When deciding to become a tutor, you may ask yourself; do you have what it takes? Do you think you could ‘teach’ students from a wide range of ages and abilities effectively? Which will help improve their overall understanding of the subject? We have put together just a few of the top qualities we believe every tutor should have.
Good Listener
One of the most crucial attributes a tutor must have is the ability to listen to their student’s problems. Listening to someone has a sincerity quality to it, as it tells the speaker that you are interested in what they have to say.
It provides assurance to the speaker that you are engaged and ready to respond with helpful and meaningful advice. It’s not just about listening however, it’s about showing your listening with your body language. A simple nod of the head, good eye-contact and an acknowledgement as they speak are excellent ways of letting the speaker know you are fully engaged in what they have to say.
The ability to teach someone a difficult concept and help them understand it is a highly desirable skill. One that tutors should be working towards mastering or have already mastered. If you can help enhance someone’s understanding of an issue then becoming a tutor would be an excellent use of your talent.
Trustworthy
Being a tutor carries a great amount of responsibility in both the teaching and social aspects. The tutor-student relationship is one of honesty and transparency. If a student trusts their tutor in there academic knowledge as well as a person then the likely-hood of success if far greater. It’s not only the trust of the student you have to build but also that of the student’s parents/guardians. Once trust is established the student will become much more open and willing to ask questions. It allows them to feel they have someone to depend on in times of difficulty.
Good Communicator
Many tutors today have the ability to form good working relationships with their students and inspire them to do well. However, in order to fully class yourself as an excellent tutor, you must be able to communicate your thoughts and techniques to someone whose understanding of a subject is limited. If you can’t communicate your ideas effectively without overcomplicating a question or problem then becoming a tutor may not be suited to you.
Positivity
If your a “glass half empty” type of person then tutoring may not be the best route to take. Negativity is a major barrier that many students seeking extra tuition face from either poor test and exam score to an internal struggle with themselves. If a tutor can’t overcome such thoughts and negative energy then this can only add to the student’s problems. By being optimistic but also realistic at the same time is a very important and essential way of thinking. It’s not just a case of teaching students, it’s about inspiring them too!
It’s important to the tutor that they bring positive energy to every lesson. When students get things wrong, turn them into a positive learning experience. Having a positive attitude should not be misconstrued with mollycoddling or brushing over difficult topics to give the student a false sense of security. It should be a way of inspiring students to do well in their exams and to succeed.
Constructive
Being able to turn a negative into a positive is a crucial quality of any tutor. When students get problems wrong it can be disheartening and reduce their interest. However, being able to highlight where the student has gone wrong in a positive manner, and propose a solution that tells the student it’s ok to make mistakes is a great way of providing constructive feedback. Sugarcoating feedback to make you seem like a ‘nice’ tutor is not doing anyone the world of good. By finding the balance between these is the perfect way of providing helpful and constructive feedback.
To Conclude
These are just some of the many qualities we believe every tutor should have in order to provide the best possible service. Having the ability and opportunity to enhance and improve someone’s understanding of a concept is one of the most rewarding things you can do. The ability to help someone achieve their goals and reach their ambitions is what makes tutoring such a fulfilling career or part-time hobby. If you are considering becoming a tutor and feel you have the qualities mentioned above, we would certainly tell you to go for it and get started today!
