Are you hoping your child can get a little extra help in reading this year after school? Here are some suggestions for finding someone to help your child at the end of the school day.
- How about your child’s teacher? First stop is your child’s classroom or reading teacher. It can be very convenient if they tutor right there at school. Also, their familiarity with your child’s reading strengths and weaknesses make them an optimal choice for tutoring.
- Or take tutor recommendations from the teacher. If your child’s teacher is unavailable for tutoring, the next best choice might be someone they can recommend. This may be another teacher in your child’s school, or even an outside professional they know about.
- Look for a list of tutors in the school system. Sometimes school administrators keep running lists of teachers in the school who are available to tutor, along with the subjects and grade levels they are prepared to teach.
- Word of mouth is also a great way to find a tutor. Other parents can often attest to a tutor’s competence and may even be able to flesh out more information about the teacher’s interaction with their child.
- Online tutors. I can’t speak for the various online tutoring businesses, but you can easily Google them. My preference is for finding someone local, even if you decide to work on Zoom, but of course this is up to you.
- As a last resort, ads in the school newspaper, newsletter, or local newspaper are another source of possible tutors.
Once you have a few names of prospective tutors, it’s time to narrow down your choices. If you don’t know a teacher already, interview them on the phone, online, or preferably in person. Many prospective tutors will offer a free meet-and-greet session, to show you where they tutor and with what materials.
Make a list of your questions before the meeting. Don’t be afraid to ask for evidence of their abilities. A tutor who is acting professionally will provide you with their qualifications and policies:
- resume (education, teaching experience, licensure, special training, professional memberships)
- teaching philosophy
- lateness policy
- payment arrangements and contract
- testimonials
- progress reporting
Get a feel for the personality of the tutor and possibly see them interact with your child.
- How did you feel after meeting them?
- Did you like them?
- More importantly, did your child like them?
- Were they on time for your meeting?
- Do they seem patient? Flexible?
- Do they seem to have a sense of humor?
This is a time to get out of your head and into your heart. Don’t be overly impressed by professional qualifications. Did you have a “Yeah, but…” feeling? Or did it feel just right?
When picking someone to work closely with your child, it’s a good time to trust your gut.
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