Teenagers can be quite difficult to tutor and many will throw obstacles in the way. Whether it’s a student who just doesn’t seem to care or a student with too much pride who doesn’t want to be tutored – teenagers are a weird bunch. However, we’ve compiled a list of ways to make the whole experience more enjoyable and also more productive.
Interests
Finding out what makes then tick goes a long way to catering for their needs and getting them interested in your lessons. Finding out what they do in their spare time can go a long way to achieving this and giving you a good idea of the way they like to learn. For example, if it’s a teenager who likes shopping, then use shopping related questions and put things in context if you’re their math’s tutor. Being creative as a tutor will significantly help with students.
Questions
Asking plenty of questions is very important – whether it’s questions about the specific subject or questions about their lives. It’s essential to ask things to get an idea of what gets them thinking and interested and also to see if they know the subject matter. Some children might find it a lot easier to complete something by simply performing a set out formula, but asking them to explain why takes things to another level. Questions are a great way for the student to learn and also you to learn about the student.
Listening
Of course, the opposite action of listening is also important. Listen to them, be sincere and take an interest. There’s no point asking question if you don’t want to hear the answer.
Accomplish
One of the things we advise our tutors to do at MyTutorWeb is if they accomplish something – celebrate it. Even though teenagers don’t particularly look like they care for praise, they do more-so than most other age groups. This time is a very delicate one and positive praise can be a big help. Students can be self-conscious about tutoring, thinking it’s because they’re stupid or some other negative issue – praising them concretes that this is not the case and increases morale, which will help them adapt and encourage them.
Study Skills
You’d be amazed at the number of children that do poorly in tests simply because they don’t have study skills. Teaching children how to sit down and properly study is more important now that it’s ever been before. Teaching methods of scheduling, organisation and other information will be of benefit to children now and through life itself.
Talk to the teen, evaluate them and perhaps even discuss it with parents and teachers to find the best way to help them study. Different children study well in different ways and so diagrams, flash cards and other ways to study can help greatly.
Be Ahead
Staying a step ahead of what your student is studying in school is a big part of really helping children with tutoring and allowing them get the most from school. This will encourage them to be more interested when the concept comes to school and allows them to pick up more info the second time around.
Hands-on
Being hands-on and interactive is a great way to get children to take an interest and gather information. Interactive teaching through the use of the web and TV is a great way to get people’s attention. Instead of lecturing with notes, teach them concepts in this creative manner and watch as they flourish.
Be Fresh
Finally, try and stay fresh as this will greatly help them and prevent them getting bored. Break the routine to keep them interested. Whether it’s working outside for a lesson, starting with reading or using a tablet computer – using different approaches helps greatly in keeping children interested – so use them.
These tips should keep teens interested in their work and allow them to make the most of their tutoring.
Cormac Reynolds has worked for a number of online tutoring sites. He is a lover of quality educational resources and sees them as vital to success.