Expensive Tutoring versus Investment Tutoring
“Why is tutoring so expensive?” is a frequently Googled question.
Well, not all tutors are expensive. Prices may range from $15 – $75 per hour for coursework and $80 – $200 per hour for standardized test prep.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “you get what you pay for.” Well, that is greatly the case with tutoring.
So, what should you look for when choosing the best tutor for you or your student? Well, determine whether a tutor is too expensive or an investment into your student’s success. Here are some things to look for or even ask tutors when interviewing them to help determine whether they are too expensive or an investment.
In sessions…
Tutors should be able to think on the spot to keep lessons engaging, challenging, and optimized with extra value.
For Academic Tutoring:
Tutors are an investment if they effortlessly get to know a student’s learning style enough to foresee potential questions and ask students these questions before the students even ask them, because students are often lost when it comes to knowing where to start and forget the questions they had during class or while doing homework.
Tutors are an investment if they are able to identify trouble spots and trouble shoot with alternate ways of conveying subject matter, alternate tactics for solving problems, or alternate strategies for answering questions, more conducive to a student’s learning style, because one way does not fit all learning styles.
Tutors are an investment if they are able to go beyond homework or test study guides projecting what else may be covered on a test, develop new questions to test what students have learned, as well as develop more challenging questions to help students gain insight into the topic at hand so as to answer any question with the fundamentals, because the test will always have those questions that “were not in the homework or covered on the study guide”.
Tutors are an investment if they do not immediately answer students’ questions, give formulas to solve problems, or define words—yep, I did say do not immediately answer students’ questions. Tutors should guide students into answering their own questions, recalling formulas, or cutting words apart to define them, on their own… or tutors should at least encourage students to always try on their own first before asking or researching.
While tutors should always try guide students into answering their own questions first, when the students are totally stumped and enough time has passed, tutors are an investment if they are able to answer questions on the spot. However, tutors won’t always have answers to questions, and should be able to admit to not knowing the answer, and either guide students on how to research it, or research it for the student, on their own time, and pass on the information during off-time. Chances are—if the tutor could not answer a question, it may be a hard one to research, so the tutor may have to take it upon themselves to investigate and help the students on their own time between lessons.
For Test Prep:
While all the above applies to test prep tutors, there are some other things to look for when determining whether they are too expensive or an investment.
Tutors are an investment when they bring practice materials to sessions, because students may or may not have started prep on their own, and thus will not have questions to ask or help to request. Actually, with test prep, students want guidance and structure, from day one. Even if students have already started prep on their own, they sometimes get overwhelmed with all the material and work, that they forget to mark their questions or trouble spots, so they may show up to sessions without questions or problems to work on.
Tutors are an investment when they ask more questions than students ask. Standardized exams test the fundamentals that students will have learned in school, so tutors should guide students with relevant critical questions facilitating them into recalling and refreshing and answering practice test questions on their own, or at least encourage students to try recall, refresh and answer questions on their own first. At the same time, tutors should also know when to jump in and guide or re-gear students.
Tutors should keep track of their students’ progress, so as to know how to start sessions and progress through lessons by prioritizing, organizing, and focussing based on students’ individual needs.
Tutors are an investment when the lessons they teach in test prep sessions facilitate better grades in classes or other standardized tests.
Tutors are an investment when their students naturally and progressively become more organized, time efficient, responsible, and out-spoken in the rest of their lives. You know you have a good tutor when students start keeping their desks clean and clear!
Between sessions…
Tutors are an investment when they are proficient in the subjects they teach, which means have thorough understanding as well as insight into the subjects they teach. However, tutors should still prep before sessions. Moreover, a tutor is an investment if they specify the subjects/topics/tests they teach rather than say they can do it all or can do anything. Would you want someone who studied and focussed on plumbing rewiring your house?
Tutors are an investment if they ask students to send the topics, worksheets or problems they want to work on prior to sessions, with enough time to refresh on them and even prep for further questions or problems to practice with.
Tutors are an investment when they provide supplementary reading or practice materials for students to work on between sessions or before tests.
Tutors are an investment if they are available via email, text message, phone or video chat to help answer questions that come up before tests or for emotional support. Students are more courageous and confident when they have a lifeline!
Tutors who constantly work/study to gain more insight into their specified subject matter and to learn new/alternate ways of conveying information/teaching, or develop strategies/tactics to better help individual students, are an investment, because all students learn differently and even though every topic has been covered on YouTube, not every student’s learning style has been assessed, meaning there’s always a better way to teach a topic. Furthermore, not one student is the same, and not one session will go the same way, even if it involves the exact same worksheet.
Sessions or Not…
Tutors who innately develop long-term relationships are an investment, because they will also be good mentors.
Tutors who inspire students and/or parents to maintain a consistent schedule, even if they are already achieving straight-As, are an investment, because the students and/or parents recognize the quality and value they are receiving that will benefit students’ futures.
Tutors who engage in students’ occasional chit chat about non-educational things are an investment, because students also like having an older friend [who is not a parent… ha] who is interested in them and what they do. This is a part of developing relationships which will inspire students to maintain a schedule with their tutors and further inspire them to achieve more to make their tutor proud.
Tutors who are the first to know about students’ achievements—well, maybe after parents— are an investment. Meaning students are drawn to their tutor’s positivity, optimism, enthusiasm, and encouragement so much that they can’t wait to tell them about their achievements or cool things that happened. Don’t we all want a friend like that!
While As in class or high scores on standardized tests are students’ goals, parents’ goals, and tutors’ goals, it doesn’t stop there. Tutors are an investment if they aim to teach and mentor young students for success in the future, so much so that their students won’t need tutors in college, pre-professional schools, or on other standardized tests. Basically, this means a tutor is an investment when they aim to create independent problem solvers. Yeah, this seems like a non-sustaining business model for tutors, but students will keep coming—new ones are born everyday!
What it all comes down to is—a tutor is an investment if the quality and value they add to a student’s academic life is impactful enough to lead students into overall successful futures.
Oh… and most of all, expensive tutoring is an investment if all of the above can be accomplished in minimal amount of time per week. If a tutor is an investment, they will optimize all time spent with and for students.
The question should be “Is an expensive tutor an investment?”