Benefits of Tuition

For a multitude of different reasons, tutors have never been more sought after than they are in 2021. 

Below are just some of the reasons why even as a qualified teacher myself, I’m a great advocate for investing in tuition.

Undivided attention

The hustle and bustle of school/college classrooms can be an intimidating place for some (including teachers too believe it or not!) and an environment that can end up feeling dominated by the most confident, needy and attention-seeking students…despite the best efforts of the teacher. 

As a result, the quieter and less confident students in the class often end up unwilling to ask for help and end up with undetected gaps in their knowledge, which may only show up during assessments or exams. Having a tutor (whether online or face-to-face) gives a student the undivided attention that is impossible to receive in a classroom environment with 20+ other students and means a tutor can really drill down into a student’s strengths and areas for development, while the student themself is presented with the platform to ask questions and talk over strategies in a calm and focused environment that is solely dedicated to supporting them.

Personalised sessions

Every student has a preferred way of learning whether that happens to be visual or verbal or social or solitary or other such considerations. The most diligent teachers (with support from teaching assistants) do their absolute best to plan lessons that cater for a variety of different styles but to expect a teacher to plan a lesson that fits every single student in their classroom to a tee just isn’t realistic – and that’s where tuition sessions really stand out with tailored sessions built completely around the individual needs of that student in order to fully bring the best out of them. This makes the learning more accessible and more enjoyable for the student and with that enjoyment and accessibility comes increased engagement…and ultimately, improved understanding and progress.

Flexibility

Ten years of teaching and being a parent myself (as well as reading tons of research) has made it clear to me that time of the day can be an important factor in when a student learns best. Some students operate exceptionally from the second they arrive at school at 8.30am, while others may finally wake from their slumber at around break time before we begin to see the best of them. 

Tutors can offer different times of the day to take into account what works best for a student. Some will even offer daytime sessions for those with slightly irregular school timings or those that are home-schooled, but in general a decision can be made on whether an early evening slot at 5pm with just a short break after school is more or less effective than an 8pm session with a longer time to shake off the residual effects of the school day. 

Additionally, some tutors (like myself) may also offer sessions in weekend slots for those who prefer doing their tuition outside the weekly Monday – Friday grind and there is also the option of considering whether one-to one or small group sessions is more preferable and beneficial for the student. Increasing the number of sessions at crucial points of the year such as exam season or continuing with sessions during school holidays can also be considered too.

Increased confidence and enthusiasm

Disengagement and underachievement is very often connected to low confidence levels and lack of self-belief. Once a student begins to see the tangible improvements and progress they are making from one session to the next with their tutor, that will almost certainly naturally result in confidence levels rising and translate into increased enthusiasm for their education and their academic journey going forward.

Mark is an English teacher and a tutor with Newman Tuition. To book a lesson with him, or one of our other excellent tutors, please call us on 020 3198 8006, email us at [email protected], or complete the form on the ‘Contact Us’ page.