Teaching the Individual.

Every student learns in his own way. Teachers cannot possibly teach in 25 different ways. This is the seed of academic struggle.

So often in my work, I see students suffering from crises of confidence. These students were often strong achievers in the past, students who enjoyed school.  But due to a change in teaching methods, a shift in material (algebra to geometry is often a doozy), or the gradual decrease in explicit teacher instruction and support that naturally happens in secondary school, students who once did well suddenly find themselves struggling. They put in the same effort, use the same learning and study techniques, but cannot get the same results. This causes frustration, a drop in confidence, and often a step back from work, a step back from effort. After all, why should a student risk the effort when the results are bad?

Exhortations to "work harder" or "study more" don't work. This is because working harder in the wrong way does not produce better results; it only produces more frustration. Who can blame our students for stepping back?

Enter the tutor. A good tutor can work alongside a student to discover how he learns best. As a tutor, I spend so much time watching and listening. I can learn so much from observing how a student works through an algebra problem, listening as he tries to explain the main argument of his essay. A good tutor responds to the student she has in front of her. She has an arsenal of flexible techniques and explanations, and will try them all out until she sees that look of relief, of understanding in her student's eyes.  

Building the Learner

A good tutor must also go beyond reviewing and reteaching classroom material to help the student build habits of successful learning. Working through homework is a very isolated exercise. It is helpful in the moment, but not helpful the next night when the tutor isn't there, not helpful during the next test when the student finds himself drawing a blank. I believe any good educator must not only teach students material, but must also teach students how to learn material on their own. A good tutor will use homework, quizzes and discussions with her student to pinpoint patterns of learning that are getting in the way of success. Students must be taught how to recognize moments of confusion, what resources to use to resolve that confusion, and, once resolved, how to make what they've learned stick. Students need to learn how to organize materials across classes, how to simultaneously plan short- and long-term assignments. They must learn repeatable, predictable methods for planning, drafting and revising written work. They must understand how to build effective study materials as they work through a course, not in a mad rush before a big exam.  

There is so much work involved in becoming a successful, independent student. It is easy to assume that students just pick these skills up naturally as they go through school. Some do. Many don't. As an educator, I always have an eye to building the learner. Will I teach my student how to factor that pesky quadratic? Yes. But I will also teach him how to explain his specific confusion with quadratics, note what he learns to clear up that confusion, and return to that note when testing time comes around. My students learn how to learn. They learn how to learn so well, that quite often, they learn that they no longer need a tutor.