9th July 2010 9:00
By Harriet Boulding
Being a home tutor in London has got to be one of the most varied and interesting jobs going. Teaching at students’ houses is a unique opportunity to gain insight into different family lives, backgrounds and cultures. One of the most notable differences amongst home tutoring experiences, noted by many tutors, is how they themselves as teachers are perceived by the family or student. This is a comment which resonates with me, for during my time as a private tutor I have been master, servant, guest and confidant, roles which have a significant impact on the tuition process. Another difference is the educational background of the student, for trends in private and state education have had a significant effect on the business of private tuition.
There is a misconception that only the extremely wealthy hire private tutors, but it has become increasingly popular amongst families of all backgrounds. One phenomenon noted in the press recently is the rise in private tuition and home schooling amongst the middle classes as an alternative to independent schooling during the recession. This is a practice with which I am familiar, but there are also many parents who use private tutors now and again to supplement their child’s state education on the occasions when they fall behind in class.
Students’ educational background sometimes impacts greatly on the approach one takes as a tutor. Students who are privately educated, or formerly privately educated, often have a degree of cultural capital which allows them to converse with the tutor as one might a colleague or friend, rather than someone who they suspect might put them in detention! By contrast, students who are used to class sizes of over 25 students at A level are often less used to being asked for their opinion, and work is required to demonstrate that the tutor respects their views.
Another experience a private tutor will have is that of being perceived very differently in different households. Some families will afford an inordinate amount of respect and attention to a tutor, whilst others view tutors as personal employees and no more. During my time as a private tutor in London I have been brought afternoon tea by attendants, offered champagne and strawberries during a lesson and been given gifts of jewellery by the parents of students. This is definitely the most opulent side of the business, and is not the norm by any means. In many houses, tutors are seen as employees who are there to do a job, no more, no less, which is great as long as the tutor and student have a good working relationship. In the worst scenarios, tutors complain of having been shouted at, blamed for a student’s refusal to work and are not offered a drink or a ‘thank-you’ at any point.
Whilst the opulence and worst case scenarios are at extreme ends of the scale, they all come together to make quite an enriching experience which provides a fascinating insight into British families and their attitudes towards education. However, the key issue for the tutor will always be how to get through to the student, no matter what the environment.