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Why Certified Teachers Make For More Effective Tutors

tatvasoft March 29, 2013

When looking for a tutor it is easy to assume that all tutors can provide the same services. If this were true then finding the cheapest tutor would be the way to go. However, this is not always the case and not all tutors are equally trained or qualified. In fact, tutors often have varying levels of education and teaching experience, thereby creating a wide range in terms of quality. If you are looking for someone who can help your child learn in an effective way with lasting results you should consider hiring a tutor who is a certified teacher.

Why should you hire a certified teacher as a tutor?

Certified teachers are familiar with the grade level requirements and the curriculum taught in schools. Your teenage neighbor might have the top Math and Science scores at their school, but they probably are not trained to teach the material in the most effective way. Certified teachers, on the other hand, are not only knowledgeable in different subject matters, but also have the necessary teaching skills to help students learn the subject and make noticeable progress.

Teachers care about your child’s success

A certified teacher views tutoring as a way to give students the extra instruction and attention they need in order to develop proper skills. Ultimately, as a result of the tutoring sessions, students should be able to continually excel in school, and not just to pass a test or get a good grade on a paper. Teachers who are tutors want their students to succeed in life and not just in school.

Certified teacher tutors create personalized lesson plans for each tutoring session

Lesson plans in the classroom have to be created for an entire class full of different students at varying levels. Rather than merely presenting information in a general way, as they would in a classroom setting, teachers who are tutors get to focus on one individual student. They have the flexibility to spend more time on areas that the student is struggling with. They can stop at any time during a tutoring session and work with the student on particular areas until they master the concept.

Certified teachers apply professional techniques during tutoring sessions

Certified teachers are able to perform professional assessments to determine the student’s level of understanding on particular subjects. Knowing where the student is at allows teachers to develop appropriate lesson plans for that student. Teachers are trained to keep detailed records of their student’s assessment scores so they can easily track their progress and ensure that they attain their goals.

Certified teachers are familiar with learning disabilities

Teachers are trained to recognize learning disabilities and can thereby adapt teaching methods and use various strategies to enable students to learn according to theirlearning styles. If a student has a limited attention span, such as someone with ADHD or other behavioral disorders, the teachers will know how to facilitate learning during tutoring sessions. Teachers have experience with behavior management so they can use certain techniques to help the student focus during tutoring sessions and can even teach the student to apply these focusing techniques at school.

Benefits of having a Certified Teacher as a tutor:

Tutors spend regular one-on-one time with a student, which is not usually possible in a classroom setting. A teacher who gets to spend personal time with the student will get to know the student’s specific strengths, needs, learning styles as well as their attention span and capacity. Being able to focus on developing specific needs during one-one-one tutoring sessions will have more effective results than being in a large classroom setting.

Hiring certified teacher tutors might be more expensive than hiring a high school or university student. However, having a tutor who is a certified teacher can make a huge difference in the quality and effectiveness of tutoring sessions. The quality of the tutor will show in the advancement and progress of the student. Furthermore, certified teachers can also offer advice to parents on activities to do with the student that will benefit their education and make tutoring sessions even more profitable.

How Tutoring Can Help Reduce Test Anxiety

Susan Cumberland March 22, 2013

Test anxiety is a real thing that many children experience. Most adults can remember having feelings of anxiety related to taking tests, but it is hard to remember just exactly how daunting test days can be. Some children pretend to be sick on test days, or they might actually feel ill due to test-induced anxiety. Regardless of the level of anxiety your child has, tutoring can help prepare them for test taking and reduce the test related anxiety.

Ask a tutor for an exam preparation tutoring session

On the one hand, tutoring sessions can be used for additional instruction time where the tutor helps explain the material in a way that the student can understand. Tutors can also use the tutoring session to help the student practice the skills they are learning to prepare for tests at school. When students have a clear grasp of the subject material and have adequate practice before the day of the test, their stress levels during a test will be greatly decreased. Knowing the material will also give your child the confidence they need to perform their best on a test.

Use regular tutoring sessions to develop study skills

Your child’s tutor will help your child develop effective study skills. Here are some basic study skills that you can ask your child’s tutor to include during tutoring sessions that will help your child prepare for a test.

