Minal Anand is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at GuruQ, a unique and integrated digital tutoring platform that promises to bring high quality standards and new age methodologies to the way education is imparted in India. A graduate in Business Administration from the School of Management at Boston University, Minal had worked at companies like Franklin Templeton, Citigroup to gain relevant experience in business planning, fund raising, enterprise design and structuring, and talent management.
Finding the right tutor can be a challenging experience for students and parents. When you’re on the lookout for the best tutor to help you master subjects, an array of options is available. One needs to consider the experience, budget, style of teaching and convenience. With multitude options available, we’ll tell you how you can use technology in finding the right tutor to advance your studies. Additionally, we’ll also tell you how to vet your choices and finalize the best one.
How can we use technology to find the right tutor?
- Before selecting a restaurant, we look at the ratings and reviews. Similarly, before selecting a tutor, you can look at how the tutor has been rated. You can also read the reviews people have written for him or her.
- Every learning platform has a variety of filters that allows you to select the mode (online or offline), location, subject expertise. Using these filters helps you arrive at the top choices.
- You can also look up some demonstration videos uploaded by the tutor. This will allow you to gauge the style of teaching, the level of communication skills.
- You can request a demonstration class. Most applications these days allow you to schedule a few classes at absolutely no cost. Availing these classes helps you figure if the tutor suits your needs.
How can you decide who is the perfect tutor?
- Subject Matter Expertise
This is the first and foremost consideration is whether the tutor has expertise in the subject area you want help with. This bears extreme importance when we’re looking at advance studies. A general English tutor may be able to help younger students with general grammar and literature, but if you need help with Shakespeare, you may need a subject-specific tutor.
- Teaching Experience
Understanding whether the tutor has relevant experience or not in the desired subject area allows you to figure if he is a perfect fit. It is ideal to look for a tutor who uses active teaching methodology. This means that the tutor is involved with your studies and can offer relevant feedback. The tutor should be able to adapt lesson plans suited to your skillset and address the areas you need help with. Tutors who ask follow-up questions, learn how you or your student found a specific answer, and tailor lessons to you or your child will be more effective than ones who simply list information and move on.
- Learning style
Learning is not the one size fits all. None of us learn the same way. Some of us grasps concepts better by looking at visuals, while the others are good at auditory cues or written explanations. Not all of us learn the same way. A tutor needs to be able to understand your learning style and align their teaching style to suit yours. Younger students tend to learn better with friendly and approachable tutors. The ones in higher grades may prefer tutors that are well-versed with concepts.
- Passion & Enthusiasm
You need to find a tutor who’s genuinely interested in the subject and not just trying to make some extra cash. Look for tutors who are passionate about their subject. Many online tutoring platforms screen tutors or require them to submit a video of themselves teaching a subject they are passionate about. However, you choose to hire a tutor, make sure they’re interested in the subjects they’re tutoring.
- Affordability
Finally, it is important to find a tutor who you can afford. In the budget you have one should be able to justify the job well. Screening through online platforms, you will be able to decide which tutor is affordable.
We hope we’ve been able to guide you well on how to pick the correct tutor. Once you’ve decided where you’re going to hire a tutor, it’s time to think about how to select the perfect one. Here are a few things to keep in mind when vetting a tutor.
Subject Matter Expertise
In terms of hiring a tutor, the first thing to consider is whether the tutor has expertise in the subject area you need help with. This becomes more important with advanced subjects. For example, a general math tutor may be able to help younger students with pre-calculus and basic geometry, but you may need a more intensive or subject-specific tutor for higher-level courses such as statistics.
Teaching Experience
Check to see if the tutor has tutoring or teaching experience in your desired subject area — the more, the better.
You should also look for a tutor who uses active teaching. This means the tutor is involved in your or your child’s studies and provides feedback. The tutor should adapt lesson plans suited to your skillset and address the areas you need the most help with. Tutors who ask follow-up questions, learn how you or your student found a specific answer, and tailor lessons to you or your child will be more effective than ones who simply list information and move on.
Learning Style
Not all of us learn the same way. Some of us grasp concepts better when they’re accompanied by visuals, while others prefer auditory cues or written explanations. Find your or your child’s learning style, and find a tutor who can adapt to it. If you’re a visual learner, make sure your tutor is comfortable using drawings, diagrams, or other visual aids.
It’s also useful to consider what you or your child needs at different grade levels. Younger students tend to work better with friendly, kind, and approachable tutors. These tutors will be well-versed in using props such as blocks or math counters to help reinforce certain subjects. Young students may also need more help to stay focused than high school students. Keep your child’s learning needs in mind when looking for the right tutor.
Interest and Passion
As you find a tutor, look for someone who’s genuinely interested in the subject, not just trying to make a little extra cash. Look for tutors who are passionate about teaching and their subjects. To evaluate this, set up an interview with a tutor to get a feel for their excitement for teaching. Many online tutoring platforms screen tutors or require them to submit a video of themselves teaching a subject they are passionate about. However you choose to hire a tutor, make sure they’re interested in the subjects they’re tutoring.