1.You should wait till you seriously need help before seeking a tutor.
Just like in other areas of life, when you leave things to the last minute it is much harder to keep up and/or keep on top of things. Most students only need a couple of hours of tutoring a week, but sometimes by the time the decision to hire a student is made the student is very far behind and needs a lot more hours a week to catch up.
2.Look for the cheapest hourly rate to save money- all tutors are the same. Some just charge more.
As the old adages goes, “typically you get what you pay for” and “if it seems to be too good to be true it usually is.” The better the tutor, the less hours of tutoring and better results. In the end, hiring a cheap tutor is not only a waste of your money, but also of your time.
3.Tutoring is too expensive.
Tutoring rates vary, depending where you live and what type of tutoring service you are looking for. Interview tutors, find out their rates and credentials and see which tutor will work within your budget, yet also provide you with the high-quality tutoring you seek. Some tutors also have discounted rates for group tutoring and/or long-term tutoring sessions. Failing a grade or class or getting a low GPA will be a higher cost in the end.
4.Tutors take up too much time.
You may not think that you can make time for a tutor, whether for yourself or your child(ren), but this is not true! First of all, think of all the time you will save not having to try and figure out things on your own and/or trying to help your child(ren) with areas you are unfamiliar with. Secondly, with today’s technology, there are several ways to see a tutor- you do not always have to travel to them, but instead can submit essays online to be edited or have a one on one skype tutoring session or have the tutor come to you.
5.Tutors do not need to be certified tutors or teachers.
Yes, tutoring is different from classroom teaching, but the fundamentals and required skills are still the same. I myself became a Certified tutor in College and worked at the Douglas College Learning Center for 2 years where I was trained and certified to be a tutor. I thought that I was a great tutor, but it was not till I became a BC Certified Teacher that I developed a deeper understanding of how to best facilitate learning and offer a wider breadth of knowledge and education to enhance my skills as a tutor. How can someone who is not educated or trained to tutor be the best tutor? Would you want to go to a doctor who was not trained to be a doctor, but someone who thought they had what it took to be your physician?
