The 5 most important questions to ask a potential tutor
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- Published on Saturday, 05 June 2010 16:15
Submitted by Jennifer Perez
Has anyone ever had his or her child bring homework home that was perfectly written in English, but looked like Greek instead? After exhausting all after school options, you have decided that it is now time to begin the tutor search. Here are The 5 most important questions to as a potential tutor.
1. Is this tutor willing to submit a background check?
As a teacher AND a mother, I would begin here first and foremost. Nowadays, you can never be TOO safe when it comes to life’s most treasured gifts: your children. If the tutor agrees to the background check, then wonderful. Hopefully, the results that return will allow you to proceed to question #2. If not, let the tutor search continue.
2. What kind of degree did the tutor graduate with?
This is an important question because it will allow you as the parent/guardian to determine whether or not this tutor has the expertise to assist your child. For example, if the tutor graduated with a finance degree, then it’s pretty safe to say that they will know a thing or two about numbers and will most likely be a fit to tutor in mathematics. If the tutor graduated with a Communications degree….then, I would question their ability to tutor in let’s say, Calculus and Trigonometry.
3. What is the tutor’s reason for tutoring?
In asking this question, you are accomplishing two things: #1. You will be able to determine the tutor’s motivation for tutoring. Are they tutoring because it’s a second job they have on the weekends? Hopefully, this is not the case and you end up with #2. This tutor has a passion for teaching and you can just tell that they are brimming with excitement at another opportunity to touch another young life!
4. Is the tutor willing and able to provide you with a few references?
At this point, the tutor has made a great impression; they have passed the background check, graduated with a degree that qualifies them to tutor your child and is ready to make a difference in your child’s life! What more can this tutor do to win you over? The answer: provide you with 2-4 references of families with who have previously used this tutor. This is extremely important as it allows personal insight as to how this tutor actually operates. Only you will know what you are looking for when speaking with these references. My suggestion is to jot down a few key questions you would like to ask so that your conversation can remain focused and professional.
5. How flexible is the tutor?
Flexibility in this question refers to the location and time in which the actual tutoring sessions will take place. Once you decide that this is the right tutor for your child, the next step is to determine how many days per week tutoring will be needed as well as the duration of these tutoring sessions. What about location? Will you be meeting in a public place such as a library, bookstore or coffee shop? It would be a good idea to discuss all of this prior to the first tutoring session.
ABOUT the Author:
My name is Jennifer Perez and I am a Professionally Certified K-6 teacher and am also ESOL Certified. I attended the University of South Florida where I received my Bachelors degree. In 2008, I received my Masters in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University. Over the past 7 years, I have had the privilege of being a teacher, tutor, mentor and a volunteer tutor helping underprivileged children. Through my years of experience, I have come to be a firm believer that ALL students can and will learn if provided the appropriate learning strategies and techniques. You can find out more about me at InspiringMindsTutoring.com
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