Is Tutoring Just About Improving Grades? We Don’t Think So.

We often hear students say that they don’t need a tutor. “I already have all A’s,” they say. Or, “I’m sure I can just study harder and get the results I want.” What so many students (and their parents) don’t realize is that there are many benefits associated with the tutorial relationship, regardless of grade level, GPA, or learning style. A strong tutoring relationship, one that is based on flexibility, customized learning plans, and confidence-building, has countless benefits for all types of students, especially when it comes to teaching them how they learn best. So, what are those benefits?

Tailor-Made Lessons for a Student’s Particular Needs

In a 1:1 environment, tutors create individualized study plans tailored to a student’s exact needs. In this model, each student’s learning style and pace are front and center. Does having classical music playing in the background help your student feel calm and focused? Does drawing out the plot of a story help a student remember and make sense of relationships between characters for English class? In a 1:1 environment, tutors can guide students as they experiment with what works best for them.

Flexibility to Best Serve Students

Flexibility is key to the 1:1 tutoring relationship. Tutors and students can meet at the times that best work for the student and approach learning in ways that best fit the student’s learning profile. If a student struggles with time management, they might benefit from daily, short check ins. If a student has a busy sports schedule, they might benefit from an extended weekend session. Maybe a student doesn’t know what would be best for them. A good tutor can help them find that out. The most successful tutoring relationships are formed when the perfect tutor is selected to meet each child’s individual needs. Sometimes, that even involves a tutor helping to figure out what those needs are. 

Nonjudgmental & Trusting Relationships

In 1:1 tutoring, students also have the opportunity to develop nonjudgmental and trusting relationships with a mentor figure. Studies have shown that  “good tutor/student relationships increase student motivation, effort, engagement, satisfaction, learning, and achievement.” If a student trusts their tutor, they are more likely to show up and pay attention. When a tutor connects with their student on a personal level, they have the tools to make them feel seen, heard, and supported. Tutoring provides a lower pressure situation where a student and tutor can approach things collectively in a less stressful way than a traditional classroom. This environment encourages students to be honest about what they are having difficulty with. This is why students gain significant academic growth after working with tutors. 

While academic growth and better grades are an obvious benefit of 1:1 tutoring, the biggest improvement students often see after working with tutors in this flexible, customized format is an increase in confidence and self advocacy. This is because they are not just learning about specific academic topics. They are also learning how they learn best, which leads to a lifelong love of education and growth. 

Get the Results that Matter

A parent recently wrote to us to say: “Before my daughter began working with her tutor, she had low math scores and very low self esteem around her academic abilities. Within a year, she is an A student but, most importantly, her confidence has grown, which has had a positive impact on her self esteem and other areas of her life.” Feedback like this truly points to the benefits of tutoring. This child didn’t just raise her grades. She learned that she had the ability and confidence to succeed, in math and in everyday life.