What Makes a Good Math & Science Tutor

Does an expensive tutor always equate to a good tutor? How does one know what should come with a good tutor who produces results? A good English tutor may not necessarily make a good Math tutor and vice versa. Here, we discuss what makes a good Math & Science tutor, since these 2 subjects usually come together in the tuition industry. It makes sense because they belong to the same group of academic discipline.

Strong Logical Reasoning

A language tutor may not have strong logical reasoning, and this is good reason enough why a language tutor may not make a good Math & Science tutor. A good tutor does more than getting the student to practice on assessment books and marking them, and then going through mistakes using guided answers from books. Anyone can do those! To begin with, not all assessment books are good. A tutor with strong logical reasoning can understand his student’s struggle – where he got stuck at, where he misunderstood the question, or where he learnt the wrong way. A good tutor with strong logical reasoning will be able to correct a student appropriately by understanding his student’s thought flow. A good tutor can provide a strong logical flow for his student’s thought process, helping him to excel in all kinds of Math & Science questions.

Strong Grasp of Concepts

Another reason why a language tutor cannot make a good Math & Science tutor is the weak grasp of concepts. One can’t possibly be good in everything. A specialized Math & Science Tutor should have a strong understanding of concepts. This is important because it helps the tutor to be more flexible to cater to his student’s learning needs. Some tutors teach directly from the textbook because they do not have depth in their understanding. They only rely on what the textbooks or guidebooks mention. They will not teach anything beyond those content. Students who learn better by linking knowledge will always remain clueless and mediocre because their tutors are unable to link concepts or knowledge in a way that makes sense to them.

Variety of Teaching Methods

Not every student understands concepts the same way. There are many ways to teach, and a good Math & Science tutor should be able to adapt his teaching style to his student’s learning needs. It could be about using some creativity to help a student memorize a certain formula or some trigonometry equations; it could be about explaining how models work in problem sums, a good tutor comes empowered with tricks up his sleeves to help his student get it.

Conclusion

If you are looking to improve your child’s Math and/or Science subjects, do not simply approach his English tutor to take him for Math / Science just because there is already good rapport built. Get a tutor who is more specialized. However, not every tutor who is specialized is good. If you are wondering if there’s any way to tell before you sign the tuition contract, unfortunately there is no way. Let the tutor start teaching for about a month, get feedback from the tutor after every session on how your child is doing and hear from your child about what he is taught during tuition. Some warning signs to discontinue tuition would be:

1. If tutor strictly follows an assessment book / guide book to teach
2. If tutor is unable to help your child understand concepts
3. If tutor simply follows a certain way to solve problems or answer questions all the time without explaining why
4. If tutor does not help your child to link his concepts or knowledge

It is not easy to find a tutor who can develop rapport with your child and also teach well. If you are looking for good Math and Science tutors, look no further than Edu Aid Tuition Services for a wide range of quality tutors.