Friday, 31 July 2015

The Tutors That Fit

Tutors come in many shapes and sizes. There are multiple types of tutors, including private tutors, academic coaching, student-to-student (or peer) tutoring, online tutoring, and in-person (or home) tutoring. Private tutoring is when a tutor is hired by a student or a student's family to teach specific subjects to the student or a group of students. The philosophies vary greatly. One tutor may only speak when the student needs to ask a question, and a different one may prepare and run the entire session comprehensively. The tutors that are best for the students are the tutors that have a philosophy that aligns with the student. If a student learns best by having a concept repeatedly spoken to them, they would not work well with a tutor that has laissez-faire attitude. The best method for tutors to find the right student is to be open immediately. Tutors should openly express their abilities and styles, so the student can best assess an appropriate fit. Students should be aware of reviews or feedback pertaining to the tutor. Student should also be aware of what they need from a tutor and what to request of them.
Academic coaching is more along the lines of helping the student learn the best way. The skills that academic coaches can help students with are study skills, time management, stress management, effective reading, note-taking, test-taking, and syllabus reading. Academic coaches can be helpful to highly motivated students that have high sights and standards. Student-to-student or peer tutoring is tutoring between students of similar age and grade level. The tutor would have knowledge in the subject, yet be close enough to have a stronger relationship with the student and their struggles. The peer tutoring can help the instructors and the students; the instructors have their knowledge strengthened by explaining it to others, and the students learn in the process. The location of the tutoring depends on whether the tutoring session is online or in-home. Online tutoring uses chat, whiteboard, and video to shorten the distance gap between the tutors and students. Some online tutoring sites are tutor.com and InstaEDU.com. In-home tutoring is tutoring that occurs in the home of the student or at a predetermined meeting location. Both location types have positives and negatives.
Tutoring is helpful because it allows the student constant exposure (there's that term again) to the educational material, and that is the best way to learn. Instructors are able to answer questions and concerns students have on the material in a quick and efficient manner. The students also receive personalized one-on-one care by the tutor or academic coach. This is certainly helpful for the student, who likely does not receive appropriate corroboration in the public school system.
There are many tutoring sites that connect the students to the tutors. These sites include:
InstaEDU is an online site that has white board, text, audio, and video capabilities. There are over 3,000 tutors available in a wide range of subjects, calculus included.
LivePerson is another tutoring site that allows you to reach out directly via LivePerson's chat feature. They have an extensive database of educators to assist in many subjects.
Check out here for tutors singapore.

The Top 9 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Tutor

Hiring a tutor for your child or for yourself can be both a confusing and complicated matter. There are at least 2 million tutors in the United States. These individuals may be independent private practice tutors, or they may work for a larger practice, a franchised practice, a community program, a faith based program, or a school based initiative. Whether volunteer or paid, all tutors should abide by the standards of practice and code of ethics as set forth by the National Tutoring Association. All tutors should be trained and certified in the professional practice of tutoring.
So how do you know who will be the best fit for your student? Who will deliver the services best suited for your student's needs and goals? Tutors not only deliver content information, they motivate, coach, challenge, and provide feedback to students. Well trained and experienced tutors work with the student's overall study skills, not just the academic assignment at hand.
Hiring a tutor should be approached in the same manner as hiring any other professional. Ask questions, look carefully at references, and use your instinct as to whether this tutor is a good fit for your student. Your student should be present at the initial interview so that you can receive feedback from your student before making a final hiring decision.
Ask about the following . . . .
* Credentials - Don't be afraid to ask for proof of credentials, i.e. transcript copies, copies of state teaching certificates, tutor certification, proof of other specialized training. Ask the tutor to provide a complete resume.
* A Tutorial Plan -- Give the tutor a list of your concerns and goals for your student. Ask the tutor to offer a basic plan for how he or she will assist your child. How will the tutor conduct an initial assessment of your student's academic needs and challenges? How will success be measured? When will feedback be provided to you and/or the student's teacher?
* Letters of Recommendation -- Make sure that the letters speak to the person's ability as a tutor and not just matters of general character. Letters should be current and include full contact information for the person making the recommendation. Above all, make the calls necessary to verify these recommendations.
* Demonstration -- Watch the tutor guide your student through a small portion of one lesson. How does the tutor approach the student? Where does the tutor sit; does the tutor respect your child's personal space? How is the tutor's intent conveyed to your student? Does the tutor write on your student's paper or does the tutor allow the student to make corrections as needed? Is your student allowed to ask numerous questions? Is the tutor patient, professional in mannerism, tone of voice and information delivery? Does the tutor give your student time to process and answer the question before offering the solution? Does the tutor offer sincere praise?
* Fees - Ask the tutor for a detailed pricing plan, i.e. how many sessions at what cost per session. Be sure you are clear about payment requirements, rules about missed appointments, and miscellaneous fees for testing and materials.
* Location -- Where will the tutor meet your student? At your home with supervision? In a public place such as a library? In a dedicated learning center? Tutors should never meet with your student in a location where there is no other adult present.
* Insurance -- Does the tutor carry professional liability insurance? Has the tutor been recently background checked?
* Professional Affiliations - To what professional association does the tutor belong? How does the tutor participate in the overall improvement of the tutorial practice? Does the tutor stay current regarding innovative methods and strategies?
* Additional Questions -- How long have you been tutoring? Why do you enjoy tutoring? How many students are you currently working with? When do you become frustrated with students? How do you communicate with a student who clearly isn't "getting it"? How do you define your role as the tutor? What is my role as the parent? How will you communicate with my student's teacher(s) and how often?
Finally, if any red flag sends off an internal warning signal, do not hire that tutor. You are the person who knows your student better than anyone else. You and your student must feel comfortable in this tutorial relationship. The bottom line is that no matter who recommends the tutor, interview more than one tutor if you have any nagging thoughts in the back of your mind when making the hiring decision.
Visit here for tutor singapore.

