3rd May 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Over a third of students in London have had a tutor at some point in their school careers. Some will have been short-lived, there only to provide revision help for upcoming exams, or to address a particular problem a student is having with a subject. Others have been teaching the same students for years, and often get to know their academic needs better than their teachers.
In these cases, the benefits of long term tuition can be great. A tutor can help with academic problems on a long term basis, something which is difficult for teachers to do in crowded classrooms. They can also help to build confidence, which is one of the greatest benefits for students, especially those who are struggling and whose confidence has taken a knock.
However, in cases where tutors have been teaching students for some time, the student can come to rely on the tutor too much. If the tutor is always there every week to pick up the pieces of any problem that has emerged, students can sometimes struggle on their own if the crutch is taken away. It is important that tutors not only support their students, but also teach them long term skills so that that their students are able to stand on their own when the tuition has finished.