Before any tutoring session, both the tutor and the tutee have to adequately prepare in order for it to be successful. The idea that preparation belongs to the tutor alone is a misconception you should forget about.
Here are eight things you need to do before you meet with a tutor:
#1. Believe In Yourself
Success starts with you. No tutor, however smart, can dictate how successful you’ll be in the long run.
You first need to convince yourself that you’re capable of achieving the grades you desire. Distance yourself from negative thoughts concerning your previous performance. Instead, remind yourself that you’re smart.
You can say this loudly or silently a number of times. Such affirmation phrases create a positive attitude and charge up your entire being.
Meeting your tutor with that kind of attitude coupled with the willingness to learn will do both of you a lot of good. It won’t feel like a burden going through a two- or three-hour training session if you’re confident and optimistic.
#2. Prepare The Venue
The venue can be physical or virtual. After all, online tutoring has of late grown quite popular.
Instead of a teacher coming physically to your home, you can have an online coaching session where you connect with a tutor through video and audio calls. This is the approach that websites like tutorme.com are using to be of service to students across the globe.
For a physical tutoring session, you’d want a space that’s clean, quiet, and free from unnecessary disruptions from loved ones, pets, or things like the TV. The same applies to online tutoring sessions.
For you to clearly hear your tutor, the area you’re in should be as silent as possible. Background noises like those of children playing will only make the session unproductive. Use a dedicated study room if you have one.
Remember that your device’s camera will also capture everything behind you and not just your face.
Ensure that the background isn’t cluttered or distracting. Your tutor may lose their focus if your friends and family members keep coming in and out of view, so remind them to stay out of the area during the tutorial.
#3. Gather The Necessary Books And Materials
You already know the subject the tutor’s going to cover, so prepare everything you’ll need for it.
If it’s mathematics, have your math writing pad with you as well as the recommended textbooks for your specific grade or course. Don’t forget to equip yourself with two or three pens, a pencil, an eraser, and a calculator.
Also, remember to have with you any tools or materials that your tutor may have requested in advance.
It’d be disrespectful to keep breaking the session so you can look for one or two items that are not on your desk. The better prepared you are, the more productive the session will be.
#4. Set A Time Reminder
You must have already agreed on a particular time for the tutoring session, so you should honor that agreement. Delaying the session may greatly inconvenience your tutor.
Perhaps you’re not the only student they’re seeing that particular day, or they may have other appointments lined up after meeting with you.
Failing to keep time may mean that they’ll have to rush through their content delivery so as to cover what they’d planned and move on to other students. This may compromise the quality of the session, but you’ll be the one to blame.
Show up for the tutorial 10 or 15 minutes before the actual start time. Cool down and get into the mood of learning while waiting for your tutor. If it’s online, ensure that your laptop or smartphone is charged and that the video conferencing software you’re using is working properly.
#5. List Down Your Questions
Most probably, your tutor won’t be tackling an entirely new subject. Perhaps it’s a concept you’d been taught earlier but didn’t grasp that well. As such, there should be some specific areas you need your tutor to help you understand.
Jot those down on a piece of paper, and be ready to ask your tutor about them when given the opportunity to. Doing this beforehand will considerably increase the productivity of the tutoring session.
#6. Complete All Previously Assigned Reading
If you’ve already met your tutor before, they probably instructed you to read a chapter or several chapters of a book. They do this knowing that the information you get through reading the assigned sections will help you understand the concepts in the next lesson.
If you fail to read, it’ll be a big blow to your tutor as they might have to explain every little thing about the lesson to you. But if you take your time and read what your tutor tells you to, the session will be even more productive since you already have a lot of background information regarding the concepts at hand.
#7. Plan How To Spend The Tutoring Session
You don’t want to meet your tutor without a clear plan or idea on how the session will roll out. You can be better prepared if you know how the three or so hours will be spent. This isn’t something you can do alone.
It takes you and the tutor to make a personalized study plan that works for you. See to it that you know what will happen during the first, second, and third hour. Will you be given short breaks?
Will there be a question-and-answer part? Will your tutor allow you some time to work on more complex tasks so you can get real-time feedback? Having such information will prepare you psychologically for the meeting.
#8. Get Enough Sleep
The night before your meeting, sleep for about 8 hours. You don’t want to keep yawning out of fatigue as your tutor speaks with you. Sleeping enough will keep you alert during the session. You’ll able to follow every step of the session and grasp the concepts being discussed.
Are You Ready To Meet Your Tutor?
Hopefully, these tips will help you make the necessary preparations for your next tutoring session. Being prepared would be beneficial to both you and your tutor. You’ll get the help you need, and your tutor will find it easy and enjoyable to teach you.
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