How Does Tuition Help Improve Grades?

You've heard others talk about the higher grades their children are receiving after attending tuition and you want the same thing for your child. You don't understand how a tuition centre can help your child bring up their grades, but you know that they need help keeping up with their peers. Or perhaps they are already learning appropriately but you want to speed up the pace because you know they are very bright. Either way, a tuition centre can help.
How it Works
When a child enters a tuition centre they are assessed to determine what their learning capabilities and weaknesses are. The tuition program is designed to help them improve on their weak areas while they continue to excel at their strengths. They are encouraged to try new things, apply themselves fully, and think in new ways.
What is so great about tuition is material that a child finds very confusing can be presented in different ways to make it more understandable. Children are taught new ways to think about things so that their minds are opened and they take a new approach to learning.
Many children find tuition very fun. They love going to tuition because they are learning and experiencing success for the first time in their lives. As their grades improve and they see great improvements in their ability to learn they want to go back to the tuition centre more and more. This is a sign of improved self confidence and shows that they are capable of learning and actually enjoying the learning process.
Tuition is designed to help your child improve school performance. Your child will not be given easier work, but will be challenged to look at what they find difficult and conquer it. Whatever your child may be struggling with right now, tuition could help them figure out and move beyond.
Starting with Tuition
The hardest part about tuition is getting your child started. They may be feeling very bad about themselves from a long line of failures in their studies and they may be feeling like they can only fail. It is a bit leap to go from that low opinion of yourself into a tuition environment and come out on the other end filled with confidence and a sense of success.
It is difficult, but it can be done! It has already been done by many children in Singapore and around the world. It could happen for your child as well, no matter how low they may be feeling about themselves and their grades right now.
If your child is not making the grades you want them to make, tuition can help. If they are already on task with their peers but you know that they could excel even more, then they will be encouraged to become their absolute best through tuition. If they are really struggling to get good grades, tuition can make it easier and help them understand the lessons easier and faster.
All children benefit from the fun and educational environment of a tuition centre. It doesn't matter what their struggles are or how long they have been struggling. In fact, if your child has been struggling for a long time the time to bring them to a tuition centre is right now. Don't make them suffer anymore when success can be found through tuition.
 Looking for singapore tution,visit here.

Benefits of Using Home Tuition Agency Services

Home tuition agency is an excellent avenue for parents who are looking to get a tutor for their children. If you are in need of a good tutor, you can find one with the help of a tuition agency. The best part associated with these types of agencies is that they are experts and specialized in finding tutors whose expertise are in line with the needs of the students. However, there are many people or families that are unaware of a how they can find a good home tutor.
The tuition agency has tutors who are pre-registered with their agency. When you contact an agency for getting a tutor, they will first find out your needs and preference in the type of tutor you are looking for.
The tuition agency can also provide advice for parents on the range of tutors in the market and what are the options that can fit their budget. There are pros and cons in engaging each type of tutors. For example: current school teachers are highly regarded as tutors because of their professional teaching qualifications and current knowledge in the subject matter. However, they are constrained by their limited time slots available for tutoring. The next group of tutors parents seek after are full time tutors. They are valued for their flexible time slots and full time tutoring experience. Parents may also consider undergraduate tutors. They generally command lesser fees and can relate well to tutees as their age gaps are closer.
There are many benefits of hiring the services of tuition agencies for getting home tutors. Firstly, you get the agency to find the best match of the tutor against their database of tutors. Secondly, if you find that the tutor is not fulfilling your expectations, you can have him/her replaced. Thirdly, you will not have to search and spend hours to find the right home tutor for your child. The agencies have the responsibility of finding the best option for you without you having to call each prospective tutor and interviewing them. This saves you time and effort.
Parents do not need to pay for using tuition agencies' services. Typically, tuition agencies charged the tutors half a month of the tuition fees as commission. This fee is collected directly from the parents at the end of the first half month. The remaining half month fees and subsequent monthly fees will be paid directly to the tutors.
Looking for Singapore tuition agency,visit here.