1. Start studying the material many days in advance. If your child has multiple tutoring sessions during the week this time can be used to study the material in advance so that your child gets the material stored away in their long-term memory so they can easily access it on test day. If you only have one tutoring session a week your child’s tutor can help set up a study schedule for your child to follow each day leading up to the test.

2. Tutors can prepare practice tests for your child to take during the tutoring session to get used to test taking. This will help your child learn to work at a proper pace while experiencing the pressure of a time limit. This may not be enjoyable for your child, but the more they practice, the easier the actual test will seem.

3. Relaxation while studying will remind them to relax while taking the test. Ask your child’s tutor to help your child relax by doing deep breathing exercises. This relaxation technique can be used in any type of stressful situation, even into adulthood.

Tutors help develop test taking strategies

Your child’s tutor can be instrumental in preparing your child for a test. They can give your child some tips on how to approach the test. Here are some helpful test taking strategies tutors can utilize with a student for exam preparation:

1. Your child’s tutor can remind them to look over the test to see how many questions are on it, so they will know how to spend the proper amount of time on each section.

2. Your child’s tutor can also encourage them to read each question carefully and to follow all the directions on the test. Going too quickly can cause your child to make careless mistakes that could be avoided.

3. Tutors can suggest skipping over a difficult question and coming back to it at the end of the test. Dwelling on the difficult question will only increase anxiety and affect the way they take the rest of the test.

Reviewing the graded test during the next tutoring session:

Your child’s tutor can review the test with your child to show them the things that they did well, as well as the areas that need more practice. Your child’s tutor can use the test to evaluate your child’s progress and to show your child what they need to work on more during tutoring sessions. If the teacher has written any notes on the test it is important for your child to read these notes so they know how they did and what they can do the next time they take a test. It is important for your child to see that the purpose of taking tests is not just to receive a grade mark but it is to see what they’ve learned.

How can parents help reduce test anxiety?

Parents can help reduce test anxiety by encouraging their children to study and practice for a test, but should be careful not to put too much focus on tests. Talking about a test too much can cause your child to have more anxiety. Cook your child’s favorite meal on test day and a yummy, nutritious breakfast. Help your child get to bed on time the day before a test so they are well rested and able to function on test day.

With this type of support from parents and tutors your child can reduce their test anxiety, which will help them perform better on their tests and be able to cope with stressful situations in the future.

Math Tutoring Tips for Children with Different Learning Styles

Susan Cumberland March 15, 2013

Math can be a challenging subject for many children. This does not mean that your child is incapable of learning how to do Math. Math Tutors may need to get creative in order to help students with different learning styles, but it can be a fun learning process for the student and the Math Tutor.

Here are some math tutoring tips you can try out in your tutoring sessions with a child:

“Draw Out” Your Math Tutoring Sessions

Visual Learners benefit from working with charts and diagrams and drawing pictures. The perfect way to make Math Tutoring sessions more profitable for visual learners is to let them draw pictures. Using a dry erase board with different colored markers will allow the student to draw as many pictures as necessary until they understand the concept. Math tutors can also make flashcards for students learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables. Consider drawing pictures next to the numbers. For example, instead of writing 5+5 on the front and 10 on the back, add 2 sets of 5 apples next to the numbers with ten apples on the back.

Turn Your Math Tutoring Session into Story Time!

For the Verbal Learner, staring at pages of numbers is a nightmare. Verbal learners benefit from being able to use words to solve problems. The solution is Story Problems! This will take Math Tutors some extra preparation time, but it will be worth it. By turning the plain number problems into story problems you can turn the Math Tutoring session from frustrating to entertaining. When solving the problem, encourage the student to talk through their thought process. Once they solve the problem they can write out their answer using words. This type of learning will be much more meaningful and useful to the verbal learner.

Musical Math Tutoring

For Audio Learners one of the best ways to learn is by turning the subject matter into a song. Again this will take some preparation. Math Tutors don’t need to worry about composing a masterpiece. Just a simple tune to memorize multiplication tables can help the Audio learner keep the facts in their memory. Try using a familiar song like “The Farmer in the Dell and then singing “2 times 2 is 4, 2 times 2 is 4, Heigh-ho, the derry-o 2 times 2 is 4” it is a simple tune and it will help the student remember the equation. Plus it will make the Math Tutoring session a lot of fun.

