Last week, one of our new tutors sent us this message (with names changed to protect privacy), following a back-to-school session with her student:
I had an excellent session with my client, Becky, last night. When I first came, her dad said she was not happy because he had just yelled at her for forgetting her math homework at school.
She was feeling like a failure. By the time we were done, she had gotten the math problems texted to her by a friend, we had worked on getting her planner and binder organized and we had gotten the rest of her homework nearly done – all in good spirits. She was so happy, telling her dad corny states jokes I had just told while going over her map homework, and best of all, she felt so much more confident than when I had arrived there. I left feeling like she was ready to take on school the next day. Times like this truly inspire me as a teacher and validate why I love to teach. I had to share it with you since you are the reason I am tutoring right now. I am so happy to have an outlet for doing what I love to do most – motivate and inspire struggling students.
And there it is, the very best reason to get your child a tutor: “She felt so much more confident than when I had arrived there.”
There was a situation in that home that night that most of us are all too familiar with – a stressed and unhappy child, a frustrated parent, and no homework getting done. By the end of just that one tutoring session, that child was relaxed, confident, and ready to tackle the next day of school.
That’s a priceless result, for both the child and the parent.
Getting your child a tutor is an investment in her self-efficacy as a learner. You’re not just trying to get her math homework done; you’re trying to equip her with the skills and confidence to continue learning and succeeding on her own, long after the tutor is out of the picture.
How can we help your child build that kind of learning mindset?