Find a Tutor - 15 Questions to Help Qualify a Tutor ( Part - 1)

1. What do you charge? Fees can range anywhere from $15-$75/hour. Usually at the lower end of the scale are people without degrees or teaching credentials. They could also be high school or college students looking to earn some additional income. Depending on their academic knowledge and their ability to explain things, these less expensive tutors may or may not be a good match for your child. At the upper end of the scale are people with advanced degrees (Masters and Doctorates) as well as college professors. Again, just because they look good on paper and charge a lot of money doesn't mean they are the best tutors. What you are looking for is someone your child can relate to and understand, someone who explains things in different ways until your child "gets it." Feel lucky if you can find a certified teacher who has a good rapport with your child that charges anywhere between $20-$40/hour.
2. What is the length of a session, and how often should the student meet with you? To be the most effective, tutors should meet with students 2-3 times a week. Sessions can range from 1/2 hour to 2 hours, depending on the age of your child. Very young children have short attention spans and should meet more often but for shorter periods of time. High school students can focus for up to two hours if the tutor varies the activities and keeps the discussions lively. Even if students are attending 2 hour sessions, they should still meet with a tutor at least twice a week. By only meeting once a week, students are not able to get enough feedback about the material they are covering and do not have the consistency they need to succeed in their problem areas.
3. How long have you been tutoring? Tutors who have at least one year of experience have had time to work out the kinks in their systems. That's not to say that tutors just starting out won't be excellent teachers for your student, especially if they have previous experience as teachers. However, novice tutors probably haven't worked out their billing system or their cancellation policy or other types of business matters. They may not have as many resources available to them as tutors who have been in business longer. Conversely, just because a tutor has 20 years of experience doesn't mean he/she will be a good match for your child. Sometimes older tutors get set in their ways and have difficulty adjusting their system to new material or children with problems focusing. Making sure your student gets along with the tutor is one of the most important factors in ensuring the relationship is a successful one.
4. Are you a certified teacher? Certified teachers have had to pass minimum competency exams in their areas of expertise. So you can be sure that a certified teacher has a certain basic knowledge of educational concepts and at least some level of proficiency in his/her subject areas. Generally teachers are either certified as elementary (covering grades K-8) or secondary (covering grades 6-12). As you can see, the certifications overlap at grades 6-8, the middle school years. So teachers with either elementary or secondary certifications would be qualified to tutor these grade levels. Depending on the age of your child, you want to try to get a teacher with the appropriate certification. That's not to say a teacher with a secondary certification can't help an elementary student or vice versa. It's just that teachers with an elementary certification have had specialized training dealing with younger children whereas teachers with a secondary certification have had more opportunity to focus on more difficult subject matter.
5. How do you handle kids with learning problems like ADHD and dyslexia? Teachers should be aware that students with learning difficulties often require different strategies than students who have not been diagnosed with these challenges. Tutors should be able to outline some of their specific strategies for helping your child based on what his/her problem happens to be. For example, what do they do when your ADHD daughter just can't seem to focus? What kind of approach would they take with helping your dyslexic son learn to read? You need to make sure that tutors are sensitive to these types of learning issues and have strategies in place to deal with them. One of the qualities that all tutors require is patience, so it would be beneficial to you to observe a tutoring session to see for yourself how patient the tutor is with your student. If the tutor does not allow parents to watch a session, perhaps they would allow you to tape or video record a session, so that it is less distracting for your child. Also, get feedback from your children as to how helpful the tutor is. Don't continue with a tutor who your child does not like and is not enthusiastic about seeing.
Please visit here Tutor Singapore.

