5 signs it's time to finish with your tutor

Choosing the right tutor is always a difficult task when trying to find a tutor that will not only connect with your child but ensure that they are successful in helping them learn. However, finding the tutor is not always enough and in some cases the tutor you hire may not be doing the right job with your child.

Here are 5 signs it's time to finish with your tutor:

1. Your child doesn't like the tutor

Probably a very good reason to start thinking about finding an alternative tutor. If your child dreads their private lesson or starts making excuses as to why you should cancel their lesson today then you should really question why this is. Tutors are employed to motivate and teach your child; to build a good relationship with them and to encourage them to learn. If your child hates the tutor then the tutor will not be able to achieve these goals. Of course this is not necessarily the tutors fault, however an unhappy child makes for a terrible learning environment meaning they will not actually be getting anything out of those lessons. Finding a tutor that connects well with your child is vital in the success of their learning.

2. The tutor is always late

Very often tutors have a hectic schedule and may have taken on too many students. This can result in the tutor often being late for a lesson or finishing a lesson early to make their next appointment. Enquiring about the tutor's schedule before you hire them can often help in understanding what type of tutor they will be. A tutor that is constantly late for a lesson is depriving your child of their full lesson and limiting their learning time. Tutors that are late are often very disorganised meaning that their lessons will also be rather disordered. Your child needs consistency and routine to ensure they are achieving their maximum learning potential.

3. The tutor spends a lot of the lesson time texting or using their phone

Of course your child will be given worksheets to fill out during many of their lessons. A good tutor will spend the time looking over their work and picking up on any issues they may have. A bad tutor on the other hand will use the time messaging on their phone, surfing the internet or catching up on emails. You are paying a tutor to give your child all the necessary attention during their lesson so if you see that the tutor is not giving that attention it's probably time to start looking elsewhere.

4. Your child spends each lesson just writing

As I've mentioned before children will often be given worksheets to do during their lesson. This is not to say that that is all they should be doing. A good tutor will go through the worksheets with your child whether it be during the time they are filling them out or after they have finished. Children need motivating and asking them to fill out endless worksheets will not only de-motivate them but they will more than likely lose interest and cease to learn anything new. A good tutor will engage with your child and raise their interest levels. Interaction with your child is how they will build up that great relationship and gain your child's trust so if your tutor is not achieving this, it's time to trade them in.

5. The tutor is unapproachable

You've hired a tutor to help your child and most parents want to know how the tutor feels their child is progressing. If your tutor takes a long time to get back to you, or doesn't bother to get back to you at all, then you are not getting enough from your child's tutor; which means your child is probably not getting enough out of them too. It is very important to be involved in your child's tutoring experience and feedback from a tutor is one of the best ways of knowing how your child is getting on. Just as we expect a teacher to be present at parent-teacher meetings for an update on how our child is performing in school, the same applies to a tutor.

To conclude

Private tuition fees include all aspects of teaching practice. Tutors are hired to encourage a child's learning and development. Making sure a tutor is fulfilling all the needs of your child is imperative; knowing that when your child sits at the kitchen table for an hour lesson they are gaining knowledge and being inspired rather than just sitting there for an hour twiddling their thumbs or going over the same material each time. First Tutors has a massive database of tutors available in a huge array of subjects. All our tutors have checks and qualifications and all have reviews from other parents or students. Doing some research and asking a few basic questions before hiring your tutor can make all the difference. And if you've just been unlucky and your tutor doesn't turn out to be all you expected for your child, then there is no harm in simply searching for a new tutor.