Frederick Jace
Tutoring is often seen as the process of the student becoming the teacher, but if you want to progress at anything you do, this attitude is incorrect. Those who excel in their chosen fields do so because they never stop looking for ways to improve. With that in mind, we’ve put together this list of ways to become a better tutor:
Join A Community Of Other Tutors
It can be well worth your while to join a community of other high school tutors who also want to improve. The saying goes that you are the average of the people with whom you spend the most time, so by surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who also want to excel, you’ll be getting off on the right foot.
Get Organized
The next thing on your list should be getting properly organized. Tutoring is often a varied role where you work on a casual basis, so it can be easy to end up with a messy schedule that doesn’t align with performing at your best.
We suggest keeping a diary with your schedule in it and trying to arrange sessions in blocks so that you’re teaching the same thing (in regards to both subject and course section) on the same days. This allows you to fully prepare and focus on a single topic, meaning that things will flow more smoothly with your students.
Never Stop Learning
Though you’ve already completed the subjects you’re teaching, this doesn’t mean you know everything there is to know. Those who really stand out from the crowd in any field are the ones who take an approach of constant learning and improvement, and tutoring is no different.
While your extra knowledge may not be directly relevant to the exams your students will be taking, it will help them gain a better understanding of the topics and provide context to the knowledge they’re building. This will help them perform better at school while also setting them up for future success if the subject they are taking is relevant to their desired career path.
Create Goals With Your Students
Each student you work with will have a different endgame in mind, and understanding this is vital to helping them succeed. By setting goals with your students, rather than simply laying things out based purely on the course material, you’ll be able to help them succeed in a broader sense. You’ll also highlight the importance of the central subject matter in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re dictating to them.
Adapt To Your Students’ Learning Style
Another way to become a better tutor is to adapt your approach to suit each student’s learning style. Everyone learns differently, so by setting up your sessions to match how your student learns best, you’ll be honing your craft while also achieving better results for your clients.
Practice Active Listening
Practicing active listening is key in any role, but it is particularly important in ones where you are helping someone to understand something. Listening to feedback and questions, and addressing them appropriately, is one of the best ways to become a better tutor. You will do a far better job of helping your students excel as you’ll be getting constant feedback on whether they genuinely understand the content you’re teaching.
Becoming a better tutor is an admirable goal, and following the tips laid out in this article will help you greatly in your endeavors to improve. Put these tips into practice, and watch your students flourish.
