How to Spot the Signs of a Great Tutor

This article has been written by Lydia McClelland, a VCE French, Music Theory, Literature & VCE English Tutor at Learnmate. If you’re interested in private tutoring from Lydia then please check out her page here.

So, you’ve decided to engage a tutor. But how do you choose one? In a crowded field of potential tutors, how can you know you’re making the right choice?

Let’s go through some of the most important qualities to look for in an excellent tutor.

1. Expertise

Tutors should, clearly, be experts in the areas that they teach. A great tutor will not rely on the fact that they achieved a great score in the subject themselves, but will go above and beyond to collect resources, learn even more than they knew in high school, and equip their students to achieve greatness.

2. Patience

Someone could be the best in the world at a particular subject, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily have the personality or temperament to be a good tutor. Tutors need to be patient and understanding, recognising that learning happens at a different pace for every student.

3. Experience

Tutoring, like anything, is something that people improve at with experience. While some tutors with no experience can also be amazing, if you think it’s important, it’s worth checking if potential tutors have much experience, especially if you think your child has different needs to most.

4. Interpersonal skills

Tutoring is all about effective communication. Look for a tutor who is great at communicating with both parents and students – these interpersonal skills will be very important when it comes to the teaching and learning process. In the end, students need to build up trust with their tutor in order to have the best learning outcomes.

5. Adaptability

Great tutors know how to adapt their teaching for each individual student. Look for a tutor who offers to tailor their lessons to the student, and who might have experience working with a wide range of people and needs. If the tutor adapts their teaching to suit the student, this will obviously leave the student with the best educational outcomes.

6. Passion

Ultimately, a fantastic tutor is passionate about the subject(s) they teach, and it is a passion they are keen to share with the students they tutor. A great tutor will inspire their students to find the interesting aspects of subjects they might previously have found difficult. It is far easier to learn and be successful when you have a genuine interest in a subject, so look for tutors who really care about what it is that they teach!

Check out LearnMate’s wide range of tutors.

If you loved this article, you will LOVE all of our other articles, such as: How to Motivate Yourself to Study at Home, How to Develop Problem-Solving Skills in Students, and The Benefits and Importance of Learning About Grammar.

 – LearnMate Tutoring.

LearnMate is Australia’s leading tutoring agency offering private lessons in all primary & high school subjects including English, maths, science, humanities, foreign languages, and so much more. Our mission is simple: to provide professional, engaging and enthusiastic tutors to students, while also ensuring the student feels empowered and confident during their assessments! Ultimately, our goal is to empower students all over Australia to achieve amazing results and make their dreams come true!

Coping Tips for Parents Supporting Children Through Stressful Times

This article has been written by Lydia McClelland, a VCE French, Music Theory, Literature & VCE English Tutor at Learnmate. If you’re interested in private tutoring from Lydia then please check out her page here.

It is often acknowledged that school is a very stressful time for students. The parents of students, however, can often also take on second-hand stress in their role of caring for their children. This is a fact which is not often talked about, but is very important.

Let’s explore some of the strategies you can employ to lighten at least a bit of the load. What can parents do to look after themselves when it comes to supporting children through schooling?

Get in touch with teachers

If you’re concerned about your children and what’s going on with them at school, don’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher(s) for support. Teachers will usually have ideas about how to help with whatever you’re worried about, and should be able to look out for your child specifically if you express concern in a particular area.

Try and keep to a routine

Routines can help to minimise stress – both for your children, and for you! In particular, healthy sleeping routines help when it comes to getting enough energy to get through each new day. Try to go to bed and wake up at similar times each day, and see if you can keep mealtimes consistent, too.

Give yourself the space you provide for your kids

Much of the time, parents prioritise their kids’ needs over their own – it’s often an unavoidable part of parenting! But if you prioritise getting your child their own space to work or relax, make sure you also prioritise taking some time for yourself. By modelling this to your children, you’re not being selfish, but showing them through your own actions that everyone deserves and needs some time to unwind on their own.

Get someone else to help out if you can

As children get older, it can get more challenging to help them with their homework. Consider getting someone to help them who has been through the school system more recently – perhaps an older sibling, a friend, a babysitter, or a tutor. Remember that you don’t need to shoulder the load of supporting your child alone.

Get professional support if you need it

Ultimately, if you are struggling, never forget that you can reach out for professional support. School can be tough for parents, just as much as it can be for children. Prioritising your mental health will always help your children, too, and will show them that taking care of yourself is important.

If you loved this article, you will LOVE all of our other articles, such as: How to Develop Problem-Solving Skills in Students, How to Find a Good Maths Tutor for Your Child and How to Support Your Kids Through School.

 – LearnMate Tutoring.

Need an In-Person or Online Tutor? Search for a Tutor Here Today!

LearnMate is Australia’s leading tutoring agency offering private lessons in all primary & high school subjects including English, maths, science, humanities, foreign languages, and so much more. Our mission is simple: to provide professional, engaging and enthusiastic tutors to students, while also ensuring the student feels empowered and confident during their assessments! Ultimately, our goal is to empower students all over Australia to achieve amazing results and make their dreams come true!

How to Support Your Kids Through School

This article has been written by Lydia McClelland, a VCE French, Music Theory, Literature & VCE English Tutor at Learnmate. If you’re interested in private tutoring from Lydia then please check out her page here.

