Pen and Paper Mama

This is post #4 in the series: Why do you need a tutor?

Reasons why college and university students need tutors:

• Some college students may discover, after taking entrance exams, that they require upgrading in particular areas before they can carry on with their education.  This is particularly true of writing skills and mathematics skills required at the college level.
• Some college students may decide part way through their program to take a course or alternate program for which they lack the prerequisites or for which they have weak or outdated background knowledge.
• There are many international college students who need ESL assistance. 
• There are many college students who find themselves struggling with one or two specific courses.
• Some college students may find that post-secondary midterms and finals are quite different than those they experienced in high school, and may need assistance in studying for these exams.  They may also need help in preparing for subject-specific SATs, such as the LSAT.
• Some courses turn out to have prerequisite knowledge which is not indicated in the course description, and a student may find they don’t have that background.
• College students, like school students, may have learning disabilities or medical situations which may require extra help.
• Some college students are adults who have been out of school for a long time and need a tutor to help them get back into studying, as well as to provide them with new skills and knowledge that may not have been in the school curriculum in the past.
• While many college professors are excellent teachers, it is also true that many of them have had little training in how to teach.  Also, many professors are from other nations, and speak English with a heavy accent.  There are some great advantages to having a prof with a unique and interesting background, but if you are struggling to understand the lectures, it can also be a problem.  In either case, if you are getting behind, a tutor may well be able to help you catch up.
• New college students are often overwhelmed by classes with hundreds of students.  In these situations, it is very difficult to get individual attention from the prof, unlike high school where you probably only had 20 to 30 students in your classes and your teacher was available for personal help.  Again, a tutor can help you if you are feeling overwhelmed, have questions you need help with, and/or you are getting behind.
• Term papers are often a new experience for college students.  A tutor can help you learn how to produce a quality paper.
• The new social atmosphere of college sometimes distracts students from their academic studies.  A tutor can help you organize yourself and get you back on track.
• Many new college students are away from their home and community for the first time, and be missing their former support group (parents, school teachers and counselors with whom they are familiar, friends they used to study with, etc).  A tutor can help fill that gap.
• Most colleges have a tutoring department.  The tutors are often more advanced students who have already taken certain courses successfully, and understand the needs of their fellow students.  They are also usually on-campus for easy access.  This can be an excellent option, and may also be less expensive.  But if it doesn’t work out for you, it is wise to seek out an off-campus tutor who can meet your needs.
• A new student on campus may feel alone, and not know anyone who he/she can study with.  A tutor will often have other tutees who also have this need, or former tutees who would be a good study buddy.  The tutor may thus be able to help you find a suitable study partner or group for your particular needs.

Question:  As a college student, what other reasons do/did you have for needing a tutor?  Share them here in the comments.  Thanks

College students in the Penticton area who need help: especially with writing skills, but also possibly in other areas, check out our tutoring page for details and contact information.

This is post #3 in the series: Why do you need a tutor?

Home reasons why children may need tutors:

• Students need help with a particular subject area in which their parents do not have enough knowledge to help
• Parents lack time to help their children with homework or with areas of study in which they need extra help
• Family emergencies such as illness, need to help aging parents, or birth of a new child means that the parents need some assistance.
• Frustrations between parents and students that sometimes get in the way of learning success
• A family may need to move during the school year, or wish to take an extended vacation, or a child may have long-term medical needs, or be involved in focused sports or other activities that do not fit in with school hours and dates.  A tutor can work with the family’s particular needs, and may even be able to travel with them.
• Families in a neighbourhood may wish to hire a tutor to provide group homework-help sessions.  Group rates may provide considerable savings for the individual families.
• Note:  Some tutors also offer some flexibility in pricing, with not only group rates, but varying rates depending on the preparation requirements and other factors.  They may also take family financial situations into account, and may offer scholarships or barter-type options.

Question:  What other home reasons do you have for needing a tutor?  Let us know in the comments section below.

Are you in the Penticton area and have home needs a tutor could help with?  Check out our tutoring page for details and contact information.

This is post #2 in the series: Why do you need a tutor?

School-related reasons why children and teens need tutors:

