Initial contact with parent

Receiving a new student can be daunting, however it is important to remember that the family has already has your information! Whilst the family is excited to hear from you, keep in mind the fact that this is a crucial moment where many parents back out as they make their final decision on whether to move forward with you as they may be juggling other tutoring offers. You will be provided with as much information about the family and student as possible so you can tailor your initial message appropriately to ensure a personal touch.

A general outline for what a first contact message could like is below:

“Hi Gillian, my name is John it is nice to meet you! I am looking forward to helping your daughter Lexi with year 10 maths tutoring! James passed on all of Lexi’s information and I can see that Lexi may be struggling with applying her knowledge to new questions, specifically worded problems. I would love to be able to help and teach her understanding-based strategies to ensure she can tackle a diverse range of questions. Do you have any time to chat today or tomorrow to discuss Lexi’s tutoring. My phone number is 0411 111 111 and I am available anytime this afternoon (between 3 and 7) for a chat! I look forward to meeting both you and Lexi!”

Begin the phone call with “Hi Gillian how are you”
If they respond by instigating a specific conversation then that is great, take it from there! If not, a good first line may be: “I would love to discuss Lexi’s tutoring, specifically her goals and why she feels she needs tutoring”

On the phone call it is important to demonstrate and discuss multiple things:

Confidence: Confidence is essential! It is important that it seems like you are not nervous. They are the ones putting their faith in you as an educator for their child and are expecting you to be experienced, authoritative and a fantastic communicator.

Patience: It is vital that you listen to the parent’s concerns in a patient manner, ensuring all sensitive topics are explored in depth. Some parents tend to ramble but it is important that they feel listened to and most importantly, respected!

Goals: Ensure that you discuss: the student’s goals, reason for needing tutoring, preferred tutoring style, how they are going in school (including their other subjects) and any other information that could be useful - for example what the student has liked or not liked from past tutors or school teachers.

Logistics: Please discuss:

-The date and time for the student’s first session schedules lesson. If you can’t manage this over the phone, mention that you will send through some options via text after chatting otherwise they can simply send through what works for them and you will go through their times and see what works with you.
-Frequency of lessons (weekly / fortnightly / as needed etc)
-Duration of lessons (perhaps mention that you are very flexible and sometimes you go over-time to make sure your students don’t feel unprepared)
-If the sessions are online, discuss if they would like to conduct the lessons via zoom (use university email to avoid 40-minute cut-off) or some other preferred delivery method (such as Google Meets which is also great!)
-If the sessions are online, discuss what device the student will be using to make sure they can annotate, this is crucial in subjects like maths. Often using a trackpad can be quite difficult when writing extensively.
-Mention that everything will be discussed thoroughly during the first lesson but suggest the student bring some coursework to their first session (e.g. a textbook) before material is discussed just so you know that you have something to do in the first session. Some students will come to your lesson with nothing to do so ensure that you always have a back-up (bring your own textbook, worksheets or lesson ideas).

We recommend writing down some notes from the phone call so that you do not forget important information.

If your session is online, send the zoom link right after phone call along with:

“Hi Gillian, it was a pleasure meeting you today! The zoom details for this Thursday’s session at 2pm are below! I look forward to meeting Lexi then!”

https://monash.zoom.us/a/4444444444?ppp=dddddddddddddddddddddddddd
Meeting ID: 444 444 4444
Passcode: 666666

As you can tell from the above recommended sentence structures, it is highly important to use professional language (including full sentences and correct grammar) to maintain a professional appearance - particularly for the sake of first impressions.

Your first tutoring session

 Impressing the student in this session is crucial, first impressions do matter and we know this because a high percentage of parents will in fact decide to swap tutors after the first session! As such, please ensure that you arrive on time and are in professional attire! Many of our tutors are recent high-school graduates who are tutoring current high school (often year 12) students and therefore it can be important to keep professional and personal boundaries between the tutor and the student when there is this often-absent age-gap.

