Many of the qualities that make an exceptional teacher don’t appear in a CV or a bulleted list of qualifications. So how can parents ensure that they’re getting the best possible tutor for their child?

Read on to find out. 

Find A Certified Teacher

Just because someone is a subject matter expert doesn’t mean they’re qualified to teach that subject. Teaching is an art and skill in itself and parents should look for someone who has a state-issued teaching certificate. Teaching credentials have to be earned through rigorous study and observation and they also must be maintained through continuing education. Hiring a credentialed teacher ensures that your child is getting a tutor that is up to date on teaching best practices and is continuing to hone their craft. 

Find an Experienced Teacher

Classroom teaching experience is critical when choosing a tutor. It is much easier to teach students 1:1 than in a classroom setting. In a classroom, a teacher must accommodate the needs of many students simultaneously while ensuring he or she is delivering top quality instruction. An experienced teacher can present a single lesson or concept in a variety of ways, ensuring that each student has the greatest opportunity to learn the material. Choosing someone with classroom experience can help ensure that your tutor is able to meet the individual needs of your student because they’re accustomed to doing it all day every day. 

Find a Good Communicator

It’s difficult to tell on paper whether someone is going to be a good communicator-after all, pretty much everyone says they have great communication skills. Ensuring that there is a formal communication plan in place can go a long way toward building trust in the relationship. When it comes to looking for a tutor, making sure there are clear and open lines of communication among teacher, parent and student is paramount. 

Find Someone Fun

When planning any extra-curricular activity, it is important that the child enjoy the activity, at least to some degree. There are plenty of teachers out there who work tirelessly to ensure their lessons are fun and engaging for students. When students begin to feel like their tutoring lessons are becoming a chore, they will naturally become less interested. The more students are interested, the more they’ll learn. 

Find Someone With a Plan

Everyone has heard the saying, “when you fail to plan, you plan to fail” and learning is no exception to that rule. Having a goal in mind and being able to express that goal is critical in a tutoring relationship. Are you looking to get your child a higher grade in class? Are you looking to prepare them for advanced courses? Are you looking for them to test at or above grade level in a certain area? If you’re not sure, an experienced teacher can meet with you and your child and help you set appropriate and achievable goals. 

At Boluo School, all our teachers are experienced, certified classroom educators. Before bringing any teachers on to our platform, they are asked to do a demonstration of their teaching skills and classroom strategies-only the absolute best make the cut. We also have a clear communication plan and provide periodic (optional) testing to ensure that students are having the best possible experience when it comes to advancing their education.