More Than Academics: How 1:1 Education Can Provide Students With Mentorship Support
As education in a post-pandemic society has begun to shift to digital and hybrid learning spaces, something else has happened to education in the United States. More families are turning to 1:1 education than before, and it’s drastically changing the way students learn.
One-on-one educational models go beyond just changing K-12 curriculum and how it is presented. They also provide students with mentorship support across the board.
AN ACTIVE MENTOR OUTSIDE OF PARENTS OR GUARDIANS
Many adults can think back on their childhood and pinpoint a teacher, scout leader, or non-relative adult they looked up to as mentors. However, not all children interact with adults outside of a classroom. Unfortunately, classrooms with more than one student don’t always offer the opportunity for a child to interact with their teachers in a traditional mentorship role, as their teachers have many other responsibilities and students.
An opportunity to learn 1:1 – even for a single academic subject – can offer students the opportunity to engage with an adult other than their parents or guardians. This is important to helping students learn how to interact with adults in a healthy way.
STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO LEARN FROM MISTAKES & WORK THROUGH THEM
Many of us also remember a time from school when even our most beloved teacher handed us back a grade, project, or assignment with a mistake on it. It felt crushing to receive this feedback from teachers we admired, and part of this was the understanding that they didn’t always have the time to go over that mistake with us compassionately or helpfully.
This points to one of the upsides of 1:1 teaching. Students will make mistakes – that is part of learning. Rather than receiving an assignment back with marks on it they may or may not understand, 1:1 interaction allows students to discuss their project with their teachers and learn at their own pace. It gives students the time and opportunity to work through their mistakes and learn from them, discouraging the shame associated with having made a mistake that other students may not have made.
Discussing mistakes, owning up to them, and learning from them also helps students with emotional intelligence.
FOSTERING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Discussing homework mistakes is only one sort of discussion that a child might have with a trusted adult. One-on-one schooling environments allow children to openly discuss problems, fears, successes, and more with a trusted adult, which helps their emotions mature and develop healthily. They learn to listen to others, think and empathize with others, and reflect upon their thoughts to broaden them.
Additionally, students learn to open up about things they have issues with rather than holding back. As they grow, this helps them with confidence as it helps them see others’ points of view.
Access to personalized learning can make a massive difference in a student’s education quality. But 1:1 education not only positively impacts academic performance; it also positively impacts emotional growth, helping your child find themselves in an often uncertain world.