How Do I Find a Tutor?
The other day, a
friend asked me whether I thought more students worked with a tutor than in
years past, and if so, what did I think was the reason. My immediate answer was
yes. In the 60s, few students were being tested. The reasons for the increase
are complex and varied. First, there are fewer adults today who are available
to help children with their school work. Today, the norm is that both parents
work, while in the 50s and 60s, the stay-home mom was much more common. Teachers,
too, have less time to help. They have larger classes and more
responsibilities. We are much better today at diagnosing learning disabilities,
and so we identify more students who need help that cannot be given in the
classroom. Furthermore, parents have become aware that tutoring helps improve
high-stakes test scores. Children
applying to independent schools take the SSAT and ISEE, and high school
students take the ACT or SAT. They know
that test prep classes really do help a student earn a higher score. When a high school counselor has to work with
an average 130 students who are applying to colleges, many parents feel that
their children are not receiving the requisite personal attention. They turn to
tutors who can coach an adolescent through the admissions process.
Yes, more
kids are being tutored these days. So
today, the person to turn to is a tutor.
But we should be
careful not to assume that this means that schools are failing in their jobs.
Actually, the opposite can be argued. Schools know more about how the brain
learns. Teaching techniques have improved astronomically. With technology, the
school environment is a richer learning environment.
But schools work with
large groups of students and are just not equipped to focus in depth with students
on a one-to-one basis in ways that go beyond extra help.
How prevalent is
tutoring? More than you might
suspect! An article in The New
York Times June 7, 2011, Educational
Supplement reported that more than half of the families of the students in
New York City’s prestigious independent schools hire tutors. An independent survey performed in 2005 found
that 30% of parents at Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols, a private school in
Cambridge, MA, had used a tutor just within the past year. In 2004, Ireson reported that the U.S. ranks
fifth in its use of tutors, after Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China [for more
information, see http://academicachievers.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/does-only-my-child-need-a-tutor/]. If you time the visit to your town libraries
just right, you can find tutors and students working together at just about
every table.
Tutoring is big business. Although the precise figure is
impossible to determine because there is so much under-the-table tutoring, in
2010, Outsell, Inc. reported that the tutoring market is estimated to be worth
more than $1 billion in annual revenues.
Other studies put the figure for educational support closer to $39
billion. Many people offer their
services as tutors. With so many tutors available, how do you decide whom to
hire?
Start by seeking recommendations from other parents and asking
some probing questions.
· 1. How long has the tutor worked with the
child? The longer the relationship the
more likely the tutor have developed an effective program for the child.
· 2. Was a
tutoring center or individualized tutor used?
With the exception of small classes for high-stake test preparation,
group tutoring in student centers – sometimes called tutoring boutiques – may
not serve the best interest of a child.
According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, individualized
tutoring might be more desirable.
Students with attention deficit, for example, tend to do much better
when they are the only person being focused on by a tutor. A private tutor gives more personalized
attention to the student and presents material in a way that that child can
assimilate it.
· 3. How did the tutor interact with their
child? Was the tutor challenging while
also encouraging? Was the tutor a
successful role model? Although tutoring
sessions involve real work, did the tutor make the experience fun? (To say this differently, learning is hard
work, but that does not mean that everything has to be somber and
serious.) Did the child feel comfortable
with the tutor? Consequently, was the
child positively motivated by the tutor (be aware that children who are
oppositional and resistant might not be able to become invested in the
process)?
· 4. What was the tutor’s teaching style? Was most of the time spent with lecture and
teacher talk, or were the sessions more interactive, so that the tutor consequently
engaged the child? Be sure to ask why
tutoring was needed, so you know how to interpret the answer. Tutors will naturally be more directive if
they are preparing students for high stake tests or giving academic extra help
than if they are working with a child to develop organizational and time
management skills.
· 5. How successful was the tutor? How long did the tutor work with the student
before there was improvement in school?
Some students respond quickly to tutoring. Most tutoring, however, takes significantly
longer. Also, keep in mind that tutoring
is not always about getting better grades.
Failing to see improvement in school does not necessarily mean that the
tutoring experience was unsuccessful.
Sometimes, for example, the goal is to reduce anxiety or to learn how to
manage time.
· 6. How frequently and in what manner did the tutor
communicate with the parents?
Be sure to interview the tutor.
· 1. After verifying what you learned from friends,
ask about the tutor’s level of experience. Graduate students, for example, might be
appropriate for short-term academic extra help and remediation, while someone
with years of classroom experience and success in working with children who
have learning disabilities might be better suited for working with a student
who has special needs.
· 2. How flexible can the tutor be when scheduling
sessions and what is the policy about cancelations?
· 3. Can the tutor be reached in between sessions if
the child has a question or two?
· 4. Where does the tutor meet with students? Will your child have to go to an office in
another town or will the sessions be held at your home or in a library?
· 5. What does the tutor charge? There is a tremendous range in the fees that
tutors and tutoring companies charge.
You need to decide if you can afford the cost and if the fee is
appropriate, given the tutor’s level of experience and professionalism. Be sure to ask how payment is to be
made.
· 6. Does the tutor offer a no-cost
consultation? If so meet with the tutor
to share your concerns and hopes. Bring
your child to the meeting. All parties
concerned need to feel comfortable with each other.
In the long run, finding a tutor is easy. Finding the right tutor is more
challenging. To that end, doing your
homework will go a long way toward helping you find the right person. Be prepared to communicate regularly with the
tutor you end up using. Share the school
report cards and conversations that you might have with your child’s
teachers. Have periodic conferences so
you can ask questions, provide feedback, and offer suggestions. Be prepared to hear some suggestions from the
tutor about what you might be called upon to do. Helping a child is truly a
team effort.
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