Struggling with Focus in Online Tutoring – Any Tips That Actually Work?

Question

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently started using Wyzant for online math tutoring sessions. While the tutoring itself has been great, I’ve been having trouble staying focused during the sessions — especially after a full day of school and homework.

I usually schedule my sessions around 6–7 PM, but by then, I’m already mentally tired. I notice I zone out or miss key explanations, and then I have to ask my tutor to repeat stuff, which makes me feel a bit awkward.

Has anyone else experienced this? How do you stay mentally sharp during evening sessions? Should I try changing the time of day, or are there strategies to stay more engaged?

Would love to hear what’s worked for other students — or tips from tutors who’ve helped their students stay focused during longer sessions.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Mario,

Here are a couple suggestions I've used/seen employed with success, especially during our academic year of 2020-2021 of remote learning:

1) Considering the time of day you mentioned, you might just be hungry! Try to have a light dinner before your sessions, so your body is energized and ready to absorb. Having a snack handy, as other experts have mentioned, would also help. Conversely, if you eat a large meal before a session, you may be doing yourself a disservice, and making your body more tired as it digests all that food (why I suggested a light meal earlier). It might take some experimenting to see what works best for you. And consider your day when planning; your body will need more food and hydration coming from a sports practice or walk as opposed to an afternoon nap where you'll probably need an energetic boost to wake up your mind.

2) Use the 20-20-20 rule: Your eyes can get tired staring at screens all day/for long periods of time. Every twenty minutes, look at something that's roughly twenty feet away for about 20 seconds. This helps avoid eye strain as well as provides a mental break. Maybe add some mindfulness to the moment and really consider what you're looking at (as in, "The way the light plays on those leaves is quite unique").

3) Get a tactile fidget. Having something in your hands to keep your brain active, especially during longer periods of sitting, can keep it more engaged. Something like a stress ball, a bracelet/ring, or infinity cube can be just enough physical movement to provide a mental boost when you feel yourself drifting. Just make sure your object of choice isn't too loud (for you or your tutor) or distracting to you (when you focus more on solving a Rubik's cube than attending to the lesson).

Hope these help!

Answer 2

Hi Mario! I totally understand your struggle. Though it isn't the time our brains are most fresh, it is sometimes necessary to schedule tutoring for those later evening hours because of work or other activities, especially if you are someone who struggles with attention deficit. When I am tutoring at that time of evening, I try to break up the session between problems or concepts with "brain breaks." This could be eating a few bites of a snack, sipping a drink you enjoy, and or taking temporary asides to just talk about something else for a minute. As the tutor for a student struggling to sustain attention, I will often suggest getting a snack out at the beginning of the session to help sustain sharpness throughout and will introduce fun facts or entertain the student's random thoughts for 30s-1min as they come up. The trick is to just curve your rabbit trails to lead back to the material at hand. Ideally, your tutoring sessions should also be highly interactive with a minimum of simple content presentation. You should be getting that from your teacher/professor. Your tutor should just be looking for your gaps in understanding and then explaining just what you missed while allowing you to work on the skills yourself. In your situation, I would talk to your tutor about how much you are struggling to maintain focus and ask them for their strategies or to accommodate the strategies I have listed here. Any tutor should be happy to accommodate whatever will help you get the most out of your sessions. So, definitely advocate for whatever will work for you! I wish you all the best and happy learning!

Answer 3

Hi Mario!

I have worked with several different students of all ages and education levels who have also experienced the same concerns you have. My advice would be to try and schedule your lessons earlier in the day. I typically will not schedule students too late in the evening since I know their focus is often diminished. Or if you can, try and schedule your lessons during a weekend morning. Typically students are refreshed and not distracted by the school day or other responsibilities. If you are unable to schedule your lessons during these times, try to shorten your lesson to an hour or even 45 minutes. Also, to stay focused during your lessons, ask your tutor to provide you with practice problems throughout the lesson to keep you engaged. I hope this helps!