Tutoring 101: Essential Skills And Qualities For Success

Tutoring can be a good way of making money. It’s typically something teenagers and college graduates do to make a little bit of money on the side but of course, trained and experienced academics do it also. If you fall into the latter category and have a lot of experience teaching then tutoring could be a highly effective way for you to make some money on the side. To become a successful tutor there are certain skills and qualities that you need, however.

This post will tell you the skills and qualities you need to transform your academic knowledge into a successful tutoring career.

Revision Materials

If you want to become a successful tutor, you need to know where to find revision materials for your students. Many of the people who pay for your support will want you to help their children pass exams. Having access to things like the 11+ exam papers can make you more effective at your job. Successfully tutoring students and teaching them everything they need to know will improve your reputation, get you positive reviews and satisfy your customers.

Leadership Skills

You will need leadership skills if you want to find success tutoring people. If you don’t then nobody’s going to want to listen to you. One thing that you cannot deny about good teachers is that when they enter a room, they grab everybody’s attention with their charisma and leadership skills. When you are working on a one-on-one basis with students you need to be able to grab their attention and lead them in the right direction. If you aren’t able to do this then they won’t pay attention to you.

Practical Experience

You need some practical experience as a teacher if you want to become a tutor. While it is of course entirely possible for somebody with no experience to teach others, it’s not easy. If you do not have experience then it will become very obvious and students may not pay attention to you and their parents may want to find another tutor. If you do plan on becoming a tutor and have no experience whatsoever, consider taking classes. If classes are not an option or are impractical, there are only guides and videos you can watch that will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a tutor.

Previous Qualifications

You need qualifications if you want to achieve success as a tutor. People’s parents are not going to want to hire somebody who has no experience and no qualifications. Ideally, you should have qualifications in the educational discipline you are teaching. If you are teaching mathematics, then a mathematics qualification will come in handy and make you look a lot more professional in the eyes of parents and clients. Be sure to openly advertise your qualifications. You can showcase them on your portfolio. Make sure your portfolio is public, so everybody can see it.

Tutoring Classes

As mentioned earlier you don’t necessarily need to have classroom experience if you take tutoring classes. Tutoring classes are widely available and can be used to boost your knowledge and expertise. Parents will be more likely to hire you to teach their children if you have taken classes, even if you have no recommendations or qualifications. When you are looking for a class provider make sure that you read reviews. A provider’s reviews can tell you a lot about them and make it much easier for you to decide whether hiring them is a good idea or not.

Friendly Demeanour

A friendly demeanour is important too. Nobody is going to want to hire you if you have a bad attitude. Why would anyone want you tutoring their children if you are mean? A friendly demeanour isn’t something that comes naturally to a lot of people though. If it doesn’t come naturally to you then try to be as friendly and polite as you can. Do not be unnecessarily stern with your students otherwise, they might not feel comfortable around you. If they don’t feel comfortable around you then eventually they will tell their parents, who will fire you.

Professional Appearance

You need to look your best when you are visiting a client’s house. If you do not look professional then nobody is going to want to pay you for your services even if you are a very good tutor. There is a certain expectation people have in their minds about tutors. Usually, it’s expected that they will turn up wearing a suit or blazer and that they will be very well put together. Looking scruffy when you arrive to teach a student not only makes you look bad, but it will also distract and confuse students. Look presentable and well-groomed.

Ability to Listen

If you want to be a good tutor then you need to be a good listener. If you aren’t a good listener then how are you going to understand your students’ problems? Being a naturally good listener will benefit you tremendously. Your students will pick up the fact you are a good listener and will start being more vocal and open about their problems to you. Fortunately being a good listener doesn’t have to be natural. You can learn to become a better listener. If you are not a good listener then don’t worry too much about it. You can always learn to become one over time by working with students and being more attentive to their needs.

Calm Temperament

A calm temperament is also needed. As a tutor, you are guaranteed to get annoyed from time to time. Some people do not learn things very easily. When you are teaching such individuals it can  be frustrating. However, as already mentioned you will inevitably encounter this kind of person and they will annoy you. If you do not have a calm temperament then you will end up getting angry. Getting angry with your students and shouting at them could get you into trouble and prevent them from wanting to work with you again.

Tutoring is something that can be very helpful. Students who’re preparing for exams or who want to further their educations hire tutors. To become one you will need the qualities and traits mentioned here.