Qualities of a Good Tutor

Dec 06, 2011 Janelle Martel
The More You Know

Both teachers and tutors have similar goals of helping students be successful.  However, they play a different role in an individual’s education.  Tutors will work one-on-one with a student or with a small group of students.  A tutor has a somewhat different relationship with a student; while a teacher must also consider classroom management and curriculum, a tutor is able to solely focus on increasing the student’s subject knowledge, general study skills, and confidence.  A good tutor will have several qualities that are helpful in creating a good relationship with the student.

Professionalism: A good tutor will always act professionally.  This includes dressing appropriately and interacting with students, parents and teachers in a suitable manner.  The tutor should also make sure to come prepared to the session.  This includes brushing up on the subject requirements for that grade and bringing relevant assessments and practice sheets to work on.  As previously mentioned, the tutor needs to interact with the parents and sometimes the student’s teacher.  The tutor needs to use these relationships to gain information about where the student is struggling and what the learning goals are for the student.  The parents are the ones paying for the tutoring, so it is always important to ensure that you are meeting their needs.

Friendly Demeanour and Positive Outlook: As many students do not enjoy homework, working with a tutor can seem like even more work to be done.  This can make tutoring sessions very stressful on the student, which is certainly not the goal.  It is important for the tutor to be friendly and seem like an ally to the student.  Students may be embarrassed that they need a tutor and feel uncomfortable with anything related to school.  Break the ice by telling the student about a time that you did poorly in school and let them know how you moved forward. In addition, don’t talk to the student solely about school.  At the beginning of a session, take the time to ask them how their day was.  When they are packing up, tell them about your plans for the weekend or ask them about theirs.  This helps the student to see you as a real person and helps to foster your connection, which helps the student to see you as reliable, trustworthy and understanding.

Communication Skills: Strong communication skills are one of the most important qualities that a good tutor needs to have.  Even if you have extensive subject matter knowledge, this will not help the student unless you know how to explain concepts clearly.  Use examples that are relevant to the student’s life whenever possible, as this will help to increase understanding.  Frequently check in with the student to make sure they understand you.  Ask questions to ensure that they have achieved understanding rather than simply asking if they understand.  Some students will say they understand even if they don’t because they feel that they should understand.  Always take care to explain things in different ways and ask the student to do the same when you don’t understand what they mean.

I think that these are the most important personality traits that a good tutor has.  If you work as a tutor or have a tutor yourself, what personality traits do you think are most important in a tutor?