3 tips to fit online tutoring around your busy schedule
Updated: Sep 30, 2022
Preparation is key
If you already have a busy schedule, you’ll know that preparation is key to a successful week. P.E. kits by the door the night before, lunchboxes filled and ready to go, clothes out, ready to get dressed in the morning.
These seemingly small tasks, which we train ourselves to do in order to get through a normal working week, make all the difference to the way we start our day and usually how the rest of it goes after leaving the house.
The ability to fit online tuition sessions around a busy schedule is no different to this. Having an online tuition session planned at the same time each week will help you get into a routine and after a couple of weeks, getting prepared ahead of time for the session will become a habit too.
Before you start with your online tuition sessions, discuss with the tutor what technology and equipment will be needed during the sessions.
If it’s a maths session, it might be that your child will be asked to complete some work using a scientific calculator or perhaps the tutor uses an online programme, such as Bit Paper, that will be required to be ready at the start of each session. Certainly, you will be using some sort of face-to-face communication software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, which will need to be ready to go before the session starts, along with a camera and microphone, so that the online tuition session can go ahead at the planned time.
Taking steps to prepare for the activities that are happening during the day will help you and your child feel more in control and organised.
This will mean that you are able to attend each online tuition session on time and ready to learn and get the most out of the time you have with your online tutor.
Find an online tutor that will fit
When you have a busy schedule, filled with appointments, extra-curricular clubs and just day-to-day errands, fitting in yet one more thing can feel like an impossible feat.
However, there are many different types of tutors out there to enable you to find one that will fit into your schedule.
Some tutors work weekends, most do nights and some even work in the school holidays.
Here are 5 tips to find an online tutor that will suit your family (read more here)
Research different tutors that you could use, for example, independent tutors, tutors that work as part of an agency or tutors that other families you know have used and compile a list of ones you think could be suitable
Create a ‘non-negotiable’ list about what you want from a tutor. When you want the sessions to take place for example, or if you want tutors that work in the school holidays
Ask perspective tutors what hours/days/times of year they do and do not work
Ask perspective tutors to see their terms and conditions to get a full understanding about what happens if you miss or are late to a session
If it doesn’t work with the chosen tutor, then give notice and try again – there are many different online tutors out there to choose from
Commitment and consistency
As with most things, commitment and consistency with your online tuition sessions is necessary in order to see progress in your child’s knowledge and understanding.
Online tuition is a great tool to support your child’s progress in their learning: it can suit a busy schedule, generally being more flexible than face-to-face, save time in travel and costs and is a fantastic use of multimedia resources to help your child develop the skills they will need to succeed in a digital age (read more about why online tuition will work for your family here). However, missing sessions or being late on a regular basis will compromise the effectiveness of the sessions and may lead to slow progress, or none at all.
Before you commit ask yourself the following questions,
Will we be able to turn up on time (almost) every time?
Does this time suit all the members of the family?
What will happen in the holidays?
If it’s a Monday, what will happen to the sessions during a bank holiday?
Is the day/time I’m considering suitable for my child? Will they be too tired after school, for example? Might a weekend suit better?
How flexible is the tutor if there is an unseen problem with the session time/day? What do the terms and conditions say about missing or being late to a session?
Online tuition is a great option for many families and can fit easily around busy schedules with the right preparation and consideration beforehand.
Ultimately, each and every family is different and has different needs and luckily, there are also many different kinds of tutor out there for you to choose from. Do you research, ask the right questions and find one that will fit with you, and you with them.
Want to find out more about how our tutors could support your child in their transition into secondary school?
Contact enquiries@mysecondarytutoronline.com for more information on the services we offer.
Want to read more about online tuition?
Head to one of the following articles to read more,
Helping your child if they're struggling with transition to secondary school
Secondary Maths Help: The Central Importance of the Number-line