Pricing Strategies for Private Tutors

Pricing plays an important role in the success of any tutoring business. However, there is a lot of confusion about the best way to price your tutoring services and how to go about finding the right price. This article looks at pricing strategies for independent tutors and tutoring companies and how to research prices in your market.
Setting your Pricing Level
The first step in determining how much you should charge for your tutoring services is to determine what other tutoring services in your area are charging. You'll want to focus on tutoring companies that offer similar services to your own tutoring business since there can be a large variation in tutoring prices for different types of tutoring.
The next step is to do some research just like someone searching for tutoring would. Search for tutoring services in your area online, check the phone book, ask guidance counselors about other tutoring companies. When you have a list of similar tutoring companies in your area you can find out about prices by calling them up and asking or checking their website for prices. You can also check online tutoring directories to find out what independent tutors are charging for the subjects your company offers.
If your company is new and you or your tutors have average experience and credentials then you should try to price your services a bit above the average price.
If your company has been operating for a while, you have satisfied customers, and you or your tutors have teaching experience and credentials then you should price closer to the upper range of comparable tutoring services.
Many new tutoring companies think they need to start with low prices in order to attract clients, but this is a risky strategy and can actually hurt your business more than help it. The reason for this is that if your prices are very low, you will be generating very little profit to reinvest into promoting your business. If you are paying tutors to work for you, you will also have a difficult time attracting and keeping high quality tutors which are extremely important for building your reputation and creating satisfied customers who will refer you to other clients.
Early on it might make sense to focus on an under-served segment of the tutoring market in your area. This will allow you to charge higher rates, and generate higher profits which will help you afford more marketing and better tutors. These in turn will help you establish a base from which to expand into more competitive segments of the tutoring market.
Tutoring Price List
Providing different pricing options can also help your business meet the needs of more clients. There are several pricing or billing methods you can use.
Pay per Session
This pricing option has clients pay before or after each tutoring session. This is a good method if your business does not have much of an operating history. It also puts new clients at ease if they are new to your business and are wary of paying for a longer period of time in advance.
Pay per period
Paying per period may have clients pay for a week or month in advance based on the number of sessions they will have during that period. This method is good for tutoring businesses because you receive the money up front and don't have to worry about students forgetting to pay for each session. It's more convenient for clients because they can pay for a week or month and don't have to worry about writing a check for every single session. Some tutoring companies may bill at the end of each week or month, but for new companies it's best to require payment in advance since this will allow you to receive payment for tutoring sessions before you need to pay your tutors.
Prepaid Packages
Some tutoring companies sell prepaid bundles of tutoring services. Such as 10 hours of math tutoring or 12 hours of English tutoring. These hours can then be scheduled over the following months as the student schedules them. This method allows you to offer volume pricing which can encourage potential clients to commit to more tutoring sessions.
Adapting your Prices
The tutoring market is constantly changing so it's important that you're flexible with your tutoring company's pricing. If your pricing structure is not helping you meet your business goals you simply need to try tweaking your prices or possibly your services. People are concerned with value so if you offer more value in your tutoring services you may not need to lower your prices or if you offer more value than you did a year ago then it might be a good idea to raise your prices.
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Guidelines on How to Find the Best Maths Tutor

Mathematics is considered to be the most difficult subject even today. Does the term itself intimidate you? Do you have horrible nightmares before your Mathematics examination? Most of the time it is the parent and not the child who feels terrified and troubled about how to deal with the 'school-mathematics jigsaw puzzle'. Being a parent I understand that a good Maths tutor is a need for every child. Class room lessons by school teachers sometimes are just too inadequate to help them solve miscellaneous math problems. Online learning can be the right answer to this.
My article is a guideline to all those parents who are looking for the right and best Maths tutor for their children.
  • Good Online E-tutorial
It is important to find a good and authentic website that provides online math tutorials. Search engine like Google or M.S.N can help you to find online courses and also the best maths tutor online.
  • Read Good Reviews
However one should not get misguided or puzzled by the reviews. Check the site thoroughly in person and then decide if that is good enough for your child. If you find what you are looking for in the website then only get your child enrolled.
  • Check Out the Interactive Sessions Personally
Online math tutoring is better in a way as you can personally check out what and how the teacher is communicating with your child during the interactive sessions. Checking out Math tutorial session is of far more importance than any other disciplines. A good Mathematics tutor must understand the requirements of the student and must also mark the mathematical problem areas of the child.
  • Whiteboard & pen Tablet
The mode of communication is very important. Good websites uses feature rich whiteboards which are compatible to pen tablets or Math equations. This makes the job much easy for the teacher & the student to interact. One should not choose a site which is difficult to operate.
  • Customize Study Sessions & Get the Last-Minute Help
Online tutoring provides you with an advantage to customize the timing, the sessions. Your child can always have some last-minute help prior to any Mathematics examination as the teacher remains always available.
  • Personal Guidance
Make sure that the online Math teacher is good enough to take personal care for the mathematical needs of the students. Learning styles of every student is different. Therefore a good Maths tutor must understand and deal with it differently.

  • Questionnaire Sessions
The teacher must ask verbally or prepare in writing Math questions so as to grow the interest of the students during the study sessions. After a few sessions a good maths tutor would adapt and understand the study habits of the student and can teach accordingly.
  • Homework Help
A good online Mathematics tutor should always help the student to do the Math homework. However in doing so the tutor must not make the student too dependent. Some homework from the tutor as per the level of the student can make the learning easy for the student.
  • Choose Appropriate Maths Tutor in Accordance to the Grade of Your Child
The most difficult job is to choose an appropriate Maths tutor in accordance to the grade of your child. A thorough study of the online tutorial sites and good reviews may come in handy.
  • Math Assessment
Regularly doing Math worksheets or sitting for online Math assessments are a good practice. The teacher must ensure that the student is regularly attending to that and not losing interest.
Having an online Maths tutor is a great advantage. Subjects like Math needs special attention given individually to every student. Therefore classroom teaching may fall far short of what the student is looking for. Here in comes the need for Math online tutoring.
Looking for Maths Tutor Singapore,visit here.

