as part of a cohort, classes often struggle to provide the individual attention which pupils require to excel.
Pupils can easily fall behind others in their class. This is where a tutor can step in and work on the specific areas of weakness to ensure that the student meets their potential.
Some students become bored due to the lack of a challenge. These students need to be pushed beyond a broad approach to a subject and explore topics with an expert.
Tackling issues like these are very typical reasons for hiring a tutor for one-to-one support and guidance.
Like a good doctor, a tutor will diagnose the problem and, with the prognosis, create a plan of action to tackle the symptoms going forward. Due to their experience and expertise, a private tutor is a perfect source of support for bolstering a pupil's performance and building confidence.
Tutors can direct students to the optimal approaches to their classwork, including homework support, as well as develop insights which were overlooked or underdeveloped in school.
This includes a broader range of past papers and mock examinations, which there is limited time for in school.
Moreover…
Tutors can guide a student through a paper which they struggled with in school to improve in their next sitting.
Students must learn: Perseverance and Practice makes perfect.
This leads to better classroom performance…
more confidence…
and better grades!
2. Access Bespoke Education
The best private tutors provide a bespoke service for each of their students.
Lessons should be tailored to the needs of the student, and will change depending on their age, ability, special educational needs, strengths, and weaknesses.
For some this will be content focused, teaching or revising knowledge, whilst for others advice and techniques are necessary.
Most students benefit from a mixed approach.
Why?
Repeating content which they have covered in school solidifies understanding and ensures it is retained.
Then students learn how best to apply their knowledge and show understanding of the topic. This allows for greater control over the learning process for student and their family as well as the ability to change approach, when necessary, for example for upcoming exams or school projects.
Tuition also affords the opportunity to utilise the latest and most innovative teaching methods.
Students can control their tutors’ screens to work collaboratively on a problem and multi-media can be shared effortlessly.
Moreover, tutors can make changes to the class quickly and efficiently as the need arises, to consolidate areas of progress. This is not typically possible in school as lesson plans dictate the pace of learning and content to be covered.
Faced with a tutor in a one-to-one online class, students are given the full attention of their educators and are engaged for their entire class. This is not possible in a classroom, where all students receive the shared attention of their teacher.
A single hour of tuition can often draw more attention than multiple classes in school. Distractions are removed and the student is challenged to work hard consistently.
Tuition classes are arranged for dates and times which suit the tutor and student. The flexible schedule of a private tutor also provides the opportunity to curate a pupil's sessions. Frequency of sessions as well as dates and times can all be scheduled and changed, as needed. Although, it is typical for families to schedule sessions which will repeat on a weekly basis. All of this means that families can work with tutors to find a perfect time for the class to run.
During exam periods and school holidays, classes can be increased to compensate for a reduction of specific topical content delivered in school.
Tutors have the flexibility to revisit topics which have not been covered for a long time or even jump ahead if that is what is best for the student.
A truly bespoke service is invaluable for a success education and will always get results.
3. Inspire a love of learning
A tutor is an investment in a student’s educational and personal development. By choosing a specialist tutor, you are gaining more than topical knowledge and educational expertise, but also a role model who can inspire students to become enthusiastic learners.
The perfect tutor is someone who students aspire to become like through their educational journey, emulating their expertise and success.
These tutors are passionate about the subjects that they teach and aspire to deliver their expert knowledge to students in an engaging manner.
If a student enjoys their lesson, learning becomes much easier.
Tutors are excellent communicators and can adapt to the interests of their students to ensure that students remain attentive to their studies.
Students who gain an interest in their studies can develop excellent organisational and working skills are more likely to achieve their goals.
Focus can be placed on areas of weakness by clarifying difficult topics and finding methods of learning which work for the students.
Different approaches to a topic, alongside reinforcing exercises, can allow students to flourish in topics which they previously hadn't. This should be accompanied by the desire to improve on the part of the student, inspired by their classes.
It is also important for students to be challenged in areas of strength and adopt an attitude of continual growth and improvement.
With opportunities to move beyond the curriculum, student can dive into subjects in ways that are not possible within a school environment and find areas of interest which were previously unknown to them.
4. Build Confidence
Students should be taught how to think, not what to.
This often includes teaching students to question their own ideas and bolster their understanding and land at a substantiated position.
By continually encouraging students to rise to challenges and expect their approach to be critiqued, tutors can support children find their voice and have confidence in their convictions.
Having the confidence to learn and engage with others in an intelligible and professional manner must be a core goal for every learning session.
How is this modelled?
Promoting critical thinking and open discussion of difficult ideas.
Use of clear, concise, and specific language.
Inviting students to move between the written and spoken word.
Pursuing truth.
Students should feel comfortable to explore ideas in a safe environment. Excellent tutors provide the space for students to openly grapple with challenging topics, whilst guiding students to discover their own opinions and thought processes.
Key areas of personal strength provide an avenue for building upon skills which students should be proud of, and often lend themselves to tackling areas of weakness, which require further attention.
Finding the balance between consolidating strengths and supporting a brave attitude to facing weaknesses is a highly sought-after skill, held by the best-in-class educators.
The result…
Students who become confident and eloquent communicators. A skill which will stay with them for life.
5. Expert guidance and insight
Many tutors are from educational background, either presently or previously involved in the formal education system.
Knowing and understanding the curricula is only the beginning of the value of this experience.
Experienced tutors have a firm knowledge of expectations for student development and are familiar with many different learning styles and their benefits.
Every student is different and requires a personal approach to best support their personal development.
Tutors can guide students and families outlined challenging but attainable goals and create an educational plan for how to reach and exceed them.
The widespread availability of modern IT technology means that students have access to more resources than they know what to do with.
Some areas of note are not typically covered in schools e.g., Non-verbal and Verbal reasoning, but are crucial for those students who are sitting 11+ and entrance exams. An expert tutor will be familiar with such examinations and help students to succeed when they sit them.
Not all sources of learning are equal and having an expert on hand to guide students to the best resources is invaluable, saving time and bolstering results.
Furthermore, the widespread availability of online classes means that tutors can easily share the latest and greatest content with their students and provide instant feedback on their approach to it.
If you are looking to find a tutor, contact Coveted Tutors Ltd. We specialise in finding your perfect-fit tutor and only work with the best.
Download Coveted Tutors 2021 Brochure