We all could use a little help now and then—even our kids. There’s a lot for them to learn in school and it’s very normal to need a little extra help with certain subjects. That’s why tutors are such an important relationship to start and, when you find the right one, maintain for a long time. Especially if they’re also available to help with child care. Here are a few tips for building a lasting, productive relationship with a tutor.
1. Acknowledge Their Expertise
There’s a reason you’ve hired someone to help—their expertise and experience. You’ve already done the work to ask the right questions in their interview, so don’t forget that.
Start with Trust
Follow their lead from the very beginning and work to bring balance between how you can support your child together.
Don’t Micromanage
No one likes people looking over their shoulder while they work. Communicate in ways that help build a mutual relationship, like setting up regular check-ins and performance reviews.
2. Be a Connector
You’re the connecting link between both of the professionals who are helping your child learn: the tutor and the teacher.
Set Up A System
Set up a system to touch base and align on what projects they’re working on in school, areas each professional thinks are in need of improvement, and successes or breakthroughs that can help your child to continue to improve.
Everyone Benefits
When you help share knowledge about what’s happening in school with their tutor, and what’s happening with their tutor with their teacher, everyone benefits. Both of the professionals are better equipped to do their jobs and your child has a cohesive team of support.
3. Be An Active Participant
Ask for their advice about how you can support. It’s not set it and forget it, it’s a partnership toward progress. Learning is complex and always evolving.
Ask the Tutor For Advice
Your tutor has done this before. Ask them what you can do as a parent to make them (and your child) as successful as possible.
Find Ways to Support at Home
Find ways that you can support and encourage your child through daily life at home. Whether that’s a creative way to track and celebrate their progress or special notebooks and pens/pencils for their work.
Tutors are a key part to helping children find more success with their learning. It only makes sense to build a strong relationship with yours so that you can keep a good thing going.