Advantages of Tutoring Companies Over Independent Tutors

Tutoring companies face strong competition from other companies and independent tutors. Independent tutors can often afford to charge much lower rates, which makes them more attractive to many potential customers - so how can companies position themselves to attract clients despite their higher rates? There are several benefits companies offer potential clients that independents don't - and by emphasizing these benefits, tutoring companies can attract more clients.
The following five characteristics can set tutoring companies apart from independent tutors. The extra value clients receive from these characteristics justify the higher rates that companies charge - companies just need to make clients aware of these benefits in order to attract more clients.
1. Time Savings
It's quite easy to become an independent tutor, so there are lots of people with a wide range of education, experience and skills in this field. People looking for tutoring services typically look for a balance between the quality of the teaching they will receive and the price they will pay. However, evaluating independent tutors to determine the quality of their teaching can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Companies can help by completing this process for people.
Most tutoring companies have hiring processes in place for screening resumes, conducting interviews, evaluating experience and skills, completing background checks and more. They spend time finding high quality tutors, which saves parents and students from this process. Parents and students can simply ask a company how they screen their teachers and based on the response they will quickly be able to determine if the company will have high-quality teachers.
2. Quality
Not only do thorough screening processes save parents and students time when searching for tutors, they also help tutoring companies find top-quality tutors. As companies gain more experience they will be able to refine their hiring processes to find better teachers - this will lead to a better reputation and the ability to command higher rates.
In addition to finding high quality teachers, tutoring companies also usually have more established systems for handling scheduling, billing, communication and performance tracking than independents. Established systems that have been honed over the years make the entire tutoring process go smoother for clients which is valuable to many clients. Some independent tutors may be organized but the probability of finding one with well-established processes that ensure a smooth teaching process is lower than with companies.
3. Accountability
Another advantage tutoring companies have over independent tutors is that they have more invested in their reputations. Whereas independent tutors might have a couple students and rely on free advertising, companies have tens or dozens of students and invest considerable money in marketing and building their brands. In order to build and protect their brands, tutoring companies have more motivation than independent tutors to ensure their students receive top-quality teaching. Mention your business's reputation in your marketing materials and when meeting with potential clients, talk about the number of years you have been in business, the number of students you have tutored, the size of your company and more. All of these things demonstrate that you are an established company that is obviously doing something right and that has a reputation to uphold.
4. The Right Fit
The x-factor in the tutor-student relationship is how well a student and tutor get along. A lot of this has to do with the personality of the two individuals. This relationship has a large impact on the effectiveness of a tutor and often can't be evaluated until the tutor and student have been working together for a while. The problem with independent tutors is that the parent has likely invested significant time into finding the ideal tutor - one with the right education, experience and skills. But if the tutor and student's personalities conflict the parent will have to settle for poor results or will have to begin the tutor search all over again.
Tutoring companies make it easier to match the right teacher to the right student. Companies have already screened their teachers so most should be high-quality. If a tutor and student don't get along well, the company can assign a new one to the student with little disruption.
5. Focused on Teaching
Independent tutors often face the challenge of managing both the administrative and the teaching side of their business. This can be a distraction since the independent tutor is not focused solely on teaching his or her students, but rather also needs to focus on finding new students, billing, collecting payments, etc.
Tutor's in working for a company or agency are able to focus solely on teaching their students while the company's admins handle the administrative work. This results in more focused and productive tutors that can teach better.
6. Reliability
Tutoring companies can usually offer more reliable service than independent tutors. When unexpected events come up such as an illness, moving, or other problems a company is able to quickly assign a new tutor to a student and continue where the last one left off. When the same unexpected events come up with an independent tutor, the student may have to go for a period of time without tutoring or will have to look for a new teacher entirely. Even when a new one is found, the transition won't be seemless because they won't have the teaching records from the previous tutor to refer to. The ability for tutoring companies to offer reliable service is a definite benefit and many parents and students are willing to pay extra for it.
 Looking for Tutors Singapore,visit here.

Do You Know What Qualities Your Tutor Agency is Looking For in Your Child's Future Full-time Tutor?

