How Personalized Tutoring Can Help Students Succeed

My experience in tutoring has taught me how important personalized learning is for students, especially in this moment with the pandemic. With school being through Zoom, there is less flexibility and more limitations for teachers to accommodate for learning styles than when instruction was in-person. 

Research from RAND, a non-profit think tank, has shown that there are aspects of personalized learning that can lead to higher outcomes in the K-12 education system in the U.S. I have tutored for almost a year now through Zoom and have implemented many of the same strategies I used when I tutored in-person. I try to create a learning experience that is best suited for an individual student, which is what personalized tutoring is all about. 

What are some ways that we can ensure success of students through personalized tutoring?

Build communication with teachers and parents

I always try to communicate with teachers and parents as much as I can, as I know that communication is key in making sure that everyone is in the loop.  In this time where we are not in-person, there may be a bit of a disconnect between students, teachers, and parents.  Oftentimes, there may be a miscommunication with students on something related to their work that can be resolved through their teacher.

For example, sometimes students are unsure of instructions related to an assignment, or just didn’t fully understand the assignment in general. Students can do this directly by contacting their teacher, but if there is a struggle in understanding a concept or lack of clarity with instructions, a tutor can step in and help. 

It is also equally important to keep parents in the loop as well, so they can have updates on how their child is improving and what areas they are struggling in. Due to COVID, many parents' work situations have changed to being remote, or even having to adjust to their work schedule to stay at home with their children. Consequently, there is a lot of pressure and work placed on parents to play the role as a supervisor, educator, and be a working professional at the same time.

Help encourage students’ strengths, and promote the idea that working hard leads to success mentality

I have found that it is always important to promote students strengths, but to never frame their weaknesses as a negative. It’s important for students to understand that if they work hard, they will always be able to get better at something. This is also known as the “growth” mindset, where a study published by the journal Nature, has shown that  when you teach students that effort is instrumental in improving intellectual abilities, students' test scores can increase. 

This helps to teach students that failures aren’t a limitation, but in fact can help them to see it as an opportunity for growth.

Build communication skills to ask for help

I used to be shy when I was a kid, and was hesitant to ask questions in class when I had trouble, in fear of being “laughed at”. I’ve noticed many students - even throughout college also have this very same fear. I have also noticed how much students go from being shy in seeking help during tutoring sessions, end up asking questions and being fully engaged. 

During my sessions, I always try to ask guiding questions to students so they can get to the right answer. This also leads to them feeling more comfortable to ask questions. Because students are also in a 1:1 setting, they feel more comfortable asking for help. 

Nadia Ahmad-Chacko (6th Grade Math Teacher at Hale Charter) is a teacher who has students in the Step Up Tutoring program has noticed a difference in students who are a part of the program:

“Those students that are part of the program, they are asking questions. There is always this, ‘Does anyone have any questions’, and there are crickets, right? But those students, they want clarification, they definitely are more consistent now, because of this program. And it’s because it started a few weeks in [to the semester] that I saw them raw, and I’ve seen what’s happened. So thank you.” 

You don’t know what you don’t know

Class settings can be large, and with school being online - I’ve found that students have more difficulty in being able to access their teacher for help. Teachers have a lot on their plates, especially right now. In more individualized instruction, it’s a quicker process to pick up on any difficulties a student may be having and to resolve those right away. Students themselves may not even know what they’re struggling in, or if they are completing a problem incorrectly.

We are at a critical moment in our nation, and extra time and help with personalized tutoring can be essential to student success

Students all across the United States have been going to school online for more than a year now. This can cause some distress for students, as they are not used to the online-learning format. Personalized tutoring provides more time for students to practice and develop their understanding of specific concepts, especially for those students who are currently struggling with online school-work. It’s needed now more than ever, to inspire our future generation to their full potential!

Today’s Tutor Thoughts are brought to you by Mitra Beiglari, a volunteer tutor with Step Up Tutoring. If you’d like to become a volunteer tutor and provide personalized tutoring to help students succeed, you can apply here.