All About Finding & Evaluating Tutors
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I think parents have to be realistic. If you are an experienced tutor, you should try to let the parent have a clear picture of the situation and not make promises of improvements just so that as to keep your job and income.
You’ll be putting yourself in a very embarassing situation should the tutee do really badly.
Personally, I screen the parents. If I can feel that the parent is the unrealistic and disillusioned sort while talking to the parent, I will not take up the job.
Some parents think that just with tuition and no change in lifestyle or habits of the tutee there will be improvements.
Don’t forget it takes two hands to clap. The tutee has to be a responsible student and play his role well too. -
Hi parents
As your children are unique and special, it is understandable that different teaching styles be adopted when tutoring your children. It is entirely possible for you to state your expectations of the desired tutor, so that the agency can match a tutor who is best suited for your children’s needs. When contacting an agency, you need to state what works best for your children, for example, strict tutor, enthusiastic tutor, so that we can provide a good match for you. Tuition agencies are more than happy when you state your preferences as that would mean a higher level of customer satisfaction. Personally, I only recommend the best tutors to my customers, who become my friends eventually, often sharing their concerns with me freely. It is a win-win situation. -
for your Pri/Sec child, which of the following will you consider and why?
1) Poly / Undergrade student tutors
2) Full time Tutors
3) Working adults Tutor
4) Current or Ex school teacher -
nani:
for your Pri/Sec child, which of the following will you consider and why?
1) Poly / Undergrade student tutors
2) Full time Tutors
3) Working adults Tutor
4) Current or Ex school teacher
Depends on the parent budget.
Most clients are comfortable with university undergrads
Teachers and full time tutor command a higher rate. -
I will go for one that can relate to the child, engaged him, as well as one who can explain and make my child see light of the question.
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nani:
JC/Undergrad Student tutorsfor your Pri/Sec child, which of the following will you consider and why?
1) Poly / Undergrade student tutors
2) Full time Tutors
3) Working adults Tutor
4) Current or Ex school teacher
- Familiar with syllabus esp. for secondary school when recent grad
- May lack experience (esp compared to teachers)
- No formal training
- Might be able to relate to students better than older students
- Academic/Teaching capabilities unverified.
- Rates vary from low to high.
Full time/Working adult tutors - I dont see any good benefits expect for experience. IMO not in touch with syllabus, generally older and thus no \"age benefit\". No formal training, academic & teaching capabilities unverified. Tend to charge higher than student tutors but I see no good reason.
Current/Ex School Tutors
- Formal training
- Academic & teaching capabilities verified.
- Experienced
- Familiar with syllabus
- know of marking scheme
- Rates tend to be on the higher end (expect $40-$200 per hour) -
Actually I am fine with anyone who CAN really teach my children. I will just ask around and see. It doesn’t mean that Current or Ex school teacher can teach better. I have heard that some school teachers can’t even teach properly! Wonder how they pass their NIE.
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Haha I believe they can teach, just that they cant be bothered to do so!
What kind of tuition are you looking for? Which level? -
meinteel:
As a full-time tutor, I will try to clarify your doubts.
Full time/Working adult tutors - I dont see any good benefits expect for experience. IMO not in touch with syllabus, generally older and thus no \"age benefit\". No formal training, academic & teaching capabilities unverified. Tend to charge higher than student tutors but I see no good reason.
\"not in touch with syllabus\" - Find a full-time tutor with experience and he or she will be in touch with the syllabus. I will speak with candour here. In order to make a decent living from full-time tuition, a tutor needs to teach more than 10 students a month. It's highly improbable that a tutor can teach more than 10 students a month and still be \"not in touch with the syllabus\". If so, he won't be in this business for long.
\"generally older and thus no 'age benefit'\" - Being friendly towards the student is not the same as being friends with the student. A tutor, just like a school teacher, needs to watch his or her conduct and maintain some distance to gain the student's respect.
\"No formal training, academic & teaching capabilities unverified\" - The formal training part I agree. As for academic capabilities, most tuition agencies require tutors to scan and email their degree scrolls and certs before taking on an assignment. Parents can also request to view the certs before the first lesson. Teaching capabilities are harder to verify, but again, if the tutor is experienced, there shouldn't be any problems.
\"Tend to charge higher than student tutors but I see no good reason\" - Yes, parents have to fork out more to hire a full-time tutor. However, they can be more assured that they are hiring someone committed and responsible. A full-time tutor who fares poorly in these aspects will be dropped by the agencies.
For student tutors, although they are more affordable and may be able to teach well, the disadvantage is that there is always the chance of there being a \"conflict of interest\" when their university exam dates draw near.
Do they spend more time studying for their all-important exams or do they continue with tuition? There is no easy answer... If the student tutor has not been doing consistent revision, chances are, he will need to do last-minute cramming and will prioritise his exams over his tuition students' exams. :siam:
Hope that clarifies the doubts you have about the pros and cons of hiring a full-time tutor.
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meinteel:
I agreed with meinteel. They can teach but really lack of responsibility.Haha I believe they can teach, just that they cant be bothered to do so!
What kind of tuition are you looking for? Which level?
Previously, I had engaged a current school teacher to teach dd. We sent dd to the tutor's house. While dd was doing her composition at the living room's table, the tutor left dd alone doing her compo and went to watch television with her husband although the sound volume was rather soft. But the TV was just three steps away from dd's table. Both the tutor and her husband are current school teacher. I was so upset and discontinued with the tutor.
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