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Choosing the Right Tutor Category for Your Child
When parents first think of engaging in a home tutor, they take into consideration many factors that they want from the tutor. They think about what they want the home tutor to achieve with their children. They also consider their expertise and knowledge in the department that their students are struggling in. However, the first step in choosing a home tutor is to figure out what kind or category of home tutor they want for their child.
Essentially, there are three categories in most home tutoring agencies in Singapore. In FamilyTutor, it’s no different. We offer part-time, full-time, and NIE-trained/school teachers home tutors for parents to choose from. We also cater from primary to university level students. As such, because of this, the home tutors in these categories vary from another – from their rates to their experience.
But how do you choose the right category to engage a home tutor in? There is no simple and direct answer to this question several factors will affect the parents’ decision about this. But we’ve listed down some questions parents should ask and consider when choosing a category that fits best with their child.
1. How much are you willing to spend on your child’ education?
Singaporean parents don’t mince when it comes to their children’s education. It’s known that parents only want the best for their children and want them to excel in any way they can. That said, if budget isn’t an issue for you, a home tutoring agency will most likely recommend a full-time home tutor or even a NIE-trained one.
Tuition rates vary based on two things – experience and rates. These are the most common factors that affect the categories where a home tutor fits in.
A NIE-trained home tutor will be significantly charging more than a full-time or part-time home tutor for reasons that they have much more experience teaching and dealing with students. They also have the advantage of more resources that will help students not just in learning but also during exams. As such, with their experience, they will be able to adapt more to each student’s learning styles and will impart more techniques to the student.
A full-time home tutor dedicates their career on home tuition. That said, they are trained individuals that offer home tuition to students – struggling or not. They also have more experience with home tuition and hold certificates and diplomas. Full-time home tutors are committed in their work as a home tutor and spend more time in it than others. They invest in perfecting their pedagogy and tutoring based on a student’s needs.
A part-time home tutor will mostly be a student still studying for his/her diploma. They charge the lowest of the three categories because they work only at certain hours and they aren’t fully trained to be teachers. However, that doesn’t mean that they are any less of help to the students. Their grades are still expected to be competent enough to teach younger students. As they are still students, they are also familiar with the syllabus.
If budget alone is the problem, then parents should weigh down whether they are affable to hiring a part-time home tutor at a budget-friendly rate or going for a full-time or NIE-trained one but will stretch their budget a bit.
2. What are your child’s needs?
The first thing you should ask before deciding to hire a home tutor is what exactly does your child need. If they are struggling with a certain subject or topic, it’s best to talk to them about it before hiring a tutor. That way, you will also know exactly what to ask a home tuition agency.
Parents should refrain from hiring a home tutor and choosing whatever category based only on the notion that their child needs a home tutor. In what way do they need a home tutor for? Why do they need them? Hiring a home tutor just because isn’t a good answer to any of these questions.
There are many home tutors alone in Singapore. They are experts in different learning areas with different personalities and pedagogies. Sometimes, because we want only the best, we hire the best home tutor and still it wouldn’t do any good for the child.
It is better if you think in your child’s perspective and hire a tutor based on what he/she actually needs. Remember that there are many factors affecting a student’s struggles in class. It doesn’t always mean that they are weak in a subject. Sometimes shyness or anxiety plays a big role in their struggles.
If there is the case of the student having difficulties relating to their peers in class or being afraid to speak up, it’s best to hire a part-time tutor for them. As part-time home tutors are usually students, they have a common ground. They will also relate more to your child’s struggles. They will be less intimidating than an older NIE-trained tutor and will open up more to them.
Apart from age, parents should also look for other factors that might affect their child’s academic. For example, if a student is readily studious and does well in his class but fails during his exams, then a full-time or NIE-trained home tutor may work better for him/her. They will be able to impart more exam techniques and strategies to the student required to score better in their exams.
At the end of the day, ask yourself what does your child need? What are the things a home tutor can do for him to develop his/her skills? What are the things that affect his learning in class and at home? It wouldn’t hurt to talk to your child first before hiring a home tutor.
3. What personalities fit your child?
A home tutor’s personality also plays a role in their career just as much as their pedagogy. Parents should consider what personalities work best for their child and what their child will be comfortable engaging with.
For example, if the child is unruly and needs behavioral guidance, an older, stricter, and more traditional tutor may work better for him/her than a relatable and younger part-timer. If the child is quiet and doesn’t engage well, a friendlier and livelier home tutor may help him/her come out of his/her shell.
It’s understandable that finding out the right personalities may not be an easy thing to do, especially at first glance. But if parents know exactly what personalities jive well or will work well with their child or even if they know their child’s personality at all, a home tuition agency will make sure to take this into consideration while matching a home tutor with a student.
After all, it is 1-to-1 teaching and students should be comfortable and companionable with their home tutors to build a good relationship between them. It’s better for the student to enjoy the company of their home tutor rather than not like them and make learning harder for them because of this.
4. How much are you willing to gamble?
While home tuition isn’t a game for parents, students, and home tutors, it’s basically still a big gamble. A good home tuition agency will do their best to make sure their home tutors fit the students perfectly. But there’s always the risk and possibility of things going awry whether we like it or not.
There are many factors and scenarios wherein home tuition wouldn’t be effective for a certain student. Money spent of the home tutor may be a concern when this happens, but the bigger loss would be the time spent.
If the home tutoring doesn’t work well for the child, then it becomes a total waste because of engaging in an ineffective home tutor. In today’s cutthroat and competitive world, everyone is on the race to be the best they can be – academically or otherwise.
By hiring an experienced and more qualified home tutor, you will be securing a more effective home tutor for your child. And in the grand scheme of things, that is all we could possibly want for our children.
Conclusion
Making a decision in which category should you pick your child’s home tutor from is a tedious task and should be thought out thoroughly. It’s not an easy feat to select the best home tutor for your child.
There are many aspects to consider and it may take a long time for parents to make a decision. If that’s the case, consider reaching out to a home tuition agency and asking for their recommendations based on the factors above.
At the end of the day, home tuition is for the student’s benefit and the rewards they will reap in the future. Whatever decision you will make, consider the advantages of private tuition for your child and what works best for them.
Want to engage in a home tutor? Come talk to us at FamilyTutor, the best home tuition in Singapore. We are a home and online tutoring agency that offers more than 200 subjects for students from pre-school, primary to university-level. We offer tuition in Math, Science, English, Malay, Hindi, among others. We have home tutors in 28 districts and have 8,000 families satisfied with our services.
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
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About FamilyTutor!
FamilyTutor is an established home tuition agency in Singapore! We match suitable home tutors for our clients not just to improve the students' academic grades, but also to build a strong rapport and meaningful relationship with the students and even the their whole family. FamilyTutor put every student in good hands!
If you need an excellent home tutor, feel free to call/WhatsApp us at +65 8777-2168! Our matching service is free!
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FamilyTutor is an established and the people’s favourite home tuition agency in Singapore! We match a suitable tutor for you not just to improve the student’s grade, but also to build a good rapport and meaningful relationship with the student and even with the student’s whole family! With FamilyTutor, every Singaporean son & daughter is in good hands.
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