Seven Qualities of a Good Tutor

Qualities to look for when selecting a tutor for your child

We have to admit that all of us needs help from time to time in our lives. When it comes to academics, a tutor can help prepare a student for an important exam or to overcome a particularly difficult subject.

Unfortunately, not all tutors are effective. Therefore, it is important to know what qualities to look for in a tutor before committing time and money to a substandard one.

Here are 7 qualities that every good tutor should possess.

1. Prepared & Punctual

It is imperative for a tutor to always show up to a session on time. Tutors who show up prepared and on time demonstrate that they take themselves and their responsibilities seriously. It also shows that you respect your student and value their time and it also sets a good example for your student.

2. Good Communicator

A good tutor will start with an interview with the parents and the student. It is important to have this initial discussion with the parents and the student to agree on an action plan to help the student achieve their full potential.

Parent-teacher meetings are a great opportunity to discuss student performance, but they usually only occur a few times during the school year. This can be detrimental to the student, especially when they are having difficulties in certain areas as problems may go unreported and it might become more of an issue as time goes by. It is therefore important for a tutor to be able to identify specific problem areas during the year and to work with the student’s teacher and parents to address them as quickly as possible to ensure that a student don’t fall behind on their studies.

3. Understand different Learning Styles

A good tutor will identify the student’s learning style to be able to present information to the learner in a way that would benefit them the most. There are seven types of learning styles; Verbal, Physical, Visual, Aural, Solitary, Logical and Social.

4. Create Meaningful Relationships with Students

• A good tutor will take the time to connect meaningfully with their student and will care for their well-being.
• He/she will be energetic, patient and compassionate, but also professional and organized.
• He/she will have strong and effective disciple skills and will be able to create a positive learning environment.
• He/she will have good listening skills to be able to better understand the students’ misconceptions and errors and will be able to explain material in multiple ways.
• He/she will build their students confidence by positive reinforcement, which will enable them to perform better in exams and assignments as they will feel confident in themselves and would trust their own judgement and abilities.

5. Give regular feedback

It is important for a tutor to determine a student’s level of understanding in order to plan the next steps towards achieving the learning intentions or goal. This information must be shared on a regular basis with the student’s parents so that there is still time to adjust learning strategies if needed.

6. Expertise in Subject Matter

A good tutor needs to have a decent understanding of the subject knowledge, but also needs the skills to teach it. They must be confident in their knowledge of the subject and be able to explain difficult concepts easily to their student.

7. Developing Independent Learning Skills

A good tutor enables a student to work on their own by giving them the tools necessary to succeed in their academics and in life. Skills like stress management, adaptive thinking, problem solving, communication and time management are all essential to being a great student.
Having read my blog, I believe that you will make the right choice in choosing the right tutor for your child. If you need more guidance, please visit AAA Tutoring Africa where you will find the perfect tutor for your child.

Check out my Blog on Keeping your child learning during the Covid 19 Pandemic.