private tuition

[Ivy_lim]

I hired private tutors before too, many wont be able to spend time to come up any tuition plan and if you never see their teaching progress, you might be wasting your money away, as they would just follow the text book pages and speed will also depend on how slow or how fast your kid can learn, when the exam is drawing near, they might not even panic to make sure your kids know the topics well. It’s like a push button. One of the tutor I hired, would choose the easier way out…teaching my kid reading out loud on chinese text book and test spelling each week (after I get her to do so), spending very little time in covering areas like comprehension and composition, which is harder to teach. Had another tutor only know how to go through science text book and marking assessment book (with answer sheet) and not teaching my kid on how to answer science open-ended questions. In the end my kids would use his own standard of language with all the missing keypoint in the answer. He studied but failed as he did not know the correct way to answer science questions.


Am also very desperate to find really good teacher too…

[Herbie]

Some planning is certainly required prior to tutoring the kid.

However, this tutor tat we had does not do that.
She comes to my place empty handed.
She verbally explain the terminology to my kid and expect the child
to copy down her explanation.
And the poor kid has a hard time trying to take down notes.

If the kid writes too slowly she complains that it affects her train of thought.
After the session, i flip thru some books and find the terms with complete explanation inside
a reference book.

Hence, i think tutor shld plan ahead before giving tuition.

[limlim]

Ivy_lim:

Had another tutor only know how to go through science text book and marking assessment book (with answer sheet) and not teaching my kid on how to answer science open-ended questions.

Normally, I ask the secondary students to mark themselves (to let them learn to be independent), and then those questions that was answered wrongly or unable to answer, we can focus on that.

I feel it is more productive this way.

Tutors are engaged to teach the kids, to train them.. not to mark questions. Why spend money to pay tutors to mark questions if the answer sheet is available. Worse if the tutors NEED the answer sheet to mark all the questions.. something is very wrong....

Unless the students doesn't know better for his/her own good and cannot be trusted.. then the tutors need to mark the papers, or maybe even the parents can mark it, then ask the tutor to explain to the kids those that he got it wrong.

[limlim]

Herbie:

Hence, i think tutor shld plan ahead before giving tuition.

You should add the subject when making that statement.. It may be valid for languages but not for maths and science..

And I do agree that languages need prior planning. btw, my comments in this thread are for technical subjects like maths and science, not applicable to languages..

[BlueBells]

I think 1:1 tuition should be targeted learning. Tutuor should spend time communicating with the parent to understand the child’s weakness in the area, if not a run-through of the child’s test papers should provide an insight to his weakness and work from there.


I wouldn’t ask for lesson plan, but the flow would be - tutor will have to clear any doubts on concepts my child does not understand from class lessons, followed by the targeted learning. for me, it is important to ensure the tutor can help the child to understand what he does not during his normal school hours, before moving on.

The tutor’s KPI - my child’s improved grades and understanding in subject matter that used to baffle him, which is easily identifiable / visible from his test papers.

[jtoh]

Herbie:

Hi violin_lover

this tutoring is for the elder kid.

this tuition started cos we were asking for help for my kid on certain subjects from this girl who were knew very well.
And we tot she was merely helping for free and after 2 lessons she dropped us a bomb saying is chargeable. Anyway we re-negotiated the fees cos we think $40 per hr is very expensive

It does not have to be a lesson plan but at least an outline or tell me her plan on how she is guiding my kid. But she has no plan...

Ya, you are right on the maths project thingy.

Maybe she didn't want to coach your kid anymore and decided to name a sky-high price so you would sack her? :evil:

[Herbie]

[quote]

Maybe she didn't want to coach your kid anymore and decided to name a sky-high price so you would sack her? :evil:[/quote]
Nope, she wants to save up the money for her studies in
law/medince. Actually her parents are rich folks staying at landed property
may be she assume $40 as a cheap rate.

[violin_lover]

Herbie:

[quote]

Maybe she didn't want to coach your kid anymore and decided to name a sky-high price so you would sack her? :evil:

Nope, she wants to save up the money for her studies in law/medicine.[/quote]oic... that's explain the high rate she quotes, as an A level graduate. (although the rate is less than half of what I would charge :evil: )

[Oppsgal]

Herbie:

Some planning is certainly required prior to tutoring the kid.

However, this tutor tat we had does not do that.
She comes to my place empty handed.
She verbally explain the terminology to my kid and expect the child
to copy down her explanation.
And the poor kid has a hard time trying to take down notes.

If the kid writes too slowly she complains that it affects her train of thought.
After the session, i flip thru some books and find the terms with complete explanation inside
a reference book.

Hence, i think tutor shld plan ahead before giving tuition.

Just follow the school's teacher. Teach until where then tutor just follow up.

[jtoh]

Herbie:

[quote]

Maybe she didn't want to coach your kid anymore and decided to name a sky-high price so you would sack her? :evil:

Nope, she wants to save up the money for her studies in
law/medince. Actually her parents are rich folks staying at landed property
may be she assume $40 as a cheap rate.[/quote]I guess it's a virtue that she wants to supplement her school fees. But her idea of tuition fee rate is a bit off.