Science is a fun subject but it can also be a demanding subject as we move up each level. There are several barriers to learning Science and a student requires cognitive abilities, practical opportunities and motivational beliefs to master the subject.
As Science is demanding, how can we find the right Science tutor for our child? Here is a list of 7 mistakes to avoid while finding a Science tutor for our child.
1. Not discussing with your child
As parents, we all want to support our children as best as we can. We also need to respect their decision and comfort level of getting a tutor as well. If you noticed your child struggled a lot on the subject and in need of support, do explain the benefits of getting a tutor and have a positive discussion so that he will buy into the idea of hiring if you know your child really needs help.
2. Not knowing you and/or your child’s goal
Do you want to just get good grades or are you looking at learning more depth of the subject? In other words, is it for performance goals or learning goals?
A performance goal is a short term result where all you wanted is just to pass the test or exam whereas a learning goal is a long term result where you learn the material more in-depth with the ability to apply to different situations.
Therefore, you need to know your goals in order to search for the right type of tutor.
3. Not keeping expectations within a reasonable range
There is no guarantee that with tutoring, your child will score TOP or the result jumping a few notches ahead. There are several possible causes and factors such as matching teaching and learning style, the motivational level of the child, the connection between the tutor and the child and etc can affect the results.
Children generally do what is expected of them. If you set high expectations, they will live up to those expectations. If you expect little of them, then they will give that very little. Do take note that if you do not set too high expectations that indirectly setting your child up for failure and causing undue stress on him/her.
4. Not being involved
A tutor may be responsible to teach and help your child to remove the struggle of learning Science but he/she is not 100% responsible. As a parent, you will also need to monitor your child’s progress and assist your child during the non-tutoring period.
A common mistake that many parents made is being totally hands-off from the situation, assuming all will be handled by the tutor. Note that tutor is only available during the tutoring period. Is good to always ask feedback from your child and keep track of your child’s progress and his/her attitude towards the study. At the same time, check with the tutor about your child’s attitude as well and see if it’s a match or a mismatch between your child and the tutor.
5. Hiring based on cost
When comes to hiring tutor, one of the factors is cost. Different levels of tutors charge differently. The higher educated and more experienced tutor, the higher the cost. Although cost can affect the qualification type of tutor you are hiring, do make sure you do not over-stretch your pocket or stinge on the cost.
Having said that, some Science tutor does put in the effort to create some hands-on experiments for the lesson. If they do, the extra cost may be involved. Do take note!
6. Not giving enough time for your child to rest
Sometimes parents overlooked and thinking since adults can have a packed day and we survived, so can the child. Is good to train them how to manage their time and keep them occupied but there is a limit to it and we need to guide them step by step.
We always think that as long as the schedule doesn’t clash, e.g. Science tuition and piano lesson do not fall on the same date and time, the child is able to move on from one lesson to another. We have to bear in mind the child needs a break in-between lessons. Packing the schedule can actually burn them out instead of helping them.
Furthermore Science lesson can be taxing as it entails loads of thinking skill, collection of information, solving of problems and putting what they learn in place.
7. Not showing support
The tutor is responsible for the results. Do note that your child does look forward to the parent’s attention and support during their learning journey. Without that, a child may not feel motivated and engaged in learning. Research has been done to indicate parental involvement has an impact on a child’s learning process. You may refer to this article for more details: Parental involvement plays key role in children’s academic attainment, research shows.
Conclusion
You need to understand how much tutoring your child needs and how effective the tutoring is for your child and finding the right tutor who is able to customised to your child’s learning style. With some effort and avoiding the mistakes stated above, you will be able to find the right tutor and keeping him/her.
We hope you find this useful when you are looking for a Science tutor for your child.
If you have more tips/suggestions to share, or if you have questions in regards to looking for the right tutor, do comment in the comment box and we will get back as soon as we can. Stay safe!