24th February 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
I’ve worked for Blue Tutors for one month now so I guess I have a fairly good idea of the day to day issues that our tutors, students and parents have to deal with. One that has really surprised me though is the number of tutors who have more problems with the parents of their student than with any other aspect of private tuition.
Parents sometimes seem to think that they know better than the person they have engaged to tutor their child and can behave in rather an overbearing manner, checking what the tutor has prepared in advance and each lesson outcome with the child. I have received several emails regarding this from tutors who are finding it difficult to deal with the pressure from parents.
My advice to those tutors is to stand firm, reassure the parents that you know what you are doing and, while taking on board their concerns, teach in a way that you know is best for the child. If a parent mentions a pace that you should be working with their child and you feel the child is not up to that level, you must explain to the parent there and then. This seems to be the case more in science subjects where there are worksheets to do, rather than in humanities.
While parents may be keen to discuss progress, I have had parents talk to me about their child’s weak points and lack of success in front of their child. Try to discourage this, as hearing themselves disparagingly discussed can be upsetting for the child. Encouraging your student and praising their good points is a great way to foster a positive feeling towards tuition. You can explain this to the parent, politely encouraging them to praise progress rather than criticise results.
Although you have to listen to a parent’s comments on their child, remember that you have been engaged professionally for your tutoring expertise. Do not be railroaded down a tuition path with which you are not comfortable. Remember they only want what’s best for their child and if dealt with firmly and politely will no doubt back you all the way, leaving positive feedback for you when the exam results come in.