by Lacie Taylor
In our last edition, we looked at how to know when it’s time to hire a tutor, and how with math, earlier is better. In this issue, we will look at 3 things to look for if you’ve decided to shop for a math tutor. You want a good one! A bad tutor can do more harm than no tutor!
Here are 3 questions to ask your potential tutor:
1. How do you make sure you’re encouraging independence and not becoming a crutch for the student? This is a big one. It is so easy, even with the best of intentions, for a tutor to become a crutch for the student. Then you’re actually paying for a hindrance not a help! Ask when you’re shopping: how do you encourage independence? How do you make sure that whatever you helped them with on their homework, they can do on their own for a test? Then see how their answer resonates with you.
2. Do you have pre-tests and post-tests so I can see how my learner is progressing? The best tutoring programs will include some sort of assessment to pinpoint skill-gaps, and then regular evaluations to demonstrate how those skill-gaps are being closed.
3. How do you know the student has made lasting progress on the skills and doesn’t just know it in that snapshot of time? True mastery is when you know something even when you haven’t been actively practicing it. You want to make sure that the system for evaluating progress doesn’t stack the deck to make the results look impressive, or to honor a guarantee. Ask them: how do you know that the skills my learner demonstrated proficiency on is a skill that they’ve gained for keeps, and not just one they’ve crammed for the post-test?
Next in this series: How do you know if tutoring is working?
Lacie Taylor is Founder and Owner of Math For Keeps, a tutoring business in Austin, TX. She teaches her students how practice math (much like you’d practice piano or basketball). With this approach, her students develop a fluency in math as a language that changes the whole game for them, and that’s very empowering. Learn more about the Math For Keeps practice-to-mastery method here: www.mathforkeeps.com
In our last edition, we looked at how to know when it’s time to hire a tutor, and how with math, earlier is better. In this issue, we will look at 3 things to look for if you’ve decided to shop for a math tutor. You want a good one! A bad tutor can do more harm than no tutor!
Here are 3 questions to ask your potential tutor:
1. How do you make sure you’re encouraging independence and not becoming a crutch for the student? This is a big one. It is so easy, even with the best of intentions, for a tutor to become a crutch for the student. Then you’re actually paying for a hindrance not a help! Ask when you’re shopping: how do you encourage independence? How do you make sure that whatever you helped them with on their homework, they can do on their own for a test? Then see how their answer resonates with you.
2. Do you have pre-tests and post-tests so I can see how my learner is progressing? The best tutoring programs will include some sort of assessment to pinpoint skill-gaps, and then regular evaluations to demonstrate how those skill-gaps are being closed.
3. How do you know the student has made lasting progress on the skills and doesn’t just know it in that snapshot of time? True mastery is when you know something even when you haven’t been actively practicing it. You want to make sure that the system for evaluating progress doesn’t stack the deck to make the results look impressive, or to honor a guarantee. Ask them: how do you know that the skills my learner demonstrated proficiency on is a skill that they’ve gained for keeps, and not just one they’ve crammed for the post-test?
Next in this series: How do you know if tutoring is working?
Lacie Taylor is Founder and Owner of Math For Keeps, a tutoring business in Austin, TX. She teaches her students how practice math (much like you’d practice piano or basketball). With this approach, her students develop a fluency in math as a language that changes the whole game for them, and that’s very empowering. Learn more about the Math For Keeps practice-to-mastery method here: www.mathforkeeps.com
