How do I know if my child needs tutoring?
Could your student use help in one particular area, such as organization or time management? How about study skills? A writing tutor? Strengthening one area can make the whole picture look better.
Are you hearing feedback from teachers, counselors, or learning specialists that tutoring can help your child? Perhaps you feel that your child’s grades aren’t reflective of his/her innate abilities.
If a student lacks in one or more basic areas, s/he may begin to feel frustrated and lose confidence; learning, instead of happening naturally, becomes a chore. Parent and student can struggle over homework. As a parent you want to help, but you find that being a parent and being a tutor don't always mix.
The good news? A tutor can support your student’s academic success. The results are clear in decreased stress, an improved sense of well-being, and better grades.
How do I get started?
Begin with a consultation, free by phone. You describe your child's needs, ask questions, and share concerns. I ask questions, listen to your answers, and offer first impressions. If you decide to proceed, I typically work with your student for three sessions before giving my thoughts. I assess strengths and weaknesses, learning style, and interests. I give you a plan. We talk about goals for tutoring and I make sure that your concerns are being addressed.
How often will you meet with my child?
Typically, I work with a student once a week for an hour. One of my principal goals is helping a student to become more self-directed, so that s/he can work efficiently on homework and study effectively for tests. I help a student to establish realistic goals and provide the tools to achieve them. If a student needs more than one session a week, I make an appropriate plan with the parents.
How many tutoring sessions will be needed? What kind of progress can I expect?
The length of time, or number of sessions, a student needs is variable. Length of tutoring depends on the student’s academic challenges, progress toward reaching goals, willingness to complete work, and parental support of the process. Parents frequently keep me on for a second or third year; they tell me I make life simpler, and that they stop worrying about their student's homework and grades.
What if I need to ask questions?
Parents are free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns. If you value having your questions answered thoughtfully and in a timely way, you won't find better service than with my one-person business. And that's a promise.
After a few sessions, you will get a sense for whether tutoring is right for your child. You might ask: Is homework becoming less of a struggle? Is work getting done? Is confidence improving? Are you seeing improvement in grades or test scores?
If your child is putting in the necessary time and effort, you will see results.
What can I do to support my child’s success?
Many parents just want to stop worrying. As they begin to see results, they find it easier to take a step back and let the process unfold. I’ll work to keep you informed about your child’s progress, but you can expect to see signs of success on your own, too.
Here are a few ways that you can be supportive of tutoring: create a quiet space conducive to studying; encourage your child to complete any extra work assigned by the tutor; and, most important, show appreciation for progress, however big or small, since this will motivate your child to keep working.
See Tutor's Blog on this site for time-tested study tips.
