Even in the earliest years of school students deal with constant pressures to excel academically, and it’s easy for parents to feel at a loss with how best to help them meet their goals and thrive. It can be overwhelming for everyone, and difficult to know where to start.
Individualized attention and one-on-one support are often unrealistic in classroom situations, so private tutoring can provide the kind of personalized learning needed for academic success and student confidence. There are many reasons for seeking the help of qualified professionals, and a wide variety of options available for your child’s specific needs.
Connecting with the right tutor helps you ensure they have the opportunity to feel successful and prepared for not only their current classroom needs but also for their futures.
Tutoring is an essential part of the educational process that can provide a range of benefits to students of all ages. Whether it’s an elementary student struggling with basic math concepts or a college student grappling with complex concepts in their major, tutoring can make a significant difference in helping students succeed academically.
Overcoming the stigma
Once upon a time, there was a notion that tutoring was only for students who fell behind, had low test scores, or struggled with core concepts. There was a decidedly negative connotation attributed to hiring a tutor. Somehow it indicated failure of the student, and the parents, to need support beyond that provided in a large classroom setting.
But is that a reasonable way to think about learning?
It’s time to reframe the idea of additional assistance and the realities of modern school and family life.
A realistic look at workload
When it comes to education, one of the biggest challenges for teachers and students alike is the sheer volume of material that needs to be covered in a relatively short amount of time. According to Wikipedia, the average public school class size is around 25 students, which means that teachers sometimes struggle to find a way to engage and instruct each child effectively in order to ensure that everyone is learning and progressing at a similar pace.
Adding to this challenge is the fact that an average public school class length is between 45-52 minutes, leaving little time for teachers to explore topics in depth or provide additional support for students who may be struggling. And with typically 6-7 classes in a school day, students are expected to master a wide range of subjects in a limited amount of time.
Subjects range from literature to chemistry to foreign language, each with its own unique set of challenges and complexities. With so many topics to cover, it can be difficult for teachers to provide individualized attention to each student, particularly when students have different learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. This can lead to some students falling behind, struggling to keep up, or failing to grasp key concepts.
Despite these challenges, students are still expected to master each subject without additional help in as little as roughly 4 hours per week. This can put a significant amount of pressure on students, particularly those who may be struggling with the material or who simply need a bit of extra help to really understand and apply what they are learning.
Fortunately, there are a variety of resources available to students who need additional support. One such resource is tutoring, which can provide students with individualized attention and support tailored to their specific needs. With a tutor, students can work at their own pace, ask questions, and receive feedback and guidance on areas where they may be struggling. This can help to improve their understanding of the material, build their confidence, and ultimately improve their academic performance.
Life beyond the classroom
In addition to classwork, the vast majority of students take part in extracurricular activities like sports and student government, and there are social concerns and family responsibilities. Depending on their age, some volunteer or have jobs. This is a lot of pressure on both students and parents, and can create conflict at home, making everything even more difficult.
Yet often, because of the negative (and incorrect) associations with failure, it doesn’t occur to families to enlist the personalized teaching assistance of a qualified tutor to help mitigate some of those stresses and help maintain a happier home for everyone.
Strong bodies, strong minds
We exercise our bodies to keep healthy – some people work out to maintain basic fitness, some work to recover from an injury, others train for marathons or to achieve a specific goal, and many more do it for increased strength and self esteem. Everyone benefits from paying attention to the health and well being of our bodies, but one workout does not serve every need. Personal trainers provide customized plans to help you meet your objectives.
A more modern and positive view of the private tutor is that they function much like a personal trainer. They are specialists who assess needs and work with students on an individual basis to provide support and ensure they are meeting academic goals and developing the skills to confidently succeed in school and life.
Who can benefit from tutoring?
The short answer is: every kind of student can improve with a tutor!
Students who need help with grades
Even the best students can find themselves vexed by a particular area of study. It can be frustrating and demoralizing to see that one low grade on a report card and not know how to improve it. Focused attention and a personalized learning plan can help to keep good students working at their optimum level across the spectrum of subject matter.
Students who need a confidence boost
Often the label “underachiever” gets applied to struggling students – which is emotionally damaging and can be tough to conquer. Getting a little help and coaching in private from an empathetic person who isn’t a family member can make all the difference. Learning good study habits along with specific subject area support can mean real improvements – even in a remarkably short time. And that builds confidence.
Another benefit of tutoring is that it can help students develop effective study habits and organizational skills. A good tutor will not only help a student understand specific concepts, but will also teach them how to study effectively and manage their time efficiently. These skills are essential for success not only in the classroom, but also in life beyond school.