Meeting the student: Whether online or in-person, try to summarise what was discussed over the phone with the parent present to ensure there is no confusion or miscommunication with the student’s expectations and what was discussed in the initial consult - sometimes students can be shy or even lie so it best to hold them accountable with their parents present so that everyone is on the same page.

Break the ice: Give some background information about yourself and ask your student about their hobbies, ambitions and what they would like to pursue after school. Students often seek tutoring because they feel uncomfortable asking questions in class so it is important that students feel as though they are in a safe, welcoming and relaxed learning environment void of awkwardness.

Set goals and define roles: Please ensure you and the student are on the same page. Ask the student what has been happening at school and why they wanted to get tutoring. From there, set goals for the tutoring sessions, whether it be to reach certain marks or increase the amount of work done for a subject. Discuss what a standard session may look like (explanations + going through questions) and ask the student if they have any preferences. Perhaps all the student wants to do is go through questions they have marked as challenging or perhaps the student might want you to structure, organise and direct the entire lesson.

Get the course outline: It is important that you discuss what topics a student has done, is currently doing and are yet to do – in order if possible. It is your job to assess whether the student need to revisit prior topics to build understanding or even discuss what topics are coming up so that the students can prepare. As tutors, whilst a student may want to do one thing, we have insight into the full scope of the content and subject so we can direct a student in a different direction if we feel it is more beneficial. It is also important to remember that we are all far from perfect. Asking for the course outline means we can brush up on older topics before a session to fill any possible gaps in knowledge or even just to plan a lesson structure suitable for that topic.

Get the textbook: Whilst Apex Academics may have resources for the subject you are tutoring, it is crucial that you ask for as much of the student’s work material as possible in the first lesson (preferably via email). This is important so that you can stick to their specific content, prepare for lessons and set homework that is always relevant rather than using outdating or possibly unreliable worksheets you have privately sourced.

Get started on work: At least half of the first session should be designated to work. After your introduction, ask the student if they have any other questions and if not, say “perhaps we should get started then! What would you like to do today?”. This ensures the students can sample your tutoring style and merit and decide if you are the best fit. We recommend going 5-10 minutes overtime on all lessons however it is vital to do so on the first lesson to make a positive first impression. We want parents to think our tutors are generous, flexible and kind above all.

General 60-minute session outline

First 5 minutes: This slot is designated to catching up on the last week (both academic and non-academic) with the student and parent, recapping what was covered in the last session and planning what you are going to do throughout this lesson. Sometimes students will be adamant to jump into random work but make sure you stop them and ask them what their plan is before doing so to make sure they are organised!
Middle 50 minutes: This slot is designated to teaching course content.
Last 5 minutes: This slot is designated to recapping the lesson and goalsetting for both the next lesson and the student’s homework over the next period of time. It is here that you assign homework and ask if there were any questions the student still had.

Giving feedback to parents

We recommend giving feedback to parents at a bare minimum once per month but ideally, a short message after each lesson (this is more realistic in-person than online). We also recommend asking the parents if they would like to call to chat about their child’s progress over the phone. Over text, this 5-step formula for giving feedback to parents is effective:

1 This lesson I (describe strategy used) to (explain purpose / outcome / objective)

2 At first (describe your observation of student’s struggle / difficulty / weakness) so I (describe how you adapted your approach) which, as result saw (describe your observation of the resolution / improvement)

3 This is a noticeable improvement from (describe their progress from past lessons)

4 To reinforce this learning during the week (describe the homework / activities / assignments etc)

5 Moving forward (describe your plan for future progress) 

Maintaining engagement

Often students seeking tutors struggle with attention and focus in class and therefore use tutoring as a form of “catching up” or “filling in the blanks” which is why this subheading is crucial. Maintaining engagement can be difficult in those that are less adamant on learning but rest assured, there are many strategies you can employ to keep your students focused and on-task:

1 Swap Roles with Your Students
When tutors make learning interesting, it only makes sense that students will be more willing to participate. Role-swapping is easily one of the most effective strategies to engage students in your sessions. When a child can successfully explain a concept to someone else, they are essentially demonstrating that they have mastered the material! As you all know, teaching is the best way to learn content.

