3rd November 2011 9:00
By Blue Tutors
For years there is something we have avoided discussing with tutors when giving advice about how to tutor, and that is empathy. In our formative years this was a skill which we really wanted our tutors to possess, because obviously if one can tell what a student is thinking and feeling then it gives an insight into their understanding. However, our teaching guidelines are really what a tutor needs to focus on first; there is no point relying on empathy when it’s possible to simply ask a student to display his/her understanding.
So, if a tutor follows our teaching guidelines it will put them in the top 10% of tutors out there, but other skills, such as empathy can change that into the top 1%.
Why is empathy so important? Well for starters when a tutor is holding the space it gives an indication of if and when to break the silence and help the student. We advise that a tutor does this only as a last resort, or if a silence had lasted so long that it has become unproductive, but a tutor who can empathise with students will be able to judge this better, and quickly identify when a silence is not helpful – when the student is not using that silence to try and answer a question.
Something that is not really mentioned in our teaching guidelines is how to create the right environment for a tuition lesson. This is where empathy can really help because whatever a tutor’s teaching skill, it is their empathy which helps them to get the right balance between teaching and ‘chatting’. Sometimes students aren’t ready to learn, whether it’s because they’ve had a rubbish day at school, or just because other things are on their mind. The tutors who realise this, and can talk to students when they need it, so that the student is ready to learn, tend to be more effective.
We probably all know people who make us feel at ease, people who we want to talk to, because it feels as though they understand you, and say the right things at the right time. This is probably because they can empathise with you, and give you what you need.