You have finally gotten the job of your dreams. You are a tutor. You have landed a client, and now you have to meet them. Meeting the parents and their child, who is your student, can be nerve-wracking. It shouldn’t be. You obviously made a good impression on your resume, which is why they hired you, on your first meeting with the clients, make sure you confirm what it is they saw that made them hire you. Be professional and polite. Don’t let it get into your head that you should be scared or nervous.
Here Are Some Of The Common Sense Of Dos And Don’ts
• Make sure you dress appropriately.
Tutoring is a job that is typically done at the student’s house. That doesn’t mean that at the first meeting you should wear jeans and flip-flops. For the first meeting, dress a bit more formally than casual. You are trying to make a good first impression here. Also, being smartly dressed will boost your confidence.
• Be punctual to the meeting.
If you live far away from the place, leave earlier. Time yourself to get there at least 10 minutes before time. Punctuality is the hallmark of professionalism. It will put you in a good light. It will also give you time to settle down and prepare yourself for the lesson.
• Check for bad breath.
It won’t do to have bad breath when meeting with the parents or the student for the first time. Brush your teeth before setting out for the meeting. Have a mint just minutes before you reach their doorstep.
• Be courteous to your client.
Be patient and polite. Answer any questions they have, and enlighten them on anything that they may find confusing. You are there to work for them. Put their minds to rest. Let them know that their child’s education is in capable hands.
Here are some tips on what to do when you go for your first lesson with your student.
• Have a Chat with the Parents
Take some time to talk with the parents. Find out from them what they want you to do for their child. Let them tell where they feel their child is having problems in school. Find out what their expectations are. How soon they want to start seeing progress? How many lessons do they want you to have with their child in a week? How long do they want each lesson to be?
Let the parents know how competent you are, but don’t make any promises till you have assessed the child by yourself.
• Spend some Time with the Child Chatting about Anything other than his Studies
This is a get-to-know-you session. Spend about 15 minutes. Find out the child’s hobbies, likes and dislikes. Get acquainted with the child, and get him/her to be comfortable with you.
You can trade stories with the child, telling him/her something about yourself with everything they tell you about themselves.
Try not to discuss their school classes with them. This is simply a chat to get you familiar with each other.
• Find Out which Chapters the School Teacher has Taught
Now that you have gotten to know the child, it is time to know the student. Ask them questions about school. What and what have their teachers taught them? Can they explain some chapters to you? Ask them questions about some of the subjects they have learnt.
This will give you an idea of how well they are doing in school. It will help you to pinpoint the areas where they are having problems. You will be in a better position to explain to their parents where their child needs help, what you will be focusing on, and how soon they can expect progress.
• Ask if there are difficulties in their present homework
Once you have established how much they know about past topics, gauge how well they are doing with present topics. What chapters are they dealing with now at school? What problems do they have with the new topics? Are they having any difficulties with their homework? If so, what are they?
This will form a basis for future lessons with them and give you an idea where to start coaching them.
• Conclude the session with the parents on your proposed plan
When you are done with your first meeting with your student, it is time to return to the parents. Your meeting with the students has given you an idea of what needs to be done. You have roughly identified where they have difficulties and what they are fluent in. now you have more information to give the parents about your tuition lesson plans.
Tell the parents what you propose to do to get their child up to speed. Tell them where the student has problems with his/her homework. Explain to them what subjects you feel they need more help with. Outline a brief guide of your plans to tutor the student till they get a better understanding of the subjects. Tell the parents what your focus chapters will be, and what topics you will be emphasizing on. Also, tell the parents what kind of learner their child is. Every child learns differently.
It is the tutor’s responsibility to determine what type of learner the student is and teach them accordingly. Explaining what type of learner their child is will also make them understand that progress may not be visible as soon as they might expect.
There you have it, your first meeting with your new student. You may be nervous, but be confident in yourself and your skills. Dress appropriately and be punctual. Have some mints with you to ward off bad breath. These things will boost your confidence significantly. When you meet the child, get to know them personally before questioning them about school.
Children are more open to you when they are comfortable with you. Assessing the child’s progress in school gives you more insight on what you need to do. With this, you can outline your tuition plan to the parents and begin tutoring.
How else can you improve and grow as a tutor? We have just the right articles for you:
Considering Becoming a Tutor in Singapore? Here’s What You NEED to Know!
5 Problems Faced by Every Tutor in Singapore
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