2 Take Breaks
Everyone needs breaks, especially younger students. No matter how fun your sessions might be, it will not be effective if they are overly tired. So before beginning a new activity, make sure your students have had time to relax and refocus or even eat a snack. Please note that unless you are willing to go 5- or 10- minutes overtime, taking breaks must be discussed with the parents as it is ultimately their money and their decision. Also note that this is less appropriate for older high school students

3 Encourage Open Communication
Whether a student is working with an online tutor, in-person tutor or even a small group of students, they should always feel comfortable openly communicating their thoughts and feelings. For example, if the lesson moves too quickly or the material is overwhelming, the student should feel comfortable enough to let their tutor know. Communication is essential in order to make adjustments that meet students’ individual needs and it is essential that you foster an environment that is not intimidating. This is particularly important for shy students.

4 Break Up Your Lessons
For students of all ages, most lessons involve a lecture to some extent. But it is unreasonable to expect your student to stay 100% engaged as they sit still and listen to you talk for extended periods of time. So, break up your lessons and add a little excitement to keep your students from zoning out. This may mean including questions, opportunities for questions or even opportunities for the student to repeat / teach what you have lectured. Change things up!

5 Give Your Students Choices
The reality is that students are not given a lot of choices in their daily routines, whether it be at school or at home. So, when students have the power to choose their educational interests, it helps them become more engaged and on their toes. We are certainly not saying that you should let them take the reins completely as ultimately you as their tutor know what is in their best interests. Just try letting them pick the activity or assignment that goes along with your lesson. Giving your student the ability to choose will make maintaining engagement much easier to attain - plus, it instils crucial decision-making skills!

6 Teach with Mixed Media
Incorporating a variety of mediums into your lesson plans is a sure-fire way to keep your students alert and engaged. Try presenting content with both traditional and tech-rich resources. Technology is a great tool for making learning more fun, familiar, and accessible for all ages. So, if you are wondering how to engage students in your session, try integrating tablets, laptops, video clips, and educational apps - the list goes on! For example, if you have a student trying to learn their timetables, recommend a fun game on the app store to do in their spare time!

7 Minimising distractions
As a tutor, one of the most important things you can do to maintain engagement is to minimise distractions during lessons. This means creating a learning environment that is free from distractions such as noise, movement and bright lights. It also means being aware of your own body language and ensuring that you are not inadvertently sending mixed signals to your students. For instance, if you are looking at your watch or tapping your foot, students may get the impression that you are bored or impatient. Instead, try to maintain eye contact and keep an open and engaged body posture. Some students, particularly those with ADHD, can become highly distracted by certain things like laptops, toys or even their phones. It is essential that these are removed from the environment prior to the lesson, this should be discussed with the parent in private too! By minimising distractions, you can create a more focused environment in which your students are more likely to engage and retain information.

8 Relate Lessons to The Real World
Us tutors hear it all the time, “When am I going to use this in the real world?” For students, there is nothing more frustrating than spending copious amounts of time learning material that you will never apply in “real life.” So, make sure your lessons are relevant to life beyond school! Boost student engagement by using case studies, anecdotes, and real-world examples. For example, if your student has a passion for basketball, try and link the content in some way to basketball!

Establishing a routine

As a tutor, one of the most important things you can do is to establish a routine during your lessons. This will help your students feel comfortable and secure, make it easier for you to manage the lesson and put the students at ease as they know what to expect before attending your session.

Try to be consistent with the time and place of your lessons. If possible, hold your lessons at the same time each week, in the same room or location. This will help your students to know what to expect, and it will make it easier for them to focus on the lesson without having new distractions. At the beginning of each session, start by greeting your student and asking how their day is going. This will help put them at ease and let them know that you are interested in them as a person and not just a student. Creating a productive routine is essential so that lessons are not disorganised and unpredictable, which can build anxiety in your student.

