Families look for extra tutoring support for a range of reasons. Whether they’d like to improve their teen’s grade, boost their confidence or get some valuable mentoring to help them get ahead. You’ve looked through the various options available and you might be considering finding an online tutor.
But how do you go about it? When do you know that you’ve found a good fit for your teen? We’ve answered all of these questions and more – read on to get the best tips for finding the perfect online tutor.
Step 1: Figuring out my teen’s tutoring needs
Understanding what your tutoring goals are is an important part of your search. Once you know what you’re looking for, it’ll be easier to know when you’ve found the right fit. To get to grips with what your teen wants to achieve, it can be helpful to discuss these areas with your teen and prospective tutors:
- Which areas need improvement?
Depending on the subject and level your teen is looking for support, this could be anything from structuring essays to revision techniques. Some tutors tailor their lessons to cover content knowledge, whilst others specialise in entrance exams and assessments. So, it’ll help to know which areas your teen wants to focus on so you can filter your search and find a tutor with these strengths. - What do they want to achieve?
Ask your teen where they’d like to be by the end of their tutoring. Are they aiming to achieve the right entry requirements for university? Do they want to tighten their time management skills for exams? Setting tutoring goals will make it a lot easier to make real progress, but it’ll also help you to find the right tutor. Share your teen’s goals with their tutor and discuss how they can tailor tutorials to make progress in these areas. This will let you know if they have the right skills and way of working for your teen’s tutoring goals.
Step 2: Where can I find online tutors?
Now you know what you’re looking for, you just need somewhere to look. That’s where we come in. MyTutor is home to a wide range of online tutors covering everything from core subjects to languages and entrance exams like the LNAT. Take a look through our skilled tutors to find one that’s right for you, and, if you see someone who could be a good fit, you can book a free video meeting to have a quick chat before booking any tutorials.
Step 3: Choosing the best tutor
With a broad variety of talented tutors available online, it’s no wonder you’ve found a good handful that seem to fit the bill in terms of their skills and qualifications. To choose between your tutoring candidates, consider the last key element of your tutor search – “which tutor is the most practical?”
The practical elements are what makes your teen’s tutoring sustainable and effective. Getting these right will make your teen’s tutoring journey seamless and easy. So, it’s worth basing your decision on these when it comes down to the last leg.
Let’s explore these in more detail:
- When do I want tutorials?
Figuring out what your availability is can help to narrow down your search – only go for the tutors who are able to give tutorials at the right times for your schedule. Make sure these work around solid commitments, such as school/work hours, extracurriculars, and consider avoiding times that might be taken up with social events or family time. Finding the right balance will help your teen get into an easy rhythm with their tutorials, avoid burnout and get the very best out of their online tutoring. - What’s my budget for online tutoring?
The right tutor can often boil down to price. Look for tutors within a good range for your family’s needs, allowing for any bumps in the road. Online tutoring is fully flexible, so you’ll be able to put tutoring on pause if you need. However, shorter sessions at regular times is proven to be the best way to get maximum value from tutoring (around 1 hour per week). At MyTutor, we offer tutoring from £20 per hour, but we have a range of prices to suit a variety of budgets and needs.
Tutor interview questions
To help you with your search, we’ve put together a few questions to ask your tutor during interviews. These will help you decide whether they’re a good fit and leave you feeling confident with your final decision:
- What is your availability?
Be sure to ask about weekends, holidays, how often you’d like tutorials and for how long. If you’re unsure about your tutoring schedule, discuss your family’s general timetable with your tutor to work out a flexible plan together. - Do you have experience with different types of learning styles?
If your teen would like to explore new ways of working, or has a preferred style, then let your tutor know to find out if they have the right experience. - My teen would like to cover some specific topics, can you help with this?
Share any areas that your teen wants to improve so your tutor can understand their goals from the start. This will help your tutor to plan tutorials effectively, getting your teen on the right path from day 1.
Tip! Including your teen in tutor interviews can help to see whether they’ll get on with their tutor. See how engaged your teen is, how well they absorb information from that tutor and they’ll be able to give their thoughts.
Getting to know your teen’s goals is a great starting point for your tutor search. With this information, you can feel confident that you know what you’re aiming for, and, when you’ve found it. After this, keep your teen involved in the process and let them get to know a tutor before starting tutorials. This can really help with building trust with their tutor. This means they’ll get the most out of their time (and money) and be more likely to reach their goals. Once you’ve found a great tutor and your teen has started tutorials, be sure to check in. Some teens have started to see a difference in their studies after just 6 tutorials. So, keeping up with their progress can give valuable insights into what your teen is achieving with their tutor.