• Parents may want their children to have some good “reading readiness” skills before their child starts school.  They may also want to get some advice for themselves on how they can prepare their child for the challenges of school – academic, social, and more.
• Students may be doing well in school generally, but have one subject area that they struggle with.
• Students may be struggling with almost all school subjects, and need some one-on-one help to improve their study skills, catch up in areas in which they are behind, and become more motivated to learn.
• The classroom environment is overwhelming for some children.  They thrive better in a quiet, focused, one-on-one situation.
• Tutors, in working with a child one-on-one, are often able to analyze learning needs and provide individualized solutions that may be difficult for the busy classroom teacher or parents to provide.
• Some children have physical or mental health issues which result in them missing a lot of school, or not being able to focus well in the classroom
• Some students are getting behind in school because they are distracted by home issues, loss, or other problems
• Students have special needs that the classroom teacher does not have sufficient time to meet in the school room situation
• Some students are terrified of tests and exams.  These may be anything from “pop quizzes,” to unit tests, mid-terms, final exams, and even province (or state/country) wide exams that are used to determine learning success across the region.  A tutor can help a student with the necessary skills for test-taking, and give encouragement and motivation.
• Some students with various kinds of special needs are allowed to have a helper come with them for exams, to read questions to the student, write answers the student dictates, etc.  A tutor who has been helping a student and understands the student’s special needs can be the ideal helper in these situations (if the school agrees).
• Gifted students need extra challenge beyond the usual classroom curriculum; or even need a tutor to teach them subject matter at a higher level than their class or school offers
• Frustrations between teachers and students that are holding back learning
• Students have had difficulty during the school year, and would benefit more from one-on-one tutoring in the summer than from regular summer school classes, in order to be ready for the next school year
• Children may have strong interest in, or show talent for, areas which are not adequately covered in the school system.  This could include music, sports, dance, art, particular areas of science, hobbies, and so on.
• Students who have not completed grade 12, or those who have but wish to go to American or international colleges, may need help preparing for PSAT, SAT, subject-specific SATs, or GED.
• Some parents may feel under pressure to provide homework answers or do projects for their children, or simply doesn’t know the subject matter.  A tutor is trained to help students learn, and to guide them to find their own answers and complete their own projects on homework assignments. 
• Parent work hours and responsibilities may make it difficult to meet with the child’s teacher on a regular basis, or the parents may not understand the teacher’s instructions.  Tutors, as trained educators themselves, are qualified and happy to work together with the child’s teacher and other education-related professionals to provide the exact type of help that is needed.  They will be able to focus on the child’s assignments in the context in which they have been assigned.
• A child may have learning styles that are not often met in the classroom situation.  A tutor can determine and use those particular styles to help the individual child learn more easily and efficiently.
• A student may move from one school to another, or even from one district or province (or state) to another.  Schools often do differ quite a lot, even within the same city or district, and a student may find themselves ahead or behind, or even facing courses they did not take at their previous school.  A tutor can help with the transition.
• Parents may wish to send their children to a  school that emphasizes special programs such as strong academics, sports, fine arts, or technical programs, but may be concerned that their child may lack some of the basics needed for entrance to the school.
• Students moving upwards from elementary to middle school, from middle school to high school, or from high school to college, are going to face new challenges in many areas – academic challenges, social expectations, different classroom sizes and environments, different scheduling systems, and more.  A tutor can often help prepare a student for the change through making sure the learner has the basic knowledge and skills required for new courses; checking out the particular school and preparing the child for the new situation; and so on.
• Many colleges and universities now require the prospective students to take entrance examinations, in addition to requiring their school credits, possibly SAT scores, and other information.  A tutor can help the student study and prepare for the entrance examinations, and may also help the student prepare a portfolio or other entrance requirements.  Schools do generally provide this help, but a student may have specialized requirements, or may later change his or her mind about what higher education course or institution to attend, or requirements may even change.

Does your child face any of these situations?  If so, you would do well to find a tutor who is qualified to help with your child’s particular needs.  Coming up soon, we will discuss how to choose the best tutor for your child. 

Meanwhile, in the rest of this series on “Why do you need a tutor?” we will look at reasons why college and university students, adults in general, and home school students also need tutors, and the different kinds of tutors available.  Keep tuned!

Question:  Do you have reasons you need a tutor for you child that we haven’t covered here?  Be sure to mention them in the comments, and we will try to address those needs as well in upcoming posts.

And… if you live in the Penticton BC area and are looking for a tutor, or want to ask questions about tutoring, check out my tutoring information.

Tutors help all ages and all kinds of people: preschoolers, elementary and secondary students in private or public school or home school, as well as college or other post-secondary students. Tutors also help folks of all ages who are looking to develop new skills or increase their knowledge in areas they already have some experience with. Tutors help with “formal education” of course, but there are also tutors who will help you with a hobby, practical home or job skills, and more.

Why do YOU need a tutor? In the following series of posts, we will explore a variety of reasons. You might be surprised at how a tutor can help you or your family.

Our topics will include the following:

• School-related reasons why children and teens need tutors
• Home reasons why children may need tutors
• Why college and university students need tutors
• Why adults need tutors
• Why home school families need tutors
• Are all tutors alike?

When we finish this series on why you need a tutor, we will go on to other tutoring-related topics, such as:

• how to choose the right tutor for your child
• meeting with potential tutors
• what to expect in the way of tutor-client agreements
• what you can expect to pay
• tutoring adult learners
• some great online resources for helping your child to learn
• how your tutor will plan an individualized program for your child
• tutoring tips in various subject areas that a parent can use to tutor their own children
• the difference between individual, group, and online tutoring
• special help for home schoolers
• what happens in a typical tutoring session
• tips for college students and adult learners
• alternatives to traditional one-on-one tutoring
• tips for how to become an effective tutor
• free worksheets and other useful materials for helping your child learn

What topics would you like us to address? Let us know in the comments section. Thank you!

And … if you live in the Penticton BC area, and are looking for a tutor, check out my tutoring information!

School, homeschool, and college students are back to their studies.  It’s a new year with new challenges.

Now is the time to book your spot for tutoring assistance from a qualified and experienced teacher, tutor, and home schooler.  If you live in the Penticton area or nearby communities, be sure to call today to reserve the days and times that work best for your schedule, before they are gone.  If you aren’t local, or don’t need tutoring assistance right now, be sure to keep tuned to this blog for upcoming free tutoring suggestions, free materials, and lesson ideas.

Check out my Tutoring page to find out what subjects and student needs I can help you with.  My students include pre-school, elementary, secondary, college, and adult learners.  You don’t even need to be enrolled in a “school” – I am also available to help with various areas of interest like writing, blogging, office skills, and home and family skills.  And I am willing to come and speak to your group on various topics.

If you are a home school family, be sure to contact me to discuss your questions and needs.  I have been a successful home school parent/teacher and tutor, and would love to encourage and help you with your home school adventure.  Check out some of the homeschool materials I have published.

Again, check out my Tutoring page for more details and for contact information.  I look forward to meeting you very soon!

And sign up for this blog’s RSS feed (click on the little orange square in the column to the right) to receive updates on this blog.  I’ll be featuring tutoring topics, free materials, and lesson ideas here in the coming days.  Be sure to keep tuned in!