Last time we discussed some ways to get the most out of investing in professional, individual, private education and how by paying attention to what you put into it can pay dividends in the short and/or long run.
We now turn our attention to improving tutoring’s effectiveness through scheduling and communication so that it can have maximum impact. Some tutors are willing and able to make extra time on a limited basis at times when they might not normally.
4 Tips For Scheduling Tutoring Sessions
- For example, at exam time, both tutor and student may agree that a weekend session on a Sunday may be helpful. At QWERTY, we do have an additional weekend charge for special weekend sessions, and not all of our tutors can do it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Others may have the freedom to schedule an extra session during regular weekday slots.
- Would it be useful to have an extended daytime session on a school holiday that might allow a student to make great headway on a long-term project?
- Rather than add a second or third regular tutoring slot, if your student needs a boost, ask the tutor to put you on an on-call basis to possibly fill in someone’s cancellation. It’s not advised to depend on this as it is often hard to make schedules mesh or even to reach each other, but it can be great to take advantage of it from time to time.
- If you are just starting with a new tutor, it can be helpful to schedule extra sessions in the initial week or weeks. This “jump start” can help build rapport faster, provide a faster learning curve regarding the student’s needs and the strategies that she finds effective, and generate enthusiasm from a sense of quicker successes.
Check To See If Your Tutor Can Do THAT Too
Repeatedly we find students and families who get in a routine with their tutor based on the initial referring concern only to lose sight of what other role the tutor can play as needs evolve. For example, perhaps you engaged a tutor for math concerns and focused heavily on math homework or remediation. That tutor may become cast as “the math tutor” though he may well be able to provide excellent support for test preparation for this week’s major history test or on an English research project. You might be surprised at how often we find parents adding a second tutor when a single tutor might have been able to do both jobs with greater flexibility. Talk with your tutor about how he or she can help in a broader scope.
