19th November 2009 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A very common fear for a new tutor is the amount of pressure and responsibility they may feel because of their student’s parents. Parents want the best for their children, and students can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the hopes and dreams that their parents have for them. The tutor’s worry is that this may spill over into the private tuition the student is receiving, after all if the parent has found a tutor for their son or daughter then they will be taking education very seriously.
The first thing to realise is that it’s not always the parents, but is sometimes the student who wants a tutor. This can be surprising for a new tutor, and it’s a common mistake to assume that no student wants a tutor. Private tuition has become far more prevalent in recent years, and many students today see it as part of their normal education, rather than an annoying and stressful extra-curricular activity.
In fact your role as a tutor can often create a much better situation for the student and their parents, alleviating the pressure on the student, and allaying their parents’ fears. If a student does feel slightly weighed down by their parents’ aspirations then by teaching your student, and just chatting to them about their education, you can lift the weight from their shoulders. Also, by speaking regularly with the student’s parents, and giving them progress reports, you will probably make them feel much happier; the worry and concern felt by parents is often simply due to a lack of information, or miscommunication with their child.
It’s important to remember that, as a tutor, you are only required to do your job, and the consequences of that will hopefully be a much happier situation for you, your student, and your student’s parents.