What do students need from a tutor?

What students need from a tutor varies depending on what caused the student to seek tutoring support. This should come as no surprise. A student that is failing all his classes in 7th grade will not be looking for the same support that a 10th grader getting a C in Biology (the first C of her life) will be looking for.

Even though the subject help and the intensity of the tutor may differ from case to case, there are some common elements that come into play in most tutoring cases.

Connection, Rapport. One common element is connection, or rapport. Students seek someone who understands their particular situation, sees a way to improvement, and can lead them to that place. The basic foundation needed for this to work is trust between the student and the tutor. This trust must be earned by the tutor, usually in the first couple of sessions, and an experienced, skilled tutor is very good at forming this connection.

Patience.Another element is patience. Students need to feel like the tutor believes improvement is possible, and that the tutor will be there until the improvement starts to come. Sometimes, there is a time delay. Sometimes, the delay is long. But patience from the tutor will help instill persistence from the student.

Inspiration and MotivationThe tutor needs to have a plan for getting the student back on track, and needs to see the little steps along the way that will lead to that plan. Focusing on the little victories along the way can help keep the student motivated for the long haul. The tutoring support then becomes about what the action step is right now, rather than focusing on big, far off goals that can look scary. Once momentum builds, the big goal suddenly doesn't look so far away, and becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.