In British, Australian, New Zealand and some Canadian universities, a tutor is often but not always a postgraduate student or a lecturer assigned to conduct a seminar for undergraduate students, often known as a tutorial. The equivalent of a tutor in the United States and the rest of Canada is known as a teaching assistant.
In the United States, the term tutor is generally associated with one who gives professional instruction in a give topic or field.
At ST. John’s College the professors are referred to as tutors. They serve the function of guiding the conversation and attempting to keep it focused, whether in tutorial’s or in seminar.
Tutors in British and Irish secondary schools
In English and Irish secondary schools, form tutors are given the responsibilities of a form or class of students in a particular year group (up to 30 students). They usually work in Year Teams headed by a Year Leader, Year Head, or Guidance Teacher.
Form tutors take on these responsibilities in addition to teaching, planning and monitoring their academic (subject) classes.
Form tutors will provide parents with most of the information about their child’s progress and any problems they might be experiencing. Ordinarily, the form tutor is the person who contacts a parent if there is a problem at school; however, the Year Leader or Guidance Teacher may contact the parents since the form tutor has full time responsibility as a specialist subject teacher.
Form tutors will provide parents with most of the information about their child’s progress and any problems they might be experiencing. Ordinarily, the form tutor is the person who contacts a parent if there is a problem at school; however, the Year Leader or Guidance Teacher may contact the parents, since the form tutor has full-time responsibility as a specialist subject teacher.
Private Tutors
A private tutor is a private instructor who teaches a specific educational subject or skill to an individual student or small group of students. Such attention allows the student to improve knowledge or skills far more rapidly than in a classroom setting. Tutors are often privately hired and paid by the student, the student’s family or an agency. Many are used for remedial students or others needing special attention; many provide more advanced material for exceptionally capable and highly motivated student, or in the context of homeschooling. Tutelage is the process of being under the guidance of a tutor. Tutoring also occurs when one adult helps another adult student to study a specific course or subject that he/she is taking to get a better result. The adult can also let the student work on his own, and can be there if the student has any questions.
There are claims that private tutoring companies should be regulated because of the occurrence of fraud.
Academic coaching
Academic coaching is an evolution of mentoring applied to academics. Mentoring implies the student is an empty vessel into which knowledge is poured. Coaching involves a more collaborative approach, assuming the student is already in the "game" of learning. Coaches help students learn how they best learn and how to operate in an academic environment. Coaches help students learn the material in individual courses while coaches help students learn how to be successful in school. In college, that includes such topics as: study skills, time management, stress management, effective reading, note-taking, test-taking, and understanding how to use a syllabus. Academic coaches meet with the student regularly throughout the semester, usually once a week. Coaches work with students in all kinds of situations, not just those who are struggling academically. Some highly motivated, high-achieving students will have a coach to improve their learning efficiency. Academic coaching also occurs to help students prepare for entrance exams to gain entry to schools or universities. Academic coaching is a huge industry in Asia. For example, in India, a majority of students be it of any class or stream, visit a coaching centre or a 'study circle'.
In Home Tutoring
In Home Tutoring is a form of tutoring that occurs in the home. Tutoring is receiving guidance or instruction by a tutor. Most often the tutoring relates to an academic subject or test preparation. This is in contrast to tutoring centers or tutoring provided through after school programs. The service most often involves one on one attention provided to the pupil.
Peer Tutoring
In the U.S., students tutoring other students at the same or within close proximity of age or grade level. When peer tutors are trained in the proper methods, strategies and protocols of tutoring, the evidence is clear that peer tutoring is both academically and cost effective, rendering numerous benefits for both the tutor and the tutee.
Online Tutoring
A new up and coming way for a student to receive help either scheduled or on-demand. Sessions are done through a proprietary application where a student and tutor can communicate. Common tools include chat, whiteboard, and other specialized applets which make it easier to convey information back and forth. For example, there may be a specialized applet designed specifically for mathematics which allows the use of symbols.
Online tutoring has been gaining popularity over the past couple of years due ease of being able to connect to a tutor at moment's notice when help is required. This is especially effective when a student is studying for a test that is scheduled for the next day at school and is stumped on a particular problem. Not all online tutoring companies offer an on-demand tutoring service.
Solution Assistance
Solution assistance is a growing trend in the field of mathematics tutoring. This method of checking the accuracy of answers is particularly helpful for students without a computer or those students that live in remote areas.