The decision to employ a full-time live-in tutor can have a monumental impact on family life. Perhaps the tutor is being hired to help remedy academic problems, or maintain a consistent education for your child when your family travels extensively. Perhaps conventional schooling has failed your child and the time has come to step away from the traditional school system. Having a reputable tutor agency find and screen candidates is essential. Not only because of the background and reference checks, but also because they know the qualities to look for in the best full-time tutors, and how to ensure a candidate genuinely has those qualities. As parents, awareness of some of the core abilities and characteristics the agency will be looking for can give you confidence when making your final selection from the shortlisted candidates.
Background checks
The best tutor agencies will carry out a great deal of research on the final tutor candidates before you meet them, to ensure that there are no previous convictions. Check that the tutor agency also carries out background research that is sufficiently in-depth to uncover serious accusations that may fall below the radar of a normal criminal record check. Not all tutor agencies do this, and as the live-in tutor will become a member of your household staff and have daily contact with your children, the expertise in this area that the best agencies offer cannot be underestimated.
Academic excellence
Of course, any candidate under consideration must have an outstanding academic career, one which demonstrates a superlative academic track record throughout school and an excellent degree from a top university. This is critical, as the interaction between the tutor and student tends to be more intellectually challenging when the tutor is the single point of call for all academic questions. The speed at which topics can be introduced is faster than when managing a class, therefore the depth of tuition can exceed a standard school curriculum.
Ideally a private live-in tutor will be skilled in a wide range of subjects - they may have a degree in a language but studied one or more of the sciences at A-level for example. This variety of knowledge is necessary in order to be able to deal with the intensity of tutoring one or two students full time, not only because the tutor is responsible for educating in multiple disciplines, but also because student questions can cover a wide variety of topics at varying depths.
The very best private tutors can demonstrate that they have passions - for learning and for interests that they have pursued beyond school and university. Professional qualifications are a good indicator of this, but also leisure activities. Many of the best live-in tutors have done extraordinary things; cycled across Europe for example, or enjoy things like parachuting, travelling, activities that are challenging and broaden the mind. Not only can this be inspirational for your child, but also demonstrates that the live-in tutor has a character that is above average; an individual who is adventurous and able to deal with challenges.
Some personality types are better suited to being a live-in tutor than others
The ideal live-in tutor also has a particular type of personality; whilst that person can demonstrate extraordinarily high achievement, they should also have humility. Arrogance and self-absorption are not good qualities for a full-time live-in tutor! Imagine a wonderful physics tutor who also mountain climbs. On paper that sounds great, but if that person is so egocentric that they can't fit into your family, or have dinner conversations that don't center on their great Everest experience, they won't be a good live-in tutor.
A live-in tutor is also a role model
Another question to consider is whether the candidate would make an exemplary role model - after all, he or she is likely to become a major influence in your child's life. Being a role model ranges from not smoking to being responsible in society. It's having an unblemished professional record, and demonstrating total engagement in everything the tutor does, both professionally and in leisure time. A full-time private tutor will be spending so much time with your children that it will be hard to hide any bad habits they might have.
Ultimately, the ideal live-in tutor has to be responsible, resourceful, and someone that you know will be able to deal with any kind of problem that may arise. After all, the tutor will be trusted to care for your child, not only in a study or library, but also when out on visits to galleries, museums and other events. Once the tutor agency has identified the best candidates; individuals with all of these core qualities and more, you can make your final selection with confidence.
About Adam Caller
Adam Caller has been directly involved in education for the entirety of his career, and has tutored students of all ages. He has received specialist training in dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder and is very sensitive to children's educational difficulties. As founder of Tutors International, a worldwide organization providing experienced private tutors to work with children of all ages and nationalities, Adam has turned his expertise to recruiting, training and placing other tutors to help families.
Tutors International specializes in providing tutors for a wide variety of situations, from helping students re-take critical exams, helping pupils with the transition of moving between international school systems, and supporting youngsters with AD/HD and dyslexia. They provide a bespoke service to find the right tutor that suits the child's needs and aspirations, and if a full-time live-in tutor is required, Adam personally ensures that the assigned tutor is the right match for the family and fits in the environment.
Follow this link for Tutor Singapore.

What You Should Look For in a Math Tutor!

If your son or daughter is struggling in math class and needs math homework help, a math tutor can prove to be a valuable resource! The math tutor can not only present the material covered in class in a manner conducive to your child's learning style, but can also ensure that he or she stays ahead of the curve by focusing on skills that he or she may not have fully grasped in previous math courses. That is, the math tutor can provide your child with the math homework help he or she needs to obtain math solutions in Algebra, Geometry, Precalculus, and Calculus.
When most students need math homework help, they usually just want to focus on getting solutions to homework problems so that they can quickly finish their homework and not think about math until the next assignment is due. Though your child may finish all of his or her work using this method, it does not prove effective or beneficial in the long run.
The math tutor must be able to review and/or teach all the relevant material your child needs to know while making sure that he or she is able to obtain the necessary math solutions to complete his or her homework. In addition, the math tutor should always strive to challenge your child by making him or her obtain math solutions to the hardest problems possible. Using this method, your child will be prepared to answer any questions that the teacher may ask in class, on a homework assignment, or on a test. Initially your child may feel uneasy about working on the hardest problems within a given topic when receiving math homework help, but this technique has proven highly effective for many students who then feel prepared to tackle a variety of more challenging topics in their math class. In other words, it is always advisable to stay a step (or two!) ahead of the teacher so that the student has time to understand the material he or she has to cover before working on it in class.
When your child is able to cover material before it is covered in class, he or she feels more relaxed and eager to stay alert in class and stay ahead of the curriculum. Appropriate math homework help can ensure that the student maintains his or her enthusiasm in math class and does not feel overwhelmed every time a test is administered. Many students cram all night every time a quiz or test is given and still do not get the desired results! With the right math tutor, your child will be able to simply review topics when a test or final comes up since he or she would have covered them thoroughly with the math tutor, weeks in advance.
It should be noted that the tutor should not become a substitute for hard work and preparation on the part of the student. Remember that your child must challenge him or herself to solve math problems and get math solutions by working diligently and regularly on math even when he or she is not working with the math tutor. The tutor can help to facilitate this process by assigning homework problems that your child should work on as well as helping to keep your child focused on achieving the benchmarks within each topic.
Visit here for Math Tutor Singapore.