The rewards of this type of one-on-one instruction are not limited to one kind of learner. Tutoring can also help with students who are making the grades, but who feel shy and lack the confidence to speak up and share in large classes. The comfort of this more intimate instructional support ensures that there is a safe space for questions, without the pressure of an audience of peers.
Student who need personalized learning
One of the main benefits of tutoring is personalized attention. Unlike a standard class, tutoring allows for one-on-one instruction, which can be tailored to the student’s specific needs and learning style. This personalized approach helps to identify gaps in the student’s knowledge and address them directly, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
In a traditional classroom setting a single mode of teaching has to work for a roomful of students. But that room is filled with individuals, each with a unique way of comprehending information. With 7 different established learning styles, it would be impractical (impossible, even) to customize plans for each pupil. Connecting your student with a tutor who specializes in an approach that best matches their style of learning can ease frustration and allow them to flourish.
Moreover, tutoring can help students with special needs or learning disabilities. A qualified tutor can provide students with the extra support they need to overcome the challenges they face in the classroom. This can include modifying the curriculum to meet their specific needs, or providing alternative teaching methods that work better for them.
It’s not just about learning styles, but learning subjects. Schools have so many opportunities for exciting enrichment, but that also means that sitting at the kitchen table trying to help with homework could mean you’re confronted with suddenly trying to understand Mandarin grammar or a programming language you’ve never heard of! The options for connecting with Wyzant tutors aren’t limited to Math and English and Science – there are more than 300 different subject areas offered, so you can go back to being a parent and leave the lessons in the hands of experts.
Flexibility and affordability
Online tutoring is versatile and convenient
Let’s face it: modern life is busy and expensive. Parents are already inundated with chauffeuring kids to lessons and practices and social events – all of which are costly. So the idea of adding one more thing to the list? The payoff definitely has to be worth it.
Traditionally, hiring a tutor meant only in person sessions. Which also meant that either someone was going to come into your home (Yikes! The stress of cleaning for company!), or finding someone within a reasonable commute and driving. Not ideal.
Happily the world has changed and we work, shop, socialize, and learn with our computers and phones.
Scheduling tutoring sessions online allows for flexibility of time AND place.
Private tutoring can be financially feasible for all budgets
Adding another expense to the household budget can be worrying, but it doesn’t need to be. Searching locally is limiting and offers little variety for price comparison. Looking online is intimidating – where to start? And how?
Wyzant has thousands of expert tutors who are independent – which means a wide variety of rates and the ability to discuss and negotiate directly with your tutor. And there aren’t contracts that bind you or subscription plans that are difficult to cancel. There are no prepayments, either: pay only after you’ve completed your lesson. And it’s all transparent – no guessing, no subscription fees, no surprises.
It might seem like one more expense to add to the long list, but there’s nothing more valuable than supporting your child’s education. The cost is relatively small, but the return on the investment is enormous – better grades, a calmer home life, and enrichment that can turn a reluctant student into an enthusiastic lifelong learner.
We’re committed to ensuring that you connect with the right tutor, and that your time, effort, and money are not wasted. Wyzant’s Good Fit Guarantee means that if it’s not working for you, we’ll pay for your first hour of tutoring.
Tutoring is an investment in a student’s future. It can help them achieve better grades, which can lead to better college opportunities and more career options. The skills and knowledge gained through tutoring can also help students become enthusiastic about the pursuit of knowledge, which is essential in today’s rapidly changing world.
Get set for success
A few years ago the whole world changed. Every facet of our lives has been impacted, and the stress of finding new ways to do everything has affected everyone. Schools went virtual, and there have been some lasting consequences.
Many students found it hard to keep up with new schooling styles; others struggled to retain what they had learned. Additional personalized instruction has gone from something that was considered a luxury to being a necessity.
Parents want to do anything they can to help their children succeed, and connecting with the right kind of tutor for personalized, one-on-one instruction that fits your student and your lifestyle is an easy path to setting up scholastic success and a lower stress family dynamic.
Tutoring is an essential tool for helping students succeed academically. Whether it’s providing personalized attention, building confidence, developing effective study habits, or providing extra support for students with special needs, tutoring can make a significant difference in a student’s educational journey. Investing in tutoring can pay off in many ways, from better grades and college opportunities to lifelong learning and personal growth.
Choose from our network of highly qualified and vetted tutors to connect with the right person for your family’s needs. Start tonight to make tomorrow better – it’s a fast and easy process that’s affordable and can create swift and positive change.