Should You Hire a Tutor
by Jodi Fodor
Tutoring benefits students at any achievement level
Guess which of these kids could use a tutor: Kelly, a third-grader who is struggling with math; Mark, a fifth-grader who is doing fine in school and receives good evaluations from his teacher; or Molly, a seventh-grader who loves to read and earns A's in all of her subjects?
The answer is, surprisingly enough, all of them.
When I began tutoring six years ago, I assumed I would build my business by working with kids who were struggling in school. I was surprised to find, however, that my schedule was an even mix of students who were working below their grade levels, those who were right where their teachers expected them to be and those who were performing above their grade levels.
Read ahead to learn more about the benefits of tutoring, what to look for in a tutor and how to decide to continue tutoring, once you've begun.
The Benifits
Tutoring benefits students at any achievement level
So, why should you consider hiring a tutor if your child is not struggling? Here are a few reasons:
• Tutoring can provide personal attention that teachers simply don't have the time to offer. Sometimes a child can feel lost in a room of 25 or 30 kids.
• Sometimes a child is gifted, but advancing her to the next grade may be inappropriate. A tutor can offer challenges and special assignments to keep her excited about learning.
• A tutor isn't Mom or Dad. Despite having wonderful relationships with their children, at least 90 percent of my students' parents say they have trouble helping their children (particularly teenagers) with schoolwork. Children are more willing to open their minds in one-on-one academic settings when parent-child dynamics aren't involved.
• Having a tutor makes many children feel special. Back when I was in school, having a tutor came with the stigma of underachievement. Today, however, many kids view tutoring as a privilege. They feel they deserve this special "coaching," much as gifted athletes are often privately trained.
What to Look for in a Tutor
Tutoring benefits students at any achievement level
First, ascertain the qualifications of a prospective tutor. Then check her references and make sure her teaching style is right for your child. Here are some important questions to consider:
• What is the tutor's educational and professional background?
• Is this tutor a specialist in one academic area?
• Has the tutor worked with kids like yours?
• How does she deal with unmotivated or resistant students?
• Are her lessons structured? Serious? Light? Flexible?
• Can this tutor offer many references for you to call?
GOALS
Some families have very specific goals: "We'd like our son to raise his SAT verbal score by at least 150 points." But many families' goals are less definable: "I want my daughter to be more confident about her reading," or "My son needs more personal attention than he gets in the classroom," or "My daughter needs better study skills."
Ask yourself: What do you hope your child will accomplish and by when? How will this tutor assess your child's needs? Will she be willing to meet with your child's teachers? Will she keep you updated about your child's progress by writing you, calling you or by meeting with you regularly?
It's okay to be unclear about your goals in the beginning. After working with your child, a tutor will be able to define how she can help your child reach the next level. Just make sure that you and the tutor know what each other's expectations are.
LOCATION
Ask yourself: What is the most convenient and appropriate tutoring location for you and your child? Will the tutor work with your child in a library or office? Your home or his? Will he charge extra if he needs to commute to you?
COST
Some tutors charge by the hour, some for a 55-minute session. And rates vary a great deal. Some tutors charge $30 per hour, while others charge as much as $120 per hour. You may be able to save money if your child has a friend with similar academic needs and your prospective tutor is willing to work with two children at once. My hourly rate for a shared lesson is only slightly higher than my rate for a private lesson.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Some tutors require that you cancel or reschedule within 24 hours of the lesson. Will you be expected to pay for missed lessons or for those canceled at the last minute?
Whether to Continue
Tutoring benefits students at any achievement level
If you choose to have your child tutored, watch for small and great signs of success to help you decide whether to continue. Some successes are easily quantifiable ("He raised his math grade from a C to a B") and others are more abstract ("She seems more confident than before"), but remember that even the smallest successes may be important to your children. Ask them if they feel that tutoring is making a difference for them in school work and in homework, in their confidence and in their attitudes about school.
Some children aren't able to articulate how tutoring has helped them, so you may have to rely on your observations and teachers' feedback. Other kids are clearly aware of what is changing, and they know just how to express it--they'll rush into a lesson, brag about their latest test score and thank me with a hug.
Remember that tutoring should be enjoyable. Whether your child is performing above grade level or struggling with a subject or two, if the tutoring experience is positive, she will benefit. When I work with kids, I speak in accents, tease them, even teach them silly jokes, tricks, pranks and sayings that were popular when I was a child. This makes learning fun for the child . . . and for the tutor.
If you'd like to consider hiring a tutor for your child, ask your child's teacher, other parents or local universities for referrals.
Jodi Fodor is a tutor, composition instructor and freelance writer and is writing her first screenplay.
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