How Do I Find the Right Tutor?

On a recent post about signs you might need a tutor, Sparkler AishwaryaCullen left the following comment:

This helps, but I've noticed that all my tutors just restuff the info in my head and don't introduce "Techniques" as such. My grades are satisfactory, but I'm getting nowhere, so I have tutors. But with tutors, my grades seem to be gettin WORSE =(

=( , indeed, AishwaryaCullen. Tutors exist to improve your grades, not to make them worse, right? So I'm guessing that your problem is you haven't found the right tutor.

I don't mean to suggest that your tutor is bad, but rather that your tutor simply may not be right for you. That old saying "there are a lot of fish in the sea" applies to tutors just as well as it does to girlfriends and boyfriends. With all of tutors out there, you should be able to find one who can give you the help you need.

So, how do you go about choosing the right tutor? Here are some suggestions:

1. Know what you need: The first step in choosing the right tutor is figuring out what kind of tutor you need. Do you require a physics specialist, or a generalist with knowledge spanning math, science, English, and Spanish? Or do you just need someone who can help keep you on track with your study habits and test preparation? Knowing what you want will greatly increase your chances of being paired with the right person. Make a list of the areas where you struggle, and use that list to guide your search.

2. Shop around: Make a list of all of the tutoring companies that serve your area. Add to that list any tutor recommendations from your friends and family. If you find someone who sounds like a good match, schedule an introductory session. Then do the same thing with a couple more tutors. Seeing a few different people should help you figure out whose instruction style is the best fit. If none of them seem quite right, keep looking.

3. Come to your introductory session prepared: Unfortunately, your tutors aren't mind readers, nor are they walking encyclopedias. If you want to focus on geometry, then bring your textbook, notes, copies of old tests, and a list of questions or concepts you need help with. This not only ensures that you will get more out of your tutoring session, it will let you know if the tutor can explain the material in a way that helps improve your understanding.

4. Keep track of your progress: Once you've chosen a tutor, don't become complacent. While you won't see progress overnight, you should see some improvements in your work after a few weeks. If you still aren't understanding the material and continue to perform poorly on tests and assignments, then it might be time to thank your tutor for the help and move on to the next one.

Do you work well with your tutor? How did you find him or her? Share in the comments, and send your questions to testpreptutor@sparknotes.com.

Related Post: Signs that You Might Need a Tutor