Congratulations on deciding to embark on the exciting journey of becoming a tutor! As you take your first steps on this new career path, it’s perfectly normal to feel a mix of excitement and anticipation. Whether you’re a seasoned teacher, a fresh undergraduate or anywhere in between, let’s look at practical tips and valuable insights to help you kickstart your tutoring career with confidence!
1. Know Your Subject Matter Inside Out
Your expertise is going to be the major selling point, so take the time to thoroughly collect relevant resources on the internet and to brush up on your subject knowledge, like researching any updates or changes in the curriculum. If you’re aiming to tutor a broader subject area like the 11+ or other entrance exams, staying on top of current trends is paramount to providing your students with accurate information. There are many websites out there that provide exam paper samples in a myriad of subject areas. If relevant, the first place to look should always be the website of the exam board your prospective students will be taking!
2. Develop Strong Communication Skills
Effective communication is key to building rapport with your students and facilitating their learning process. If you are or have been a teacher, there are many transferable skills; as a tutor, it’s just as important to be clear, concise, and patient in your explanations. More so than in a classroom setting, be sure to adapt your teaching style to suit each student's unique learning preferences. Encourage open dialogue, ask questions, and actively listen to ensure that students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and asking for clarification. Unlike a classroom lesson, a one-to-one lesson requires more focus and directed engagement.
3. Establish Expectations
Set clear expectations with your students regarding deadlines, and academic standards. Just like a classroom lesson, planning and setting a specific lesson objective at the start of a lesson gives students realistic and achievable goals to achieve within the time that you have together. Providing constructive and actionable feedback in contrast to generic praise (like ‘good job’) better supports student progress and celebrates successes along the way.
4. Make Lessons Fun and Engaging
We’ve spoken at length about how to make lessons engaging and interactive in our blog posts here. Keeping your tutoring sessions dynamic and interactive by incorporating a variety of teaching methods and resources helps students to better consolidate their knowledge. This is your opportunity to get creative: use multimedia tools, hands-on activities, and real-world examples to reinforce concepts. Remember to tailor your approach to suit each student's learning style and interests. For instance, a maths lesson about fractions might be boring, but incorporating topics that your student likes will help stimulate curiosity!
5. Foster a Growth Mindset
Empower your students to think critically, analyse information, and solve problems independently. Encourage them to ask questions, explore different perspectives, and draw connections between concepts. Foster a growth mindset by emphasizing the value of perseverance, resilience, and learning from mistakes.
If you have a shy student, embed plenty of application tasks for them to demonstrate their understanding throughout the lesson. Formative assessment can be as easy as adding a quick multiple-choice question or asking them to explain a concept ‘like you’re five years-old’.
6. Keep a Proactive Attitude
Like setting expectations with your students, as a tutor, you are also responsible for liaising with the parent and/or guardian of the student in your care. It is vital to create a supportive and inclusive atmosphere where all parties feel valued and respected. Keep your clients in the loop about your student’s progress regularly and plan and arrange lessons ahead of time.
7. Be Persistent
Getting your foot in the door is probably the most challenging aspect! At Titanium Tutors, our tutors undergo an extensive selection process and submit applications for roles we receive from our clients on our Jobs Board.
If your applications aren’t getting noticed or if you haven’t had any experience yet, consider voluntary tutoring positions at your local library or youth centre to brush up on those teaching skills! Tutoring roles, especially if they are remote, are very competitive so don’t lose heart if you don’t get chosen the first few times – try, try and try again!
8. Set Boundaries and Prioritize Self-Care
Maintain a healthy work-life balance by setting boundaries and establishing clear guidelines for your tutoring practice. Schedule regular breaks, prioritize self-care activities, and avoid overcommitting yourself to ensure that you have the energy and enthusiasm to support your students effectively!
9. Seek Professional Development Opportunities
Much like any career, investing in your professional growth is vital to personal development. Seek out training, workshops, and networking opportunities near you!
10. Reflect and Adapt
Take the time to reflect on your tutoring experiences, assess your effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement. Not every student is the same, so be willing to adapt your approach, strategies, and techniques based on parent feedback! Tutoring is an awarding career path and one where you can really help to make a difference.
Keen to get started on your tutoring career? Apply to join Titanium Tutors today!
Blog Post Crafted by Cheryl
Cheryl manages our Admin Team, and is a qualified teacher with 5 years' experience in schools across England and Canada.
Cheryl graduated from University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Education. She tutored secondary school students in English for over nine years in Canada.
Cheryl speaks Cantonese, English and French, and in her spare time, she can be found illustrating and reading children’s books for inspiration.
Comments