Home Tutors Versus Tuition Centres - Which Is Better?

Being a specialist in the teaching industry, I am often asked a question by parents: "Is home tuition or going to a tuition centre better?" Due to the popularity of this question among parents, and to save myself the need to keep repeating my answer, I shall address this issue here.
When I ask parents for their opinion before answering their Number 1 question, more often than not, I will always receive the immediate reply that tuition centres are better. Why? Because they are more expensive, they have more students and the teachers will be qualified. Let me explain why this answer is worrying.
Firstly: the cost of tuition. The importance of education cannot be underestimated especially in a world that thrives on research and innovation. However, this does not justify the misconception that the most expensive is definitely the best. I have come across many parents who have been disappointed with the performance of their children after sending them for supposedly the 'best tuition in town'. One has to recognize that what works for someone else's child may not work for yours. It is more advisable to remain open to various suggestions on improving your child's grades instead of solely relying on tuition centres.
Secondly: tuition centres have more students. From the surface, yes, tuition centres appear to have more students. That's because tuition centres usually conduct classes in large groups while home tutors tend to teach students individually, and the lessons are often at home. Also, you will never know the actual number of tutors and students tuition agencies have under their charge. The statistics are always changing in real time.
Lastly: the teachers are qualified. If you are saying that with 100% confidence, you might want to reduce that by half. Currently, there are no regulations or checks done locally to ensure that teachers at tuition centres are genuinely qualified. Tuition is a lucrative business. Employing another teacher would mean that additional classes can be opened, which in turn, converts to higher profits. And, is there a way for you to view the teacher's certificates? Probably not. In other words, parents are ASSUMING that the teachers are qualified, and they are forking out enormous sums of money at their OWN RISK.
Having cleared the air, what are the other alternatives? The most obvious competitor to tuition centres would be home tuition. Home tuition in general comes at a lower cost and with the individual attention given to your child for the full two hours (which is what a tuition centre cannot offer), it can potentially be more effective. In addition, it is more convenient and flexible as tutors travel to your house and can adapt to your schedule. Also, tutors can remain under your scrutiny at all times if you want to ensure that they are not sleeping on the job. On the other hand, sitting in class with your child in most tuition centres is definitely not allowed. Most importantly, you are certain that the tutor's credentials are genuine having been screened by the tuition agency, then by yourself upon request.
So, you may wonder, if home tuition is better, how can it be cheaper? Again, allow me to emphasize that the quality is not always determined by the price. Home tutors can afford to charge lesser because they do not need to pay rental fees and employment benefits. Unlike tuition centres, there are no miscellaneous costs such as enrollment or registration fees, and no one-month deposits. A one-month advanced notice for termination does not apply either. Essentially, you are only paying for the lessons taught.
Despite the benefits, some parents are concerned over the fact that the tutors are students themselves. Yes, most tutors are students themselves who are offering tutoring services to earn some allowance. But, that does not mean that they are not qualified and a reliable tuition agency will only recommend tutors that are knowledgeable and experienced enough. You may be surprised that many relief teachers in our local schools and junior colleges are polytechnic graduates or are students who have just completed their 'A' level examinations. Now, surely you can be assured that a third-year university undergraduate is qualified enough to be your child' tutor.
The comparison between home tutors and tuition centres is unlikely to end and depends heavily on its suitability for your child. Although expensive tuition is not always the best, be wary about the cheapest offer too. Select reliable tutors at reasonable rates, or be prepared to pay a heavy price instead.
Visit here for Singapore Tuition.

