Your progress
It takes a lot to be a great tutor. Great tutors accept responsibility for their students, cheer for them in their successes and help pick them back up after their failures. Great tutors are more like coaches; they bring out the best in their students with patience and positive reinforcement. When a student does not understand something, typical tutors blame the student. But the best tutors evaluate themselves and teach the concept differently.
Course Content
Almost all subjects, especially academics, require you to have some sort of plan before each session. Free-flowing during the session and coming up with things to do on the spot will not work long term and will seem unprofessional. Have a fundamental structure for each lesson. For example, this is a sample structure for an average mathematics lesson:
1. 10 minutes: Warmup problems
2. 20 minutes: Homework questions
3. 20 minutes: Instruction
4. 10 minutes: Review & plan for next session
This is just an example. Other types of instruction will require different timings. Feel free to be creative and have a structure you see fit.
To help your student prepare for an exam, you must prepare as well. Know in advance when the exam is, what the exam is covering, and where your student is currently with the material. Alter the structure of your lessons accordingly. Often it is helpful to give your student a practice test on the material they are being tested on. You do not need to design your own practice exam, there is an abundance of resources online. Simply Google what you’re looking for, and you will likely find it.
For example, if a student of mine is in Algebra 2 and is being tested on factoring methods, I can Google “Algebra 2 factoring worksheet”, go to images, and pull a worksheet quite easily. Or alternatively, you can design a simple worksheet at websites like easytestmaker.com
Sometimes it’s not enough to simply be their tutor. Students may need coaching in addition. You may encounter pupils who are not confident in their abilities. This will be a major detriment to them- especially on their exams.
For confidence issues, emphasize how a concept shouldn’t be thought of as “easy” or hard”. The notion should instead be thought of as “familiar” or “unfamiliar”. The former reasoning builds a wall in front of the student while the latter evokes a sense of feasibility. Many students struggle in school because they underestimate their own abilities or lack motivation. Great coaches help these students raise their own expectations and inspire them to work harder in class and at home.
Lesson structure
Having a plan:
Almost all subjects, especially academics, require you to have some sort of plan before each session. Free-flowing during the session and coming up with things to do on the spot will not work long term and will seem unprofessional. Have a fundamental structure for each lesson. For example, this is a sample structure for an average mathematics lesson:
1. 10 minutes: Warmup problems
2. 20 minutes: Homework questions
3. 20 minutes: Instruction
4. 10 minutes: Review & plan for next session
2. 20 minutes: Homework questions
3. 20 minutes: Instruction
4. 10 minutes: Review & plan for next session
This is just an example. Other types of instruction will require different timings. Feel free to be creative and have a structure you see fit.
Preparing for exams:
To help your student prepare for an exam, you must prepare as well. Know in advance when the exam is, what the exam is covering, and where your student is currently with the material. Alter the structure of your lessons accordingly. Often it is helpful to give your student a practice test on the material they are being tested on. You do not need to design your own practice exam, there is an abundance of resources online. Simply Google what you’re looking for, and you will likely find it.
For example, if a student of mine is in Algebra 2 and is being tested on factoring methods, I can Google “Algebra 2 factoring worksheet”, go to images, and pull a worksheet quite easily. Or alternatively, you can design a simple worksheet at websites like easytestmaker.com
Being a coach:
Sometimes it’s not enough to simply be their tutor. Students may need coaching in addition. You may encounter pupils who are not confident in their abilities. This will be a major detriment to them- especially on their exams.
For confidence issues, emphasize how a concept shouldn’t be thought of as “easy” or hard”. The notion should instead be thought of as “familiar” or “unfamiliar”. The former reasoning builds a wall in front of the student while the latter evokes a sense of feasibility. Many students struggle in school because they underestimate their own abilities or lack motivation. Great coaches help these students raise their own expectations and inspire them to work harder in class and at home.