Rescheduling lessons

Rescheduling a lesson can feel awkward, especially if you are forced to do it last-minute. Ensure that you are polite, flexible and try your best to reschedule the lesson. Ultimately, you must be willing to lose out on that lesson. We strongly recommend that you try as hard as possible to stick to a regular session time to avoid this becoming a frequent occurrence.

Motivating students

If your student shows up to class with no work or shows no desire to do work outside of your sessions, it is your responsibility to both them and their parents to motivate them. Begin by assessing their long-term goals and relate the work you are currently doing to their goals. Explain to them that putting in the work now is going to decrease the amount of work they have to do later. If the student persistently does not change, even after trying your best to motivate them, speaking to their parents and giving them manageable goals, don’t stress! For some students, your weekly tutoring session might be the only work they do and that is better than nothing!

Conflict

If any problems, conflict or questions arise, your first point of contact is a member of our team on Slack. In urgent matters, contact James at 0413 494 717.

FOR NEW AND INEXPERIENCED TUTORS

Knowing how to run a tutoring session or even just communicating with parents, can be daunting, especially if it is your first time. As a general outline, here are some points to consider:

1 When you show up to a tutoring session, the first thing you should do after catching up on the last week is ask what the student has been doing in class since our last lesson, what they are doing next and when their next assessment is. It is important to establish context before beginning a lesson so you know what you are working towards.

2 Next, I ask them what they would like to do in the session? Often the student will know exactly what they want to do. Perhaps they will have a list of questions or a worksheet they wanted to go through.

3 It can be challenging If the student shows up to class with nothing explicit to do. To get around this, scope out the topic they are working on, the topic they have just done or even the next topic if need be and ask them if they feel as though they understand all key points. If not, say that you think it would be beneficial to look in depth at “x,y or z” as it is crucial knowledge. If you still cannot find anything to do, return to a core topic of your choice (for example algebra in maths tutoring) and give a comprehensive lesson on that. Mention that even though this isn’t overly challenging, your role is to critique small mistakes and offer more efficient alternatives to maximise their marks.

4 Generally speaking, lessons are largely comprised of going through practise questions from a textbook, worksheet or past exam paper. It is best to get the student to do these questions as you watch, critique and improve their method. You should also do some questions and get the student to watch, explaining your thought process as you go. When a harder question comes along, it is important to go on a tangent and give some context to that question type, explaining it in depth and perhaps even doing a separate worksheet on just that topic if need be. It is important to change up the way you teach, for example lecturing vs observing to ensure the student maintains engagement.

5 When tutoring online, it is important that the student can interact. For example, one common methods of tutoring on a laptop let’s say - is to convert the student’s textbook to a word document, share it with them on zoom, get the student to request access and then you and the student can both draw / annotate on the screen. This is vital for engagement online.

6 When you are unsure of something, it is completely okay to say that you are not 100% sure and tell them that you will look into it and get back to them after class or for next lesson. However, it is equally as important to be confident so that the student trusts your expertise. Therefore, it is important to be careful if you find yourself saying “I’m not sure” too often. If you have a bright student for example, brushing up on topics before class and getting a clear outline of what topics are coming up is essential.

Also please note, as mentioned above, that zoom caps your lessons at 40 minutes. To get around this, please sign into zoom with a university email (this should remove the 40-minute cap) or use another program, such as Google Meet or Microsoft Teams. If this occurs in your first session, simply call / text the student and ask them to re-join (make sure you make up for the lost time at the end of the session)

AWKWARD SITUATIONS

If there are any situations that you need assistance with, feel free to contact us for advice or to sort them out with the parent on your behalf. This could relate to lesson payments, lesson times, lesson duration, lesson location, student behaviour, inappropriate remarks, language or expectations by parents or other. We are always available to help.