Tips for Staying Motivated During Online Tutoring Sessions

Question

I’ve been tutoring math and science on Wyzant for a little over a year now, mostly with high school students preparing for standardized tests (SAT, ACT, AP exams). While many students have adapted well to online sessions, I’ve noticed a few struggling to stay focused especially during longer sessions or late in the evening.

So I wanted to ask: What strategies do you use to keep students engaged and motivated during online tutoring?

Here are a few things that have worked (8 ball billiards) for me:

Breaking 1-hour sessions into 20-minute chunks with mini goals

Using screen sharing + whiteboard tools to keep it interactive

Letting students “teach back” problems to reinforce concepts

Mixing up content (e.g., a few practice problems, then concept review, then challenge question)

I’d love to hear what’s worked for you, especially for middle schoolers or younger students who might have a harder time sitting still at a screen.

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for taking the time to post your question!

I think it helps to be sure to set clear goals for what you are trying to accomplish in each lesson and to also be sure that you are staying organized.

I also find that it helps to provide regular feedback and try to make the lesson as interactive and collaborative as possible.

Hopefully that gets you moving in the right direction! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions beyond that :)

Answer 2

Create a "Desmos race" to break up the session. Just create some functions or equations for both of you to enter. Then see who can get it graphed faster. Desmos is a great tool that they have, but not if they cannot get their functions/equations entered fast enough.

Answer 3

Make it a discussion, not a lecture. As you mentioned, constant student feedback and interactive activity.