Tutor, Teacher, Mentor – What’s In A Name?

Whether you call him a tutor, a teacher, a mentor, a thesis adviser even, the adage, “Teachers don’t impact for a year, but for a lifetime,” is true.

And it is because of this truth that a parent must be very discriminating when choosing a home tutor for his or her child. Aside from the huge costs private tuition entails, the teacher’s impact to your son’s or daughter’s life, forever, will be undeniable and indelible.

Tutor’s Aid – Knowledge Is Power

Naturally, the first thing that a parent must evaluate is the list credentials of the candidate – college degree, post-graduate, extra-curricular activities, even.

A factor to the success of home tutoring for your child is the kind of expertise of the tutor you will hire. If your child needs training in Math, better find a mentor who is, at least, a Math major.

Needless to say, check the qualifications, first and foremost. After all, in the words of Louis A. Berman, “A good teacher is a master of simplification and an enemy of simplism.”

The Encouraging Voice Of The Tutor

According to a Chinese proverb, “Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.”

A good private mentor must be the voice of encouragement, if your child is to be coaxed into willingly stepping into the amazing world of discovery and learning.

You may engage the services of a home teacher to help your child with his or her poor grades. Or these tutorial sessions are earmarked to enhance his or her skills in a particular subject.

Whatever the reason, the teacher and student must have good rapport.

Discovering The Pleasures Of Learning With The Private Tutor

A famous, but anonymous, quote about teachers goes, “Leading a child to learning’s treasures, gives a teacher untold pleasures.”

It is, therefore, imperative, that your chosen private teacher is passionate about imparting knowledge. It is through this way that your son or daughter is assured of meaningful, productive and effective learning sessions at home.

This passion can be manifested in the way he or she deals with your child, especially when explaining concepts that are difficult. Another indication is the quality of supplemental exercises he or she develops.

After all, Plato once said, “Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”