Qualifications and experience
You may well be tempted to hire a recent English graduate as a tutor: they obviously know their English texts, have a proven track record of passing all the exams that your teen has to take, and are considerably cheaper than all of the qualified teachers out there.
These are valid points, but you need to think of the added value a teacher’s qualification brings. Firstly, qualified teachers have read all the recent research about how students learn. They’ve also had to prove that they can consistently apply this research in planning and delivering their lessons. When their lessons are assessed, one of the main criteria is whether there is evidence that ALL of their students have learned. In short, qualified teachers know how to translate their teaching into their students’ learning.
A qualified teacher has taught all sorts of students. High attaining, low attaining, those with low confidence, those whose first language isn’t English, and those with special educational needs. They have had to demonstrate that they have adapted their lesson plans to meet the needs of every one of their students. This means that whatever level of motivation or needs your teen has, chances are a qualified English tutor will be able to meet them efficiently.
There is no substitute for experience of planning and delivering a series of lessons in school. Planning and designing schemes of work is a real skill which takes time to develop and involves a multitude of different considerations. A qualified teacher will have had plenty of experience of designing their own schemes and of adapting those designed by experience colleagues. They’ll also have a bank of resources they can draw on whatever your teen needs to study.
Qualified English teachers have learned how to analyse language. When a student makes a grammatical mistake, they probably don’t know a) what type of mistake it is, or b) how to fix it. A qualified teacher has learned the nuts and bolts of language to teach literacy. If you find me online, you’ll have found a tutor who also has experience of teaching English as a foreign language. That means I have an in-depth knowledge of how language works and know to help your teenager to tackle the stickiest of grammatical issues, as well as how to write cohesively.
Online communication skills
Imagine this scenario: you’re delighted to have found a qualified, experienced English tutor, with availability, at a price you can afford. You eagerly await your teenager’s feedback from their first lesson. Here’s what you get:
- The teacher’s internet connection kept dropping
- Their cat kept interrupting
- They couldn’t work out how to share their screen on Zoom
- They forgot to record the session
- They didn’t look at the camera and seemed distracted
- Your teenager couldn’t hear them properly
It’s unfortunately a truism that just because you can teach, it doesn’t mean you can teach online. At the very least, a quiet office space, free from potential interruptions, and an excellent internet connection are the basic requirements. Your online tutor should also have invested time and money into getting to grips with the tech needed to do their job.
The only way that you’re going to find out whether they have these things before you part with your cash is by having a free call with them. This is why I offer one:
A good fit / Your teen’s opinion
So, you’ve had the online consultation with your teenager’s potential tutor. They’ve ticked all the tech boxes, don’t have two heads, seem to know what they’re talking about and they’re friendly. So, all systems go? Not if your teenager isn’t convinced. By ‘not convinced’, I’m not referring to your teenager’s low motivation levels to study in general. What I mean is, if your teenager isn’t keen on the specific tutor you’ve talked to, this should give you pause. Whatever their reservation, ‘buy-in’ from your child is essential if you want the tutoring to work.
Equally, if your teenager’s school is using an exam board that your tutor isn’t familiar with, or if they are studying a set text your teacher hasn’t taught, you might want to reconsider. These aren’t complete deal breakers though. If your tutor is willing to get to grips with the exam board question and /or a particular set text, it may still be fine to go ahead.
Commitment to giving
Teaching is a giving profession, and an experienced teacher will know that most of the job takes place outside of the classroom, in the marking of homework, the planning of lessons and the answering of queries. You need to make sure that your tutor is committed to working hard for your teenager in between their lessons. Now, I don’t mean to say that they are available 24/7 to answer your questions and to mark any piece of work that your child sends to them. However, it’s essential that their homework is marked promptly and in detail, and that the feedback informs what is covered in the following lesson. Classroom teachers of 30 or so kids don’t have the time to mark every piece of work in detail (though in my experience, they perform miracles, given their workload), but you’ve hired a tutor so that they can give your child personalised, targeted help.
Testimonials
Whichever service you hire, word of mouth is important. Reviews are a good way of making sure that your chosen tutor delivers the service they promise. Testimonials can also give you a good idea of whether the tutor’s personality will be a good fit for your teenager’s, and of their specific strengths.
Cost
Tricky one this. As I mentioned at the start of this post, unqualified tutors tend to be a lot cheaper than those with PGCEs to their name. However, they may not get your teenager the results they were hoping for. Resits are expensive, so it makes sense to hire the best tutor you can to ensure your teenager passes their exam with the grade that they need on their first attempt.
Your chosen tutor may not offer discounted rates, but they may offer lots of added value. Before you hire them check the following:
-Do they have a blog, a Facebook page /group where they regularly give out free resources?
– Do they offer small group tuition in which the rates may be lower?
– Do they offer a free initial consultation?
-Do they offer any free downloadable resources in return for a follow of their website?
Please do get in touch with me if you need any questions answering or just want to talk about where your teenager is now with their English studies, and where they want to be.
I offer an Advance your English Language course which keeps your child learning throughout the week. It includes personalised feedback and teaching.
