Hiring an experienced tutor might be the best decision you ever make for your child’s education and career. However, even in this day and age, countless myths and misconceptions exist about private tutors, causing many children to study for their exams and school work without professional help. This results in some children performing far poorly than others ultimately limiting their choices for good universities and high-paying jobs.
Following is a list of the top five misconceptions most parents have about hiring a tutor.
1. Hiring a Private Tutor is Expensive
A lot of parents believe that it is very expensive to hire a home tutor. This may have been true a few years ago but it is certainly not the case today. With an abundance of well-trained teachers in the country, finding a good tutor is not only easy but also economical. Rates may vary depending on the subject taught or the experience of the tutor but the overall difference is not so great and is easily affordable for an average household.
2. A private tutor is less experienced than a school teacher
Another prevalent misconception is that private tutors might not be as well-educated or experienced as school teachers. This again is not true as there are numerous professional teachers who are offering after-school private tutoring. These teachers understand, better than anyone else, how to prepare a student for school work, class assignments and final exams and they can prove to be an invaluable resource for your child. Having said this, it is very important to carry out due diligence such as talking to references or old students to understand the skills and experience of the tutor you are about to hire.
3. Tuitions are for weak Students only
Many parents never hire a tutor because they feel their children already do pretty well in school. Your child might be good in studies but completing homework, preparing for tests or working on tuition assignments under professional supervision will only help them further. Being complacent is not a good idea when we want the best for our kids. Every year, thousands of parents hire private tutors so that their children can outperform others. In such a competitive environment, it’s better to stay ahead than to be left behind.
4. A child learns more in a classroom than with a private tutor
The experience of learning in a classroom is very different from one-on-one tutoring. We can’t say which one is better as both styles of teaching have their own advantages e.g. a classroom environment helps to instil confidence in a child and provides a chance to develop friendships and social etiquettes. On the other hand, personal tutoring provides more opportunities for question and answer sessions between the student and the teacher, something which is not always possible in a classroom. Most children study better in a relaxed private environment without the peer-pressure of a classroom, where they feel shy about asking questions. A study conducted by the US Department of Education concluded that well-designed sessions by trained tutors are highly effective in improving basic student skills.
5. Tuitions are only for students preparing for College Admissions
Some parents believe that tutors are only necessary for advanced subjects such as physics and chemistry or when their children are about to prepare for college. In the early years of schooling, many parents take the time out to help their kids with homework and exams themselves.
They fail to realize how a child requires the most attention in these early years when they are learning basic language and math concepts, along with critical skills of reading and writing. It is important for a professional tutor to guide children in these early stages in order to build a strong foundation that can help them throughout their further education.
Overall, there are numerous advantages to hiring a personal tutor for your child which outweigh most misconceptions you might have. There is tough competition to get into top universities and work for the best companies. If you want your child to succeed in both education and their careers, it’s time to get them the help of a professional tutor, who can prepare them for a brighter future.