High school is a crucial academic phase before beginning college. Regular syllabus, Honors, or AP Classes require a lot of dedication and hard work. Students cannot afford to be left behind! They might need help outside their school campus in order to keep up with their classes and score well.
It’s best to get a tutor for high school learning needs.
But how to find the right high school tutor?
We inquired about the best of our expert high school tutors at Wiingy, parents of high school students, and the students themselves to curate an easy 3-step guide to find the right high school tutor for your child.
To find the right high school tutor for your child, first, you should pen down your goals and expectations from the tutor. Then, you should filter your options based on the objectives. Finally, you should choose the option that fulfills your learning goals and fits your pocket.
The guide will walk you through the simplest yet most useful tips on finding the right tutor for high school students. Read on!
How can a high school tutor help me?
Tutors can identify and address particular areas of weakness for each student by providing personalized attention. They offer additional support outside the classroom, assisting students in comprehending complex topics, reinforcing learning, and improving their overall academic progress.
Tutors use techniques to boost student confidence and performance, such as practice activities, tailored feedback, and test preparation. Tutors help students overcome hurdles and accomplish academic goals by providing a supportive and encouraging learning environment.
What to Look for in a Tutor for high school students?
When parents and students search for the right Tutor, they focus on qualifications, years of experience, and expertise. These are some of the primary factors. However, there are other important factors to consider, which we will learn about!
Qualifications
When searching for a tutor, several essential qualifications should be considered. A qualified tutor should possess in-depth knowledge and understanding of their teaching subject. Academic qualifications, such as a degree or certification in the relevant field, provide evidence of their expertise.
A tutor should have a strong understanding of the content and be able to explain and teach it effectively.
Experience
Experience in tutoring or teaching is an advantage. A tutor with substantial experience brings much knowledge and expertise to the table. It shows their ability to effectively convey information and support students’ learning through acquired experiences.
In addition, their experience enables them to anticipate potential difficulties and proactively guide students through complex concepts.
Flexibility and Patience
The Tutor should be able to adapt to the student’s learning style. Every student’s learning style may differ. While one learns through reading and writing practice, another student learns through flashcards and quizzes.
The Tutor needs to recognize the learning style so that they can help them out accordingly. Conforming to the student’s learning style is the most effective way for them to learn well.
Teaching Style
Have you ever wondered what are your high school student’s learning styles? If you’re the student yourself, you should reflect on this thought. Do you like learning private tutoring or group tutoring? Are you a visual learner or more of a theoretical learner?
A tutor who teaches according to your learning style will be most suitable for you. The tutor will understand what helps you grasp the lesson better and bring desired results.
Approachability
Many parents need to evaluate this friendliness factor while choosing a tutor. The Tutor must be patient enough to resolve issues and provide clarity of concepts. Tutors must be able to build rapport with the students so that they can clear any doubts they have. The key is to ensure they’re not intimidating.
When the Tutor and student form a friendly rapport, it provides more scope for the student to open up and pose questions to the Tutor. Questions they may need help to ask their teachers in the classroom, leading to failure in understanding the concepts!
Constructive Feedback
When tutors provide constructive feedback, students and parents can learn where areas of improvement are needed. It’s necessary to work on it and improve student progress! Without constructive feedback, it can hamper the student’s growth. It will not help them reach their academic objectives!
Types of tutors and tutoring for high school students
Tutoring aims to fill in gaps of learning missed in school. It should aid them in making significant progress in academics than before. Thus, tutoring isn’t just limited to one kind. It’s available in a variety of types. This allows parents and students to choose the type most suitable for the student and maximize learning!
Learning centers
Learning Centers offer a similar approach to that of a classroom. Students attend sessions after school or during the weekends. Most Learning Centers consist of 20 students in one class. The students work on worksheets and assignments and strive to follow the lesson plan provided by the Learning Center.
They can raise their hand and get help from the Instructor if required. This type of tutoring is suggested if the student works well in big groups, similar to classrooms. However, if the student requires personalized 1-on-1 assistance, Learning Centers are highly not recommended.
Private online tutoring
1-on-1 tutoring Online connects a tutor and student without the need to travel in person to engage in a session. The online tutoring session provides personalized tutoring sessions to students who require individual focus and attention.
Students can gain clarity in topics and subjects through customized lesson plans and more to meet their needs. All required is a stable Wi-Fi connection, a working computer, or a tablet to complete the online session! And you can engage in a session from anywhere.
Thanks to digital tools, virtual whiteboards, and other resources, online tutoring can be as effective as in-person tutoring.
If you’re looking for expert private and affordable high school tutors, you must take a free trial lesson on Wiingy.
Private in-person tutoring
Similar to online learning, 1-on-1 In-person tutoring sessions are ideal for students who need personalized assistance! These sessions are held face-to-face in a tutoring center or at your house.
Tutors can tailor lesson plans per the student’s needs and get started.
For students who find online assistance hard, they can choose in-person tutoring. It provides for corrections and clarifications to be made immediately without technological hurdles that occur because of online tutoring.
Certain subjects cannot be understood online for some students. For such students, in-person tutoring is recommended.
Small group tutoring
Small group tutoring keeps class numbers to four students at most, allowing your kid to benefit from the knowledge of others while still developing a customized relationship with their Tutor. During class, students go through the course content and solve problems.
Sessions are held in public places for everyone to access, and the hourly rates are comparatively low compared to private tutoring.