Turn A Math Tutoring Session into a Pizza Party

The Kinesthetic Learner may struggle to sit still during Math Tutoring sessions. Instead of forcing them to sit still and concentrate on a paper full of Math problems let them do some hands on activities. Using manipulatives is very effective and easy to incorporate into Math learning activities. Use blocks or small objects to demonstrate addition and subtraction. For a division problem such as 15 ÷ 3 = 5) Math tutors can ask the student to gather 15 blocks. then have the student divide the blocks into 3 equal groups so that they can see that there are 5 blocks in each group. When dealing with fractions, rather than looking at a diagram of a pie, why not use an actual pie or a pizza to talk about fractions at the end of your Tutoring Session you can enjoy eating it together!

Try out these Math Tutoring tips during your next Math Tutoring Session. Get creative and come up with your own new ideas. The most important thing is to remember that there are simple things you can adapt to benefit each different learning style and to help each individual student succeed.

How Parents and Tutors Can Help Children Recognize Their Learning Styles

Susan Cumberland March 8, 2013

In order to help your child succeed, you and your child’s tutor should spend the time to identify what types of learning styles your child has. Together you can encourage them and work with them during tutoring sessions to use study methods that complement their particular learning styles.

All children are unique. Not one has the exact same personality, likes or dislikes. When it comes to schoolwork, children maintain their differences in terms of learning styles. We often expect that all children should learn in the same way. Traditional educational systems can make some children appear to be excellent learners, while others seem to struggle. This may not reflect your child’s abilities. Helping children recognize their particular learning styles could help them succeed in school. Your tutor can create lessons that bring out the best in your child’s abilities if they are aware of your child’s learning style.

Different Learning Styles to know for tutoring sessions:

Spatial/Visual Learning Style:

Learn best by seeing and observing. They learn well with pictures, charts, diagrams and color-coding. The visual learner may benefit from using flash cards for memorization. Spatial learners tend to be creative and artistic as well.

Audio/Musical Learning Style:

Receiving information aurally is usually the easiest way for an Audio learner. Most children with this learning style also have musical tendencies or abilities. Putting information into tunes or songs can help with memorization and learning.

Verbal/Linguistic Learning Style:

This type of learner uses words to understand the subject matter. They learn well in lecture settings, taking notes and reading subject material. They may want to talk through a problem or write it down in order to get a clear understanding of the subject.

Physical/Kinesthetic Learning Style:

Some people learn best by doing. Even if they read about it or hear about it, the understanding will click when they can go through the motions themselves. Using manipulatives and hands on activities as well as role-playing can be helpful for the more physical learners.

Logical/Mathematical Learning Style:

This type of learner likes to take information and figure out how and why. Some people refer to this learning style as Mathematical because these types of learners often excel in Math and Science. They easily understand number problems and are able to do quick mental calculations.

Social/Interpersonal Learning Style:

These types of learners enjoy social interaction. They may be willing participants in class discussions and group projects. They are able to relate to and empathize with others. Social learners may benefit from study groups rather than independent study.

Solitary/Intrapersonal Learning Style:

Some children learn best on their own. They may need to be able to focus in an environment free of noise and distractions. They may be reluctant to join class discussions even if they have relevant information or know the answer to the question.

All of these learning styles are not distinct or separate. Many people fall into more than one category. Some people learn a particular way pertaining to one particular subject and another way for a different subject.

Regardless of the learning styles that your child may have, there are ways to help them succeed in school. By determining what type of learner they are, you and your tutor can help them to use certain study strategies that will help them do their school work in the way that best fits their particular learning style.

A Winning Tutoring Team: Parent, Student and Tutor Collaboration

Susan Cumberland March 1, 2013

Working together as a team to help your child succeed.

Rather than parents and tutors feeling that they are helpless and unable to do anything to get their children to do their schoolwork they should consider that they are part of a tutoring team. If the Parents, Tutor and Student can work together this will help your child succeed.

1. Communication is the key to making the Tutoring Team work:

The first thing a team does is they get to know one another. Spend some quality time with your child. Talk about things that they enjoy. Encourage your child’s Tutor to also spend the time to get to know your child.

Your child may not understand why they even need to be doing their homework in the first place. Consider having a talk with your child and your child’s tutor to discuss why they need to do homework and how it will help them for the rest of their lives. Much of what we learn comes from repeated practice over time. This will help your child understand why doing homework is important.

