tutoring

There should first be a phone interview at which you establish some sense of compatibility both with what your needs are for tutoring and with deeper-lying emotions. We all have intuitive capabilities through which we sense whether or not a good chemistry exists. If you have a good sense about the tutor, then you plan to meet.

The in-person interview will confirm your sense of the rightness of the match between you (or your children as you are standing in for them) and the tutor. If the tutor will be coming to your home, it is important to see how the tutor comports himself. If the tutor satisfies your visual assessment — professional dress, openness, friendliness, mannered behavior — then you should move on to the details of what your children are like and what their particular need for a tutor is. The tutor should take this opportunity to explain their approach, how they will address and mediate your child’s needs. They may also have a resume and references to offer you.

Tutors often already have basic plans they can adapt easily to almost any child. They will also be asking you important questions if you have not already provided the information: does your child attend public or private school? What are his grades like? Does your child have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) through the public school? Does he have a therapist or any other form of intervention in his educational process? Would you mind sharing this information with the tutor and would you be willing for the tutor to communicate with your child’s teachers, therapist, or counselor?

IEP’s are common these days for students who have fallen behind in their studies or have a medical diagnosis. There are growing numbers of children who need tutors because of tendencies accompanying ADD or ADHD. It helps a tutor to communicate with classroom teachers on how they are working with your child. It also helps the tutor to get a picture of how the child interacts at school, his level of involvement in the classroom, and what he is taking away from the experience each day. Some steps I have taken with such children, for example, is providing them with a small notebook in which they can write down their assignments. They may also contact me directly if they forgot what they were supposed to do.

There are some very good websites where you can find skilled and experienced tutors. You can also ask around at your child’s school to see if any parents or teachers know a tutor you can call. Nonetheless, you want to find that skilled and experienced tutor that has the chemistry that is right for your family. If you feel confident from the initial phone call, you might bring your children with you to the in-person interview and see if things click.