What To Look For When Hiring a Tutor
Whether you are looking for a tutor for your child or for yourself, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are my tips for finding a tutor that is a good fit for your needs.
Ask about the highest educational degree the tutor has earned. Look for advanced degrees. Terminal degrees mean more expertise and a deeper understanding of the subject. For artists, this is the MFA. For other fields, it will be a PhD.
Ask about prior teaching experience or certifications. Knowing the content is one thing, and teaching it effectively is another. A more experienced tutor will have a proven track record of planning and delivering high quality lessons. Teacher certifications mean the teacher has completed training programs and understands the mechanics of sharing knowledge in their subject area with others.
Consider the tutor’s approachability. Look at their website, social media profiles, and written statements to see how they think and what their personalities are like. Wyzant even lets you see how quickly a tutor typically responds to students, which can tell you a lot about how motivated that tutor is to find new students.
Make sure their prices match their level of expertise and experience. More highly qualified teachers have had more schooling and have invested more time into their subject and into their teaching, so they should be paid a premium. Make sure that if the tutor’s prices are on the higher end, they have the credentials and experience to back it up. Also make sure they are charging a high enough rate for their level of expertise and not selling themselves short—charging a rate that matches their level of experience shows that the tutor has confidence in what they are doing
Articulate your goals to the tutor and see how they respond. When students reach out with specific ideas about their learning goals, such as, ‘I want to prepare my portfolio for acceptance into my school’s art program,’ the tutor will have a much clearer idea of how to help.
Look for a tutor who charges more if it means they aren’t stretching themselves too thin. The reality is that many tutors also have other jobs, so inevitably you probably won’t be their only student. If you see a high price tag on a teacher’s website, it could mean they are being mindful about how many clients to take on. The quality of the teaching may be better if the teacher has fewer students, because they will not have as much other work to think about. Invest a little more now, for greater gains in the long run.
I hope these tips help you with your search for a new Art tutor. Book your first lesson with me here, and rest assured that it is backed by Wyzant’s guarantee.
