All students can benefit from one-on-one tutoring. One-on-one tutoring instruction is simply the most efficient model to learn anything from someone else. Most would agree that to learn any endeavor, one-on-one instruction is a must to overcome the initial discomfort and awkwardness when first learning anything. Think of endeavors such a learning to play a sport, learning to play a musical instrument, learning to paint, or even to simply learn to use the features of your smartphone.
Classroom instruction is incredibly inefficient.
Tutoring can sometimes be mistakenly thought of in terms of a remediating activity. However, the overwhelming majority of students in my tutoring practice are students performing at the top of their class. These students and their parents use tutoring to support their success and maintain a high level of self confidence in their study of math and more generally in their overall approach to school.
With regular tutoring sessions they eliminate frustration, expect success, and even stay just ahead of their class. By staying just ahead of their class they are able to benefit more from what can be gained from the classroom instruction. They are more relaxed in the classroom setting and are relying less on the classroom instruction. To them, classroom instruction serves and becomes more of a reenforcement and review. This also helps them to navigate around and even derive some benefit from inexperienced teachers and poor classroom instruction that are not uncommon in today's education environment.
Within this context consider the many advantages of classroom instruction:
- Student reaches mastery of concepts faster with more depth
- Undivided attention by a specialist in math tutoring techniques
- Coaching and reassurance while student actually solves problems
- Assures effective & efficient practice & completion of homework
- Reduces stress & frustration from uncertainty with homework
- Continuous "checking for understanding" as new concepts are developed
- Monitors, reviews, and remediates underlying fundamentals as needed
- Keeps student ahead of class & less reliant on classroom instruction
- Fosters the development of well organized written work
- Tactical & strategic problem solving techniques are modeled and shaped
- Provides opportunities to teach & encourage good study skills
- Support to take & succeed in more challenging class
- Fosters the self confidence needed to reach full potential
- The tutor provides a unique perspective and tone of learning that is often distinctly different from the student's parents, teachers, and peers. Parents and teachers may project expectations that can be distracting and overwhelming. As a reaction to these expectations that play out in their work load, testing, and grades, the student can become intimidated and defensive. The student’s ability to cope with these expectations can be adversely affected by the reward and punishment pressure that teachers and parents can represent. On the other end of the spectrum, peers with no expectations will be indifferent at best and may even encourage a lack of effort and motivation to learn. In this context, the tutor’s role is particularly well suited to guide a student without the pressures inherent in the parent-child or teacher-student relationship and within a more collaborative framework. Additionally, a tutor provides a more adult and encouraging approach than their peers. This sets the tone for a more relaxed interaction that can lead the student to better understand their potential and the development of their own learning process.
Inquire about your child's participation in The Math Clinic at deaton@mathclinic.org or call 410-817-4033 for more information.