If you’re struggling in an academic subject, it may be time to seek a tutor. Many students feel ashamed or embarrassed to admit they need help in a particular area, but there’s no reason to feel this way. Everyone learns differently, and some subjects are more difficult for certain people. A tutor can help you understand the material more effectively to succeed in your courses.
Tutoring is often considered a last-ditch effort to help a struggling student. However, many people don’t realize that tutoring can benefit all parties involved—the student, the tutor, and even the parents. Here are six ways Dennis Bonnen believes tutoring can be beneficial for everyone involved:
1. The Student Learns the Material
When a student is having trouble in school and is not understanding the material, tutoring can be beneficial. A tutor can help the student learn in a way that makes sense to them. This additional view of the topic will help the student improve in school and understand the material.
By offering a one-on-one approach, tutoring can help the student focus on areas that they are struggling with. This extra attention means that the material is more likely to stick and be remembered for future tests.
Tutoring also offers practice and guidance for best practices for studying, note-taking, and test-taking strategies. These skills will help the student not only in the current course but in future ones as well.
2. The Student Gets Immediate Feedback
Students who work with a tutor get immediate feedback about their progress. If the tutor sees the student struggling with a particular concept, they can address it immediately. This is different from the traditional classroom setting, where the professor might overlook a student’s struggles until it’s too late.
The tutor can also help the student develop good study habits. If the student is having trouble focusing, the tutor can help them find a better way to study the material. For example, if a student is a visual learner, the tutor can help them find ways to create visuals that will help them understand and remember the material.
3. The Tutor Gets to Know the Student’s Learning Style
When a tutor meets with a student, they have the opportunity to get to know them on a personal level. This relationship can help the tutor understand their learning style, better explain things, and help the student in a way that makes sense to them. By understanding students’ learning styles, tutors can help them learn the material more effectively.
Some of the different learning styles a tutor might come across are:
- Visual learners: These students learn best by seeing things. They like charts, graphs, and other visuals to help them understand the material.
- Auditory learners: These students learn best by hearing things. They like to have discussions and talk through problems to understand them.
- Tactile/kinesthetic learners: These students learn best by doing things. They like to have hands-on activities and experiments to understand the material.
- Reading/writing learners: These students tend to learn best through reading and writing. They like to have a variety of handouts and textbooks to help them better understand different materials.
4. The Teacher Gets More Engaged Students
Students struggling in a course are less likely to go to office hours or ask the teacher for help. This can be frustrating for educators who want to help their students but feel like they’re not getting through. Students who work with a tutor and do better in class are more likely to engage with the professor. The teacher can better understand where the student is struggling and help them succeed.
Better engagement from students also helps the rest of the class because the active discussions keep everyone interested and on their toes. If the topic you’re studying is particularly dull, being able to discuss it with someone actively engaged can make all the difference.
5. The Parents Save Money
While hiring a tutor may seem like an expensive undertaking, it can save parents money in the long run. If students struggle to keep up with their grades in a particular subject, they may have to retake the course. As the father of a college student, Dennis Bonnen stresses that cost of tuition, books, and other materials can add up quickly. He emphasizes that the sooner students can get their help, the better.
Plus, if the student is on an academic scholarship, they may lose the money if their grades drop below a certain point. Parents can avoid these additional costs by hiring a tutor to help the student succeed.
6. The Tutor Gets Teaching Practice
For those considering a career in teaching, working as a tutor is a great way to get experience. You also get to know how students learn and what motivates them. This can be helpful when you’re trying to develop your own teaching methods later on. You can try different teaching methods when you work one-on-one with students and find what works best for you.
Tutoring can be beneficial in helping an educator figure out what age range of students you would like to teach in the future. Are you passionate about working with elementary school students? Do you prefer the challenges of working with high schoolers? By tutoring, you can experiment and find what works best for you.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, tutoring can be beneficial for all parties involved. Tutors can help students learn the material more effectively, save parents money in the long run, help professors engage more with students, and give students immediate feedback. Tutoring is also a great way to get teaching experience and figure out what age range of students you would like to teach in the future. So if you’re looking for a way to improve your grades or just want extra help, consider hiring a tutor!
