There are lots of different ways to be a ‘good tutor’, and it’s fair to say we have heaps of them here on the platform. But for new tutors starting out, or more experienced tutors reflecting on their personal growth and areas for improvement, we want to call out the skills and values that the very best tutors have – and tips on how to keep on top of things.
Who decides what makes a ‘good tutor’?
Our team of tutoring experts have watched thousands of lessons, and have a deep understanding of what makes high-quality tutoring. Their experience, combined with student performance data and academic literature, has helped create a set of criteria to help tutors understand what ‘good’ tuition looks like at MyTutor.
In a nutshell
We believe that good tutors are passionate about their subject and committed to helping students achieve their learning goals. Good tutors are reliable, have sound curriculum knowledge, and they’re confident and proactive in building positive relationships. But how do you show all these things in practice?
Let’s break it down
How to show you’re committed to helping your students achieve their learning goals:
• Have a plan for how you’ll run your lesson
• If they’ve been provided, work through the areas outlined in teacher notes
• Be able to adapt lesson content to suit your student’s level and learning style
How to show you have sound curriculum knowledge:
• Ensure you have a deep understanding of the topic you’re tutoring
• Be equipped with different ways to approach tricky concepts
• Understand how different concepts build upon each other and use this to structure learning for your students
• Know how to break down key terminology to make sure your student understands what the question’s asking
• Use questioning to understand what your students need, and adapt lesson content to match
How to show you’re confident and proactive in building positive relationships:
• Make an effort to get to know each student as an individual
• Be patient with your students
• Don’t be afraid to include elements of your student’s personality and interests into lesson content
How to show you’re reliable:
• Show up to all your lessons (and do so on time!)
• Stay right up until the end – that’s the full 55 minutes
• Give us plenty of notice if you can no longer make a lesson
Some tips to stay on top of things
We appreciate juggling tutoring, uni, and a social life can be challenging. Here are some tips on how to stay organised during busy times:
• Make sure the phone number on your account is accurate, so we can send you an SMS reminder before your lesson’s due to start
• Put your MyTutor lessons in your personal calendar so you’re aware of any clashes early on
• Get in touch with us if you can’t attend a lesson on time (or at all!), so we have time to find a cover tutor for your pupil
Hopefully by having a clear understanding of what a ‘good tutor’ looks like, you’ll know exactly how you can develop in your role even more. We hope you love seeing the impact these skills make on both you and your students!
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, we’re all ears. Get in touch via live chat, or at tutors@mytutor.co.uk or 0203 773 6024.