Our Assessment System : 11+ Tutor : Blue Tutors

The Blue Tutors Assessment System

When we first began recruiting tutors, the qualities that we were looking for weren't clear. Each tutor was interviewed in a similar way to a standard job interview, and from that we formed an opinion about how good a tutor each applicant would make. This process found us some very good tutors, but we were uncomfortable about not better testing the tutoring ability of each applicant.

Since these early days our recruitment process has changed dramatically. We now place most of our focus on the tutoring ability of each applicant, and a teaching 'assessment' is a much better description of our meeting with prospective tutors than an 'interview'.

Criteria

The cardinal sin for any tutor is to simply lecture at their student, and hope that the student takes everything in. All of our tutors must display an ability to test a student's understanding by eliciting responses from them. In this way the lesson must proceed at the student's own pace, and it is impossible for the student not to learn because the tutor doesn't assume anything. If the student doesn't understand an idea then saying "yes, I get it" (because many students try to cover up a lack of understanding) will not satisfy our tutors, and they will make sure that the student has demonstrated their understanding.

So, how do we test a tutor's ability to fill these criteria? We have created an assessment system which tests tutoring ability, and yet still allows for individuality and personality. The aspects of tutoring are grouped into these eight topics:

Clarity
Establishing aims
Types of responses elicited
Regularity of responses elicited
Leading (or rather the ability not to lead a student)
Holding the space (giving a student time to think)
Assuming understanding
Acknowledging student progress

Each tutor is objectively scored in each topic, and given an overall tutoring level as a result. This is an assessment unlike any other you will find; if there is a more thorough, more advanced way of assessing someone's teaching ability then we are yet to discover it. To read more about our tutoring levels, please view our page on explaining teaching levels.

You can also find out more about our teaching philosophy; the information that tutors read to start their journey to becoming a Blue Tutor. It explains our basic starting principle, why each teaching idea is important, and how to put those ideas into practice. If you're interested, please read our teaching ideas.

Contact info@bluetutors.co.uk