What makes a good tutor?
Due to the growing importance of education, many parents and schools choose to hire tutors. Parents hire independent tutors and work with private tutoring services. Parents hire instructors for assignments like math tutoring and SAT prep. However, many parents do not understand exactly what makes a good tutor a good tutor.
Tutors often think they are well qualified because they have a good understanding of the topic. Many people say that you have adequate knowledge of a topic when you can give a lecture on the topic. However, there are many other aspects to being a good tutor, and having adequate knowledge of the subject will not necessarily make the tutor a good tutor.
Of course, understanding the subject is essential to being a good tutor. No tutor is able to adequately explain material to a struggling student if he or she does not understand it well enough. This does not mean that the tutor has to memorize all the minor aspects of the subject. But the tutor should be able to understand the topic after a short review before the session.
Simple knowledge of a topic is generally insufficient to be a good tutor. A tutor must have a true knowledge of a topic. For example, an inexperienced math tutor may know the quadratic formula, but a great tutor can also derive it. A decent literature tutor understands the plot and themes of To Kill a Mockingbird. But a great tutor also understands the story behind the novel.
A good tutor must be an experienced tutor. The more experienced the tutor, the more likely they are to address the student’s problems. Inexperienced tutors should first consider volunteering and tutoring family and friends before charging for their services.
Another important aspect of tutoring is having good communication skills. A tutor must not only know the topic, but also be able to explain it properly. Someone can solve any math problem, but they won’t necessarily make their solution understandable to the student.
A good tutor is a good evaluator of student performance. Students often do not understand exactly what their problems are in a course. Often times, they just know they are struggling or getting bad grades. A good tutor can understand what gaps and misunderstandings the student has and can provide a review of these particular subject areas.
Another characteristic of a good tutor is the ability to understand the student’s situation. Students who work with tutors are generally frustrated and a tutor should never make the situation worse. Additionally, students can often have learning disabilities, so a tutor may need to explain certain aspects differently or use a slower pace of tutoring. They should also forgive a student’s minor misbehavior, as misbehavior can be caused by stress.