2. Establish each member’s role in the Tutoring Team:

Each member of a team plays an important role. A Tutoring Team is no different. There is the need for supportive parents, who care about their child’s success. The student should try their best to work hard and to work with their parents and their tutor. Tutors also play a supporting role to help establish lesson plans that can be adapted to the individual student’s learning styles.

3. Setting Team goals to work toward during Tutoring Sessions:

The next thing a team does is to establish a goal. What are you trying to accomplish as a team? You all are working together so that the student can master the specific skills that they need to learn and be able to advance to the next level. Establish specific goals with specific rewards. Involving your child in this process will help them to take ownership of their schoolwork.

4. Consistency and Keeping up the Moral of the Team: Don’t set your child up to fail

It is important to find ways to help your child succeed at doing schoolwork. Try to set tutoring sessions during a time when your child is the most productive – this could be different for each child. Some children are able to do their homework as soon as they come home from school while others may need some down time to play and release some energy. Others may work better after dinner. As long as you and your tutor are consistent and help your child stick to their scheduled homework and tutoring time- you will see your child is more likely to succeed.

5. Having the Proper Practice (Tutoring) Space and Equipment:

All teams need a place to practice and the proper equipment in order to improve their skills. Make sure that your child and tutor have the space and materials they need for their tutoring sessions. Your child’s Math Tutor may need to use a whiteboard or have access to a CD player or computer. Having the Space and materials can make all the difference!

If you view yourself as part of a Tutoring Team you will be more committed and active in your child’s learning process. When the Team wins a game or when your child starts to improve at school you will feel even more proud because of the part you played to help your child accomplish their goals.

5 Homework Tactics For Parents And Tutors To Get Kids Learning

Susan Cumberland February 22, 2013

If your child has a hard time doing their homework and you feel like you are constantly fighting with them to get them to sit still and concentrate, then here are some useful homework tactics for parents and tutors that will make your child’s homework time more pleasant and productive.

1. Schedule Homework Time and Tutoring Sessions

Your child might put up a fight any time you ask them to do their homework, but in most cases children actually do want and need some structure and guidelines for their schedule in order to be productive. Just like adults need to keep a schedule in order to be productive, children benefit from knowing exactly what needs to get done and when it needs to be completed. Enforcing a scheduled homework time for your child might seem harsh, but it will actually show your child that you care about them and they will appreciate that, even if they don’t show it.

2. Positive Reinforcement and Rewards

All children need some motivation. You and your child may decide that if they complete their homework for five days in a row they will receive a reward, like their favorite dinner or dessert. Sticker charts are an excellent way to keep a record of your child’s progress. Make the chart visible so that your child can be reminded of what is required of them and how they are doing in terms of completing their goal. During tutoring sessions this same method can be used by your tutor so you are all working toward the same goal.

3. Parents and Tutors Setting a Good Example of Learning

You can be a positive example to your child by learning new things yourself. The best way human beings learn is by observing and mimicking behaviors. If your child sees that you are learning new things (such as reading educational books or learning a new language), they will realize you are not forcing them to do something you are not willing to do yourself. Talk to your child about something that you learned that day and ask your tutor to spend time during tutoring sessions to talk with your child about things that they are learning and what helped them in the learning process.

4. Homework is for Students NOT Parents or Tutors!

Don’t do your child’s work for them and don’t let your child’s tutor do it for them either. When it comes time to doing homework, parents need to realize that helping too much and doing your child’s homework for them really isn’t helping them learn the subject matter. The teacher sends work home with the students so that they can find out how the students are doing, how much they have already learned, and what they need more help with. What you can do is to help your child focus, sit with them and explain the assignment to them, but don’t do the work for them.

5. Proper Learning Environment for Homework Time and Tutoring Sessions

This last tactic is so basic that it may be overlooked by most parents. All children need to have a proper workspace to do their homework. This space will differ based on the child, but could be at their personal desk in their bedroom, at the kitchen table, or a table in a quiet room free from distractions. This same principle can be applied to a space for tutoring sessions by making sure the tutoring session occurs in an environment that is conducive to your child’s learning.

All of these tips can be geared toward your individual child. If you have more than one child- you may need to adapt these tactics in ways to meet each of your child’s different needs. Ultimately, regardless of your child’s style of learning, personality, and interests your role as parents is to support them to be independent learners.