Tutoring can minimize anxiety and result in stronger grades
By Derek Hurley

[January 31, 2019]  A tutor is defined as a type of educator, typically one who teaches a single student or a very small group. Tutoring is often seen as an extension of teaching, one that focuses on a select group of students. Historically, tutoring has been viewed as a possibility for two types of students.

The first would be those capable of affording private tutoring in the home. The second would be those students who are struggling with classwork. In the latter’s case, these students are found at all levels of education, and are more likely to be the perceived student to receive tutoring assistance.

Sometimes, finding a tutor early can minimize the anxiety a student feels and result in stronger grades. Student athletes and artists can sometimes struggle to fit everything in their schedules, and just need help organizing and maximizing their time.

However, tutoring as a practice is not just beneficial to students who are privileged enough to receive it, or those who experience difficulty in the classroom. The reality is that tutoring is beneficial for all students, regardless of background or ability.

What is good tutoring?

According to Halina Goetz of Chapman University, a lot of parents and students consider a tutor to be a sort of “homework machine.” In this regard, a tutor is a good tutor when a low grade improves. This is really a disservice to the student, the tutor, and the student’s family.

The objective of tutoring should be to help a student become a lifelong independent learner. If a student only walks away with an ability to copy what a tutor says or does, they are not learning critical thinking skills. This is no different than simple memorization, which is already a problem for students and teachers.

For example, effective math tutoring should show how learning math occurs in general, and not just what the answer to a problem is. A math tutor is explaining both how a problem is solved, and what exactly is occurring in the background, so to speak, for the problem to work.

As another example, in writing assignments, a writing tutor is not just telling a student what to write. A good writing tutor is one that explains what exactly a teacher is hoping to gain from a student’s writing. This is not just what good writing looks like, but what good writing is doing for the reader.

Goetz says that this means effective tutoring “needs to be procedure oriented not answer oriented.” By doing this, a student should have a better understanding where they are struggling, not just “I don’t get it.” This can annoy students, because most of them would rather just be done with their work, but that attitude doesn’t help them actually learn anything in the long run.

Learning is “a process of recall, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation,” according to Goetz. An effective tutor will ask questions of a student, hoping to see evidence that the student can do each of these things, usually by asking questions that are more than just simple yes-or-no questions.

Considering tutoring and finding a tutor

Before considering tutoring, it is important to review class material, and find out if this is an issue of leaving homework wrong or incomplete, or something else. Sometimes, a student can display test anxiety or otherwise become much less confident in the classroom. This can happen at all levels of education, from grade school through college, and is nothing to be concerned about. There is an idea that requiring further assistance makes a student deficient in some way, and that simply is not true.

Some students benefit from tutoring if they struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other learning disabilities. According to a story from the US News and World Report, a student may qualify for “an individualized educational plan, or IEP, which will provide school-based accommodations, such as extended time for testing or one-on-one classroom help.” This can be seen at all levels of education.

A tutor should receive professional training, and needs to be enthusiastic about the subject matter. This can vary, depending on what subject a student needs help with. Some educators believe every tutor should be willing and able to work with every subject, and that really is not reasonable, or easy to find.

Additionally, a tutor should possess a degree of empathy for students they work with. This is important because a student may become more frustrated before they understand the material. A good tutor understands that, and is willing to work through the frustration, not give up when emotions run high. This is also common at all levels of education, and is part of the process.

Carole McGraw, a retired teacher and chemistry tutor from Michigan, lays out suggestions for self assessment or finding a tutor on behalf of a student:

Figure out where exactly you or the student are struggling. Identify what kind of help they need, and what area of study they need assistance with. Think about how you or the student learns best.

Additionally, tutoring can sometimes cost additional money; be honest with how much you are willing to spend on tutoring, as costs can add up.

Call a school counselor or teachers. At all levels of education, counselors are available to meet with students to discuss these issues. They should have access to files on student progress throughout their education, depending on the grade. Most schools have a list of available tutors on file as well.

You may find that a retired teacher may be willing to help, or a home-school instructor may be in the area. Make sure they know the subject matter you need. Alternatively, some areas may have a learning center nearby, like Sylvan or Kumon. Be aware that they typically work with educational problems like reading comprehension or phonics, rather than specific subjects, but they might also be able to guide you in a direction.

Once you find a tutor, take time to ask questions to see how well their skills match the task at hand. Ask about educational backgrounds, experience they may have, instructional methodologies, and what they expect from the student or family members.

During tutoring sessions, you want to monitor progress. Ask for feedback from the student, or, if you are the student, keep detailed notes on your tutoring sessions. If, after several sessions, you don't see improvement, you may need to re-evaluate the problem, or possibly move on to another tutor.

Tutoring is beneficial in multiple ways for students. The obvious is an improvement in grades and class performance. But this is not the only benefit.

The thing that students often lack when it comes to school work is confidence. Sometimes, a student needs to hear from an outside source that struggling with learning is perfectly okay. Teachers and parents may tell them these things, but for some students, it sounds inauthentic.

Additionally, sometimes the student needs another set of eyes to actually look at their work. Teachers sometimes forget that some students really need lesson material broken down to its absolute simplest terms, and a tutor can often do that, explaining material in a much more understandable manner.

Finally, tutoring sessions let students know that there is a support structure in place to guide them and help. Students get an idea sometimes that everything in school has to be accomplished alone, and that simply isn’t true. Tutoring lets students know that there are people available to lend a hand in their education, and they shouldn’t have to be afraid to learn.

[Derek Hurley has been a professional English tutor for a number years and he teaches college English classes.]

Sources

Goetz, Halina. “What Tutoring Is and What Tutoring Is Not. - Defining and Choosing a Good, Effective Tutor.” Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, 9 Feb. 2016, blogs.chapman.edu/scst/2016/02/09/what-tutoring-is-and-what-tutoring-is-not/.

Hyken, Russel. “Does Your Child Need Extra Help With Schoolwork?” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 6 Oct. 2017, health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2017-10-06/does-your-child-need-extra-help-with-schoolwork.

McGraw, Carole. “Four Steps to Finding an Excellent Tutor for Your Child.” Reading Rockets, 7 Nov. 2013, www.readingrockets.org/article/four-steps-finding-excellent-tutor-your-child.

 

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