We often focus on how kids can improve their experiences of school. But what about the people that care for these children – can they help? In fact, by showing interest in how your child is doing at school, you are sending the message that school can be a time which is fun and interesting for them. And no, this doesn’t mean simply focusing on their grades. Although, it has been found that teenagers perform better academically if their parents are engaged.

For parents or anyone caring for someone going through school, what are some ways you can offer meaningful support?

Provide a distraction-free zone in the house

Children growing up in busier households might find it harder to concentrate and get their work done. Consider installing a desk in a quieter part of the house where your child can go and work undisturbed. This shows also that you care about supporting them in whatever way you can.

Give them time management tips

Organisational skills are generally not taught at school, but are critical to success as school gets busier. Help your child set up a system with a planner, or give them other tips to help them manage their time. Make sure they aren’t overstretched if it is a busy school year – maybe they simply don’t have the time to do dance and piano lessons and work and rowing all at once during Year 12.

Ensure they get good food, especially before school

A great breakfast provides the energy for a child to get through the school day. Eating food which does not provide adequate energy will take a big toll on your child’s concentration and ability to complete schoolwork. A nutritious packed lunch is also important, to ensure they retain the energy throughout the rest of the day.

Encourage reading

Reading provides so many benefits to kids, cognitively, academically and as a simple way to get them off their electronic devices. It doesn’t matter what kind of book they’re reading; any kind of reading will help. In fact, this may be one of the biggest factors in how a child performs at English, which is a compulsory subject all the way through school.

Offer help – and seek help if needed

Going through school can be a really tough time, academically or otherwise. If your child is struggling with schoolwork, consider sitting down with them and helping them through it, or engaging a tutor who specialises in the area. Mental health is another big concern for many parents of children not coping with school – if this is an issue, look into finding a mental health professional to support you, as well as your child.

If you loved this article, you will LOVE all of our other articles, such as: How to Develop Problem-Solving Skills in Students, How to Find a Good Maths Tutor for Your Child and Organisation Tips and Techniques for High School Students.

 – LearnMate Tutoring.

Need an In-Person or Online Tutor? Search for a Tutor Here Today!

LearnMate is Australia’s leading tutoring agency offering private lessons in all primary & high school subjects including English, maths, science, humanities, foreign languages, and so much more. Our mission is simple: to provide professional, engaging and enthusiastic tutors to students, while also ensuring the student feels empowered and confident during their assessments! Ultimately, our goal is to empower students all over Australia to achieve amazing results and make their dreams come true!

What to Do When Your Motivation is Running Low

This article has been written by Lydia McClelland, a VCE French, Music Theory, Literature & VCE English Tutor at Learnmate. If you’re interested in private tutoring from Lydia then please check out her page here.

In the midst of what has been a strange, disrupted, and difficult year for everyone, how are we supposed to stay motivated in our studies?

Year 12s now approaching their final exams have encountered some of the worst difficulties, in a year which traditionally carries the weight of expectations and pressure. In Victoria, particularly, students have been confined to their houses for a great length of time.

It’s perfectly natural to be feeling a lack of motivation in Year 12, and even more so in current times. But what are some of the things you can do when you feel like never opening another textbook or logging into Zoom again?

Take a break – but a break that will make you feel better, not worse

It’s tempting when you lose motivation to lie in bed all day watching Netflix or scrolling on Instagram. But if you are really unable to concentrate on your studies, try doing something that feels at least slightly productive. For example, start learning a new skill online you always wanted to do, cook a really nice meal for your family, or read a book. You’ll often find that you feel better about yourself when you look back on a day with a sense of satisfaction at the end – and you might find that if you exhaust all of your other ideas, you’ll have nothing left to do but study!

Eat some food that’s good for your brain

Whether it’s fish, dark chocolate, nuts, or fruit, eating healthy food makes you feel good. Not only does it affect your feelings, but food is important fuel for brain functions. If you’ve been eating unhealthily, it could be a big factor in your lack of motivation.

Try to make concrete commitments with measurable goals

Creating a plan which you are resolved to stick to can help you to soldier through tough times. It’s important to create a habit of sticking to your plan, so start out by setting small goals which are truly achievable no matter what. Then, you can start to incorporate larger goals as you stick to your plan.

Get outside or get moving

Don’t lock yourself inside your room! Even in Victoria (at the time of writing), people are allowed two hours of daily outdoor exercise. Even if you don’t go outside, getting your body moving is very good for you, and breaks often help us accomplish more when we get back to work.

Celebrate small victories

Maybe your teacher has told you your essay-writing skills have improved, or you got a better result on a Maths assessment than earlier in the year. It’s so important to recognise when your hard work has paid off, so find ways of meaningfully rewarding yourself.

If you loved this article, you will LOVE all of our other articles, such as: Top Tips for Scholarship Exam Preparation, How to Motivate Yourself to Study at Home and How to Set Up A Study Space at Home – For Students.

Need an In-Person or Online Tutor? Search for a Tutor Here Today!

LearnMate is Australia’s leading tutoring agency offering private lessons in all primary & high school subjects including English, maths, science, humanities, foreign languages, and so much more. Our mission is simple: to provide professional, engaging and enthusiastic tutors to students, while also ensuring the student feels empowered and confident during their assessments! Ultimately, our goal is to empower students all over Australia to achieve amazing results and make their dreams come true!