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What to Look for in an Online Tutor

July 9, 2009 on 7:07 pm | In Uncategorized, math tutoring, online math tutoring, tutor, tutoring |

Online tutoring is a new concept for many people.  The idea that you can learn from the privacy of your own home without having a person to teach you in your immediate presence is not something that we have ever been able to do effectively until now.  Online tutoring in math is becoming accessible to anyone with a computer and internet access.  The following will highlight some of the most frequently mentioned pros and cons.

The Pros:

• You can access it anytime of day or night.
• Parents can have their child tutored without worrying about the child’s physical safety
• Tutoring can work around the student/parent activity schedule and kids can avoid missing their activities because they have to get to the learning center
• Tutoring is one-on-one
• Tutoring can be with a certified teacher in that subject
• Tutoring is interactive and in real time so it is like the tutor is right there next to the student.
• Tutoring uses technology that most students have grown up using

The Cons:

• Sometimes there is a language barrier or accent barrier for tutors and students to overcome since tutors are from all over the world.
• Some tutors don’t effectively communicate to the student and do not gauge a student’s understanding well
• The tutor has no background on the student and doesn’t communicate with student’s parents or teachers.
• Tutoring sessions are not student centered with the student’s success in mind—they only provide homework help

With these pros and cons in mind, you must search for an online tutor that is better than this.  Some tutoring companies offer the benefits of a private tutor and an online tutor all in one.  These are some things you should look for when searching for an online math tutor for your child.

Look for:

• Someone who is willing to communicate with you as a parent, and also with your child’s teachers.  This communication is key to having both success and efficient tutoring sessions.  You should get the most for your money.
• Someone who is understood by your child.  If you have ever taken a class where you could not understand the instructor, or tried to ask directions from someone who had a heavy accent that you were unable to understand, you will realize how important this is.
• Find a tutor who is one-on-one with your child.  You want the same tutor each session for your child.  If each session is with a new tutor, chances are the session will not be as efficient.  Part of teaching/tutoring is building an educational relationship between tutor and student where the tutor can adjust learning to fit the student’s needs.
• Find a tutor who teaches to all learning styles.  Is your child a visual, auditory or tactile kinesthetic learner?  Make sure the tutoring is designed to implement teaching to these styles. 
• Find a certified teacher, if possible.  You want someone who has experience in both teaching and in the subject you are finding a tutor for.  It is wonderful to have knowledge, but the true test of a tutor is whether they can pass on that knowledge.  Just because they are well versed in their content, doesn’t mean they have the gift to teach it to others.
• Look for a tutor who specializes in designing tutoring sessions that emphasize both learning concepts and homework.  If your child needs homework help, look for that specifically, but realize that it is what its name suggests. 

Finding the right tutor is a challenge, but well worth it!  Many tutors will provide free consultation and a free tutoring session to “try out” the service and determine whether it is a good fit.  Take advantage of these no-risk offers.  Your money is hard earned and you want to spend it in the most efficient way possible, while still getting the services that your child needs.  A little research will go a long way to having effective and efficient tutoring for your child.