4 Tips to Be a Successful Tutor

By Ian Acosta on November 5, 2016

College is quite difficult and very stressful. Many of you know this fact already. Between the many credit hours of lecture, long hours of studying into the night, and possibly even juggling a job, it sometimes may be overwhelming to try and find the right balance for it all.

For those that may struggle with one aspect or another, studying and studying for hours simply might not be enough to fill the void. What is another option? Seek out a tutor.

Tutoring might sound a bit intimidating at first: having a fellow student help you out in a subject or topic that you are struggling with. My advice is to take it in stride and utilize any and all resources available to help make the grade. Some may struggle with the idea of accepting help at first due to the simple fact that his or her personality is just too proud and hesitant to admit to needing help. Once this hurdle is overcome, tutoring is a great way to open up in order to both learn more about your studies and yourself while even potentially making a friend along the way.

Here are four tips to be a successful tutor.

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1. Be personable

The first step in building any relationship is to get to know one another and build rapport. This is especially true in tutoring. A strong personal relationship will help build a foundation of trust and support. This in turn will lead to a more easygoing and relaxed tutoring atmosphere allowing both tutor and student to grow simultaneously and really get the most out of each other’s time together.

In addition, by being a more personable tutor and building that initial relationship, it will allow both tutor and student to identify where the student is excelling and more importantly where the student needs the most help. By identifying strengths and weaknesses and personalizing the student’s tutoring, it will allow them to grow and grasp concepts and lessons much faster.

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2. Communicate

To be a successful tutor, communication should not be limited to just the tutoring session. If a student has taken the time to seek out help and put his or her trust in their tutor, the tutor should pay them back and take a vested interest into their success and create a plan to sustain it. What does this involve? Great communication.

Check in on how he or she is doing when not with you. Make sure they attend lecture and put aside time to study the concepts on their own instead of being solely reliant on a tutor. When it comes right down to it, the tutor cannot be there for the student every step of the way. The job of a tutor is to not only teach, but to be a support and mentor for when the student needs more than just study tips.

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3. Be knowledgeable

It would not do much good to tutor on a subject that is not fresh in one’s mind, would it? As a tutor, it is the tutor’s job to not only teach the student but to keep up to date on the topics and concepts being taught. Not much good a tutor would do if he or she constantly taught outdated or misguided concepts, right?

A tutor should not be afraid to seek out help or outside resources if unaware or unsure of a question or concern posed by the student. Take notes and pay attention to the student, especially on concepts they know well. From there, the tutor can self-study more advanced topics related to the concept and help expand the student’s knowledge further and potentially motivate them to learn on their own.

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4. Be flexible

Flexibility is one if not the most important trait a tutor can have. Remember, it is important for the tutor to be flexible based on the student’s schedule, not vice versa. As mentioned before, it is the tutor’s job to be a rock and bastion of support for the student. What comes along with that is a responsibility to adjust to the student’s ever changing study and exam schedule. To really make the most out of this teaching relationship, the tutor and student both need to work on creating a flexible but rigid study schedule.

As with any tips for any topic relating to teaching, tutoring, or study habits, there are dozens upon dozens of suggestions and sources of advice. For tutoring, this is no different. To be a successful tutor, it not only is important to heed these tips, but to also seek out other avenues of guidance and feedback in order to ensure the student receives the absolute best guidance and support for their studying.

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