What A Home Tuition Agency Can Or Cannot Do

Home tuition has become one of the most sought after services in today's knowledge-centric and information era. If you have a child, and are seeking to find a tutor for him or her, in order to help your child improve his or her failing grades, then you might want to look into finding a home tutor through a tuition agency.
It is simply a company that helps parents and students alike find home tutors for their child or themselves respectively. Simply by stating your requirements of a home tutor to the agency, the agency will then do the rest of the work by finding the best tutor for you possible and recommend the tutor to you, and ultimately the decision still lies with you as to whether you want to choose the tutor.
Before you choose a home tutor from a tuition agency, you would do well to learn what they can and cannot do for you.
One, a tuition agency can help you find a tutor even for the least commonly taken subjects. For instance, if you are taking dance in school, there might not be many friends you know who can tutor you from the subject. But, in a tuition agency, there is a database of tutors who can help you find a tutor even for the least commonly taken subject.
Two, they will be able to work on your requirements for a tutor and recommend the best tutors for your selection. By stating your tutor requirements for home tuition to the agency, the agency will be able to understand your needs better and get you the best tutor as per your requirements and criteria.
Now, there are some things which might be unreasonable to ask from them.
Firstly, the agency does not guarantee a low price for a good home tutor. What I meant is that if you are looking for a home tutor with excellent qualifications and impeccable experience, you cannot expect to pay a low price for the tutor as you would for a novice tutor.
Secondly, a tuition agency is not a tuition center. There are key differences between the two of them. For the former, they provide home tutors but do not conduct tuition classes, so you would not be able to sign up for any tuition classes with a them.
Now that you do what they can do for you, and what they cannot, surely you can make an informed decision as to whether to utilize them to source for a tutor.
Visit here for singapore tuition agency.

Find a Tutor - 15 Questions to Help Qualify a Tutor(part-3)

1. Do you require me to sign a contract? Don't worry if a tutor asks you to sign a paper that confirms the hourly rate, documents how often he/she will get paid, and outlines the cancellation policy. This contract will benefit both you and the tutor. After all, this is a business relationship, and it is good for both parties to have in writing the details about payment and cancellations. However, if a tutor wants you to sign a contract that commits you to paying for a specified number of sessions in advance, then you should beware. What if your son tells you after the second session that the tutor is not being helpful, and he hates her? You don't want to have to keep taking him to her just because you signed a contract that says they will have 10 sessions together. And you don't want to lose all the money you spent and get no help at all. Then you are stuck. Just read the contract carefully, and if there are parts of it you don't agree with, discuss them with the tutor and see if you can modify the contract. If you can't, don't sign the contract and look for another tutor.
2. Can we meet with you? Most tutors will agree to meet with the parents and student (at no charge) before they begin tutoring. This meeting should allow you the opportunity to check out the home of the tutor and inspect the area where the tutoring will take place to make sure it is suitable. If you are scheduling tutoring at a location other than the tutor's home, this meeting will serve as a job interview. Make sure the student is able to attend this meeting. How the student relates to the tutor is much more important than whether or not the parents like the tutor. If the tutor only talks to the parents and ignores the student, you may want to seriously consider whether or not the tutor will be able to communicate educational information to your child. If the tutor seems more interested in your child than you, take it as a good sign, a sign that the tutor genuinely likes kids. Of course you will want to make sure the tutor communicates with you and finds out your expectations for tutoring. If the tutor cannot meet with you because of scheduling conflicts, the tutor may be too busy to take on additional clients and may not have the time to give your child the attention he/she deserves.
3. Do you offer any guarantees? There are no guarantees in life. You may want the tutor to promise you that the student's grades will improve or that the student will study more or that student will start to have a better attitude about doing homework. While all these things might result from your student working with a tutor, the tutor can't promise that they will happen. Remember if your child is behind in school, it will take awhile to catch up. Don't expect an instant fix to the problem. If you know your student is two grade levels behind, don't expect him/her to catch in one six weeks. So how will you know if the money you are spending for a tutor is worth it? If your student doesn't mind going to tutoring, and the tutor can show you what they are working on regularly, then you can trust that they are making progress. Of course the ultimate goal of tutoring is for the student to become an independent learner, so you should make sure the tutor is encouraging the student to take responsibility for his/her studies and not simply helping the student complete his/her homework.
4. When do you get paid? The way tutors get paid will vary with each one. Tutors can get paid for each individual session, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Some tutors will want their money in advance while others are content to get paid after services have been rendered. Some tutors will be flexible about when they get paid and others will not. Just remember that the tutor also has bills to pay, and so if they have a certain way they want to be paid, try to accommodate them. If they have a lot of clients and each one pays in a different way, it will be hard for them to keep track of who has paid and who has not. Make sure you work out an agreement about payment in advance of beginning tutoring so that everyone will know what to expect.
5. Will you invoice me? Many tutors will not have the capability to take credit cards, but if they do, you will have a record of your payment when you receive your credit card statement each month. If you pay by check, keeping a record is easy. You either have it on a duplicate check or on your monthly statement. However, if you pay cash, make sure the tutor gives you a written receipt with the date you made the payment and what the payment covers (the dates and lengths of the tutoring sessions). Many tutors will provide you with a typed invoice for tutoring. If so, keep them in a file folder and make a notation on them about how you paid. If you pay with check, write the check number, amount, and date paid on the invoice. If you pay with cash, simply make a notation of the amount paid in cash and the date you paid it. If you want, you can even have the tutor initial the information for verification. This kind of record keeping ensures that there is never any discrepancy between you and the tutor regarding payment.
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