Find the right high school tutor (5 simple steps)
Now that you know why you need a high school tutor, what the different types of tutors are, and what to consider in a tutor, all you need is these three simple steps to choose your tutor for high school learning needs:
Consider your goals
Before you set out to choose a tutor, be clear about your objectives. Knowing what you’d particularly want in a tutor would help to narrow down tutors accordingly. With so many tutoring options available, the network is vast, and narrowing down your choices without specific needs would, in turn, be confusing.
Lay out options
As we’ve previously mentioned, different types of tutoring are available; parents and students should consider which type of tutoring would perfectly suit them and their needs. For example, a student who requires individual attention would require 1-on-1 In-person or Online tutoring!
The student requires a tailored lesson plan to help them improve academically. A Learning Center or Small Group tutoring would not suit the student. The former is a replication of a classroom, and the latter involves a group, and the student may only partially receive the 1-on-1 attention.
Budget
Finalizing the budget is among the most essential factors in choosing a tutoring type and a tutor. The prices vary amongst all the types. While small group tutoring costs less than 1-on-1 private tutoring, it may not be okay to go ahead with small group tutoring because the student may require 1-on-1 attention.
Private 1-on-1 tutoring can be charged per session or through a monthly/yearly plan based on the platform/service. However, it can become expensive and exceed one’s budget.
Ask for recommendations from friends and family
Parents can enquire with the parents of other students for recommendations! This way, you can receive first-hand reviews from primary resources. Their experiences can help you consider enrolling, too.
Check out tutoring services
With plenty of popular tutoring services and Marketplaces available, parents and students can review tutor profiles and select as per their choice. The tutor profiles provide a gist of the Tutor’s educational qualifications, subject expertise, and experience!
Here are some of the best tutoring services for high school students.
High school tutoring rates
Tutoring charges depend on the type of tutoring parents and students choose.
- Private In-person Tutoring in several states in America costs between $25-$80 per hour.
- Tutoring Centers charge $50-$75 per hour.
- Online private tutoring can cost about $20-$50 per hour.
Bonus Checklist for a potential online high school tutor
Now that we are about to wrap up the guide, here’s a checklist game to find the right online high school tutor for you. The online high school tutor who ticks all these criteria would be a good fit!
Customized lesson plans
✅I provide lessons customized to your learning needs and style.
❎I have a fixed lesson plan for all students.
Curated Worksheets
✅I provide worksheets for your practice. It contains exercises, quizzes, and questions inspired by previous years’ question papers and resources.
❎I don’t have worksheets.
Test Prep
✅I help you prepare for the test by explaining the exam format and providing practice question papers, mock tests, and test-taking strategies.
❎I believe in studying the syllabus only.
Regular assessments
✅I provide regular assessments to check your progress and give you constructive feedback.
❎I don’t have an assessment calendar.
24hr Support
✅I am here to help you 24/7!
❎I am available only once a week.
Read this blog post to learn How to Find the Best Tutor for Your High School Student’s Math Needs
Final Words…
Here are the key takeaways for parents and students to consider while choosing a tutor:
- It’s essential to evaluate the qualities of the Tutor and what they’d be able to bring to the table to ensure the student’s success.
- Different types of tutoring are available, so pick the one most suitable for the student’s needs.
- Parents and Students should find a tutor by clearly laying down the objectives and picking out tutors.
- Consider the tutoring budget so that it’s affordable and also meets your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is high school tutoring worth it?
Whether or not high school tutoring is worth it depends on a number of factors, including the student’s individual needs, goals, and budget. However, there are many potential benefits to tutoring, including:
Improved academic performance: Tutors can help students understand difficult concepts, improve their study skills, and prepare for tests and exams.
One-on-one attention: Tutors can provide students with individualized attention they may not receive in the classroom. This can be especially beneficial for struggling students or those with special needs.
A customized learning plan: Tutors can create a customized learning plan for each student based on their individual needs and goals. This can help students to learn more effectively and efficiently.
A tutor can help you develop a study plan, review the material, and practice answering exam-style questions. Tutors can help students develop their academic skills and confidence, which can lead to improved performance in school and beyond.
Why should I get a private tutor?
There are a number of reasons why you might want to get a private tutor for your high school student. Here are a few examples:
1. Your student is struggling in a particular subject.
2. Your student is preparing for standardized tests like the SAT or ACT.
3. Your student is gifted and talented and needs additional challenges.
4. Your student has special needs and requires individualized attention.
5. You want your student to get ahead in their studies.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to get a private tutor is a personal one. However, if you are concerned about your child’s academic performance or if you think that they could benefit from individualized attention, then tutoring may be a good option for you.
How do I prepare for high school exams?
Here are some tips for preparing for high school exams:
1. Start preparing early. Don’t wait until the last minute to start studying.
2. Create a study schedule and stick to it.
3. Review your notes and textbooks regularly.
4. Practice answering exam-style questions.
5. Take breaks to avoid burnout.
6. Get enough sleep on the night before the exam.
7. Eat a healthy breakfast on the day of the exam.
8. Arrive at the exam early and bring all of the necessary materials.
If you are struggling to prepare for high school exams on your own, consider getting a tutor. A tutor can help you develop a study plan, review the material, and practice answering exam-style questions.
References
Learning Recovery 2022-2023, Institute of Education Sciences. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7,2023 from https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/spp/
