4 Ways to Work Well With a Tutor Let’s face it. Very few people like to admit that they need a tutor. So that moment when your tutor first walks into the room can be kind of awkward. You’re already miserable at the prospect of spending extra time studying this subject that you hate and this smart-looking person is not helping. But don’t worry. This experience doesn’t have to be awful. Here are a few ways to work well with your tutor.
First – get to know each other In order to work well with someone, you need to feel comfortable around them. Don’t start off studying right away. Get to know each other. Compare favorite ice-cream flavors (this information could come in handy when your brain is ready to expire). Talk about mutual interests. Argue about whose team is going to win the next college basketball game. If things go well, you can even plan a casual movie night. Once this person is your friend, you’ll feel a lot better about asking for their help, admitting you don’t understand something, or crying/screaming in frustration over assignments that did not go well. Deep down, your friends won’t ever think you are stupid, and if your tutor is your friend, you have nothing to worry about.
Second – get creative Obviously, if your teacher’s straight-shot, textbook lecture in class was not sufficient to get the message across, neither will you and your tutor reading over the material again and again. Your tutor is smart. They understand the subject. Ask them to approach the material from a different angle. Use one of those handy common interests you discovered from step one as a starting point. Geometry, for example, can be learned via basketball. Creative writing can be approached through watching/analyzing a TV show. Economics can be learned through a trip to the grocery store. And remember, ice-cream will be there to calm your frantic spirits.
Third – learn to believe in each other When the going gets tough, remember – your tutor wouldn’t be there if they didn’t think you were capable of learning from them. If that was the case, they’d probably have given up and left you long ago. Trust in their faith in you and believe that they can help you get to where you need to be. Even if the ice-cream runs out, your tutor will be there for you.