finding a great tutor

Are you looking for an online tutor?
 
The Internet is a great resource to find a variety of services, and education is no different. Whether you’re looking to hire a tutor for your child or for yourself, there are a variety of options. Personally, I had a math tutor in middle school that helped me catch up, an SAT tutor in high school, and chemistry tutors in college. A straight-A student, no one would have ever guessed – but it’s important to ask for help when you need it. Since college I’ve given back, tutoring high school students in a variety of subjects and general life skills, as well as teaching nutrition students how to study for the RD exam.
 
So why hire a tutor? Why not just hit the books a little harder? Tutors provide one-on-one support – the tutor can adapt their teaching style to your learning needs. Teaching in a classroom is efficient because one teacher supports many students, but is not always as effective as one-on-one help. You can take extra time to focus on certain topics that get glossed over in a lecture, and do more practice on your weak spots. 

finding a tutor

Local tutors may use service-posting sites like Craigslist and job websites – I know I have! Local online marketplaces are a great way to find someone who can help in-person. There is also an increasing number of tutoring services with brick-and-mortar locations that provide afterschool care and tutoring in one, or have the tutor travel to your home. Try searching “learning centers”, or “math and reading centers”. Many childcare services also bundle with tutoring – Care.com also has tutoring advertisements, and College Nannies and Tutors has both on-call and at their learning centers.

online programs

We often hear about adult learning online – from massive open online courses (MOOCs), to degrees online – but pre-college work can also be done online. An alternative to expensive private schools, hit-or-miss public schools, and home schooling, there are now different online school programs. 

finding a good fit

For in-person tutors, set up an initial meet session just to chat. You’ll get an idea if there is a good vibe between you (or your child) and the tutor which is a key component of a one-on-one tutor-tutee relationship. A tutor that cannot read a tutee cannot adapt their teaching style for an effective learning session.
 
For online tutors, set up a phone call or a session that mimics what the real environment will be. You’ll also want to find out a potential tutor’s background – what training and experience do they have? Are there previous students you can speak to?
 
Logistically, you’ll want to agree on an hourly or package rate, and find out the tools the tutor is willing to take advantage of, such as video calls, instant messaging help, and online graphing and shared whiteboards. Schedule is the last part of the puzzle – there are many aspects that make a tutor a good fit, but logistically if your schedules never line up then it’s not going to work.