13th March 2015 6:00
By Blue Tutors
Private tutors are used to teaching students of varying ability. It is a myth that only those struggling with a subject hire a private tutor. Whilst many students do ask for tutors in subjects they are struggling with, others hire private tutors to keep them on track, to ensure a top grade, or simply to challenge them further than the school curriculum. Teaching students who have a natural aptitude for their subjects is very rewarding; they are able to go beyond the syllabus and take part in academically engaging conversations. However, plenty of tuition requests come from those who are struggling, and depending on what the issues are, these students can often present much more of a challenge.
Students struggle for all kinds of reasons and the first thing to do is to try to figure out what is going on. Sometimes a student’s main problem is a lack of confidence, and tutors can work with them to improve this and their grades fairly quickly. Sometimes students have behavioural problems, learning difficulties or other problems which impede their progress. Students with these difficulties can be a challenge for tutors and it is important for tutors to ensure before embarking on the tuition that they are prepared to support their student and see them through their period of study.
When teaching a challenging student patience and reliability are key. Tutors must ensure that they keep their tutoring schedule regular, and are on time for appointments. Of course these elements are important for any tutor, but the necessity to maintain professionalism is paramount when teaching students whose learning and confidence can be severely disrupted if their tutor is not consistent and reliable. When beginning tuition, tutors should ensure that they are prepared to teach long term if that is what is required; just as missing lessons can be very disruptive, it can be very deleterious for students if tutors suddenly become unable to tutor them. In cases such as these, students’ confidence can be knocked, and it can take a while for a new tutor to become familiar with the students’ difficulties. When working with challenging students, it is important the tutors take the responsibility seriously and commit to helping their students for as long as requested.