Your teen’s having trouble in algebra. Maybe your second grader is already behind in reading. Perhaps you have a high school senior who wants to do well on his SAT’s and feels he’s not prepared. Where do you go for help? And how do you choose the right person? You could look for a tutor? Or would a coach would be better?
Tutors usually teach, or re-teach, content. Examples include how to regroup when subtracting, how to remember the amendments to the Constitution for the test on Friday, how to conjugate French verbs. Whenever possible, a good tutor will also attempt to make the content relevant by connecting it with other content that’s meaningful to the student.
Coaches, on the other hand, basically help students learn how to learn. By focusing on the process of learning as opposed to reteaching content, students learn invaluable life-long skills and strategies.
Examples include
• Note-taking skills
• Organization strategies
• Reading comprehension
• Study skills
• Task analysis
• Test-taking strategies
• Motivation techniques
• Planning strategies
• Reflection techniques
• Critical thinking skills
Good coaching, by design, leads to independence, or at least, less dependence on the coach.
In school, because of the curriculum demands, teachers usually just teach. That’s all they have time to do. Similarly, tutors tend to just teach, because that’s the routine they’re familiar with.
Tutors have been around for a very long time. Coaching is a more recent phenomena and reflects our understanding of the importance of learning how to learn. Students who know how to learn will do well in most subjects. At the same time, your kids must know the course material in their classes in order to get a good grade.
Skillful, experienced educational professionals are both coaches and tutors. And they have the judgment and experience to know the amount of each to apply to a specific situation.
So, at times they teach, at times they coach, but most of they time they skillfully do both. And above all, they don’t use a cookie cutter approach but tailor their coaching and tutoring to your child’s needs and schedule.
You’ll want to interview whomever you’re going to hire to help your child succeed. Ask them questions just as you would anyone else you’d hire. And check their references.
Interview questions:
• What is your approach to working with children?
• How much experience have you had? With what subjects? What age group?
• Can you give me some references?
• Do you see yourself as a coach or a tutor?
• What is your hourly rate? How long is each session?
• Is a long-term contract required? (Avoid signing a long-term contract.)
• Are children allowed to drink water, move about, and ask questions?
• How do you discipline children if they become unruly?
• Do you help children learn how to learn? Help them master learning skills?
• Can you teach the content my child needs to learn such as French, geometry, or physics?
After you’ve asked your questions, carefully explain your child’s challenge, what you think they need, how they work best, the outcome you’d like to see, your child’s attitude about the learning challenge and the outcome.
End the interview by asking prospective tutor/coach how she would work with your child. Avoid asking “Do you think you can help my child?” It’s too easy to answer “yes.”
Your child deserves to succeed in school. Don’t wait until bad grades or the prospect of repeating a grade forces you to get help. Look for a tutor/coach at the first sign of a problem. Discuss the problem with your child’s teacher. Then find just the right person to help your child. Qualifications are only part of the solution. In order for the tutoring/coaching to be effective, your child must feel comfortable with the person who’s going to help them.
About Dr. Linda
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