Characteristics of a Tutor

Each student has academic needs, and sometimes classes at school aren’t enough. These days, technology allows parents to support their child’s education with extra classes or tutoring sessions after school or on the weekends. Although tutoring is a service that has existed for quite some time, it has become more frequently utilized since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The way students learn has changed, which is why finding a tutor can be the best bet for parents who want their children to get ahead and reach their academic goals faster. Keep reading to learn more about the characteristics of a tutor. Which one do you seek? 

Characteristics of a Tutor 

Apart from having expertise in education or a particular subject, a tutor should possess certain qualities to get the job done. Currently, technological advances allow parents to find the right tutor based on skills, experience level, or price within a couple of seconds online.

Empathy

According to Very Well Mind, empathy is being able to emotionally understand the way others feel. Tutors regularly encounter days when students do not perform the same way they did in the beginning. When this happens, tutors need to respond to the student's emotions. 

Incorporating empathy as a tutor will undoubtedly help students focus on their lessons despite the situations going on in their lives. Additionally, each time a student faces a challenge, it can be presented as an opportunity to grow and promote development. Understanding the student is a way to educate them more effectively. 

How should tutors show empathy to your young learner? First, your tutor should build your child’s trust in each interaction. After that, they can simply ask open-ended questions to better understand how your child feels. Active listening plays a big role in this because it allows tutors to communicate more efficiently. Through this, students will begin to feel more comfortable in their lessons. 

Leadership 

Tutoring is a way to lead students toward a specific academic goal. Leadership focuses on precise needs or areas. It's not a secret that leaders have the power to encourage others to take action. However, this is a skill that's not acquired overnight. Instead, it's a process that is mastered throughout the years. 

As a tutor, showing leadership skills in each interaction with students will encourage them to give their best on assignments and exams. When tutors teach a lesson or assign a homework activity, students will take more responsibility for delivering results. 

Essentially, a leader creates a path for others to step in and follow. This allows students to create their own futures based on the responsibilities and vision of their leaders. 

Responsibility 

Teaching and providing high-quality tutoring sessions are two commitments that a tutor takes over. Here, there isn't any difference with the role of a teacher. Both of them create lesson plans, assignments, and other tasks that will benefit students. In addition, a tutor also provides constructive feedback. 

Responsibility implies other duties, too. This value is demonstrated by always being punctual for sessions and respecting schedules. This is a skill that students and parents often pay attention to when they enroll in a class. As a parent, the tutor you choose will shape the way your child makes decisions and assumes responsibility in completing their tasks.

Patience 

Instructors are well aware that each student learns at their own pace. Although the same topic is explained to a whole group, all participants process the information in different ways. The first role of a tutor is to discover your child’s learning style to better address their needs. 

Are there any tips for recognizing a student's learning style? Definitely. As a parent, you must pay attention to your learner’s performance. After that, you can communicate your observations to their tutor so that they can create a strategy for learning. This task might involve time to incorporate ways to meet your child’s cognitive and emotional needs until specific goals are reached. 

Support and patience have to be constant. Patience is the key to seeing progress in your child while the tutor takes the necessary steps. It's a trial-and-error process, but the results are gratifying. 

Takeaway 

Despite the fact that tutoring is becoming more and more common, tutors should keep and follow some practices to help succeed with their students. The results will make tutors understand your child better in the virtual classroom and prepare them for advanced tasks at school.