As a concerned parent you might ask your child’s prospective tutor many questions. They may be both pertinent and ones that set the tone for the child’s education at the centre. Which is why they cannot be ignore.
And if you are a tutor, you know that being confronted with a sudden wave of questions, it is normal that they may feel overwhelmed.
So here are some of the more common questions asked by parents, these are specifically to help tutors and prepare parents, at the same time:
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What is your educational background?
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It is natural that parents are concerned about the education of their tutors, and it would be beneficial if you could show them your credentials to provide them assurance that you are qualified.
You do want to make sure that you are transparent with the parents about your credentials to avoid giving them false expectations of your tutoring results, which may lead to further complications in the future.
Your credentials can include many different things: Your academic achievements in/outside school, past tutoring experience, proven academic improvement of students etc.
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What method would you use to teach my child?
Every student has a different learning style. If you are an experienced tutor, you will be able to share some of your different teaching methods and experiences.
On the other hand, if you do not have any experience, you can offer a trial lesson for them to test out if the student is comfortable with your teaching method.
There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ method in general and you do need to accommodate to the student’s learning needs and preferences.
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What is your hourly rate?
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When quoting your rate, you do want to ensure that it matches your credentials and experience as parents would expect to pay for lessons that is worth the price.
If you intend to quote an hourly rate that is higher than the market rate, you will need to make sure that you have the credentials and proven experience to support it.
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What kind of results can I expect?
Parents have different reasons when they hire a private tutor. As a tutor, you’ll need to be able to respond to the child’s needs to the best of your ability.
Parents expect to see an improvement in their child’s academic performance with a tutor and reach the grades that they want to have for their child.
It is extremely important that you speak with the tutee’s parents during the first lesson to set realistic goals for the child, as parents’ expectations can sometimes be too high.
For example, it may be unrealistic for the parent to expect an immediate A grade when their child has been failing the subject for the past 3 years. Let them know that it isn’t impossible, but it would take time and effort to get there.
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Can you handle special needs/difficult students?
There are instances whereby parents hire a private tutor instead of sending their child to group tuitions at tuition center’s due to their child’s situation.
If parents request that you tutor students with special needs/difficulties like dyslexia or a low concentration span, you should make sure that you only assure them that you can handle such students if you have the experience and capability.
Explain to the parents on your methods of handling such students with examples of different scenarios, which can give parents the assurance they need.
This article has been written by AceTutors for theAsianparent.
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