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As a new tutor, your tutorship journey may be full of uncertainties and may seem somewhat intimidating.
You need to make sure that you are professional but not come off as stifling so that your tuition sessions are enjoyable and fruitful for your student.
So to help you along your journey, here are some things you should not do during your tuition sessions.
Becoming Too Familiar with Your Students
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Having a friendly relationship with your student is important as it makes lessons less awkward. But some tutors take it to the extreme and become too familiar with their students.
And you don’t want that because the over-friendliness takes away the seriousness you need to teach effectively.
So what should you do? Set ground rules and ensure that your student understands that you are there to teach them. Also, remember to focus on the topic and prevent your student from digressing.
Take On Too Many Students at Once
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Many tutors often teach multiple students to earn more income. It can easily become overwhelming. And if you cannot cope with it, it wouldn’t be fair to your students when you cannot give them your full attention and effort.
If you are a new tutor, refrain from overloading your calendar with tutoring assignments. Make sure to manage your time well and dedicate some time every week to prepare your lessons for each student.
Go Into Lessons Unprepared
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This brings me to my next point. Always prepare for your lessons.
Usually, tuition sessions last from 1.5 hours to 2 hours, so make sure to have something planned for every moment of the lesson. Your student doesn’t want a tutor who ‘wings it’ every lesson. It is not beneficial to them.
So spend some time every week to plan for every hour of your lesson. And just a tip: plan additional work just in case your student finishes their tasks earlier than you planned.
Not Being Flexible
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One of the tips from experienced tutors is to create a teaching plan – and stick to it. It definitely helps to follow a structured program, but not if you use the same plan for every student.
Every student is different and has various learning styles. Following a rigid structure may also be detrimental to the lesson’s effectiveness because it might not fit that specific student.
So make sure you leave buffers in your teaching plans just in case your student has specific needs – like a recap or if they don’t understand a particular concept.
Promising Unreasonable Results
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As a new tutor, you definitely want to impress parents but avoid overestimating yourself and getting carried away.
By promising parents unreasonable results that you cannot obtain, it shows them that you are untrustworthy and unreliable. This will make them reconsider tutelage and think that you are a bad influence on their children.
Instead, focus on your strong points and consider your student’s abilities before setting goals.
Not Connecting With Parents
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Talking to your student’s parents can be intimidating, but it is a great way to help your students improve.
Parents play a critical role in your student’s education because they provide a learning bridge between school and home. This is important in keeping you updated on your student’s progress in school.
They are also your closest allies, especially when your student doesn’t complete their homework or pay attention during lessons.
Conclusion
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Being a good tutor is not an easy feat. It takes years of experience and making many mistakes along the way.
I hope that this article highlights some of the common mistakes made by tutors and helps you overcome them. Good luck and all the best for your tutorship journey!
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