8 Signs it’s Time to Switch Tutors Not every relationship is forever, and that includes tutors. Each tutor has their own style, and that style might be a bad match for your child. Have patience, however. It can take some time before a student starts showing improvement, especially if their foundations are poor, they struggle …
9 Tips for Interacting with Your Child’s Tutor Tutoring works best when children are given the right balance of space and support. Giving this space is difficult, however, if your child’s tutor isn’t communicative. Your child’s tutor should give you regular updates, including what needs to improve and a general plan going forward. Without these …
Moving the Goalposts Besides preparing a student for their exam, a huge aspect of tutoring is managing parents’ expectations. A good example of this is the case of Maxine (not her real name, obviously). She was a fast learner, a hard worker, and a straight A student, so I was concerned when she bombed her …
Kid Freak Out! What to Do Kids need to release pressure, and they don’t always do so in the best way (you heard it here first). They may say they’re not going to take their test. They may promise to do poorly on purpose or something even crazier. Maybe they mean it; maybe they don’t, …
When Your Child Doesn’t Care about Their Test This is a tough situation for any parent and my sympathy is with you. Before I give you my answer, though, there are two different types of not caring. There’s not caring and doing the work and not caring and not doing the work. If it’s the …
Don’t Listen to Other Parents I tell students not to listen to their friends, because their friends lie. My advice to parents is similar. You can listen to other parents, but be careful of who you trust and how much you let them affect your mood. Parents don’t lie as much as students do, but …
How to Handle Complaining I don’t care if students complain about tutoring or their test, and I don’t care if they stare at me like I just stole their birthday when I assign homework. I do care if a student does their work, has confidence in their ability and aces their test. I want students …
How to Handle a Bad Test Score A bad test score can be a big shock, but it can also be the motivation your child needs to improve. Here’s what to do if your child didn’t meet their goals. If your child can take the test again Sign up for another exam Signup for the …
Honestly and Rarely: How to talk about Standardized Tests with Your Child The best way to talk with your child about their standardized test is honestly and rarely. The case for honesty Standardized tests are stupid and important. They’re stupid because they’re used as a determinant of future success, even though they only measure one …
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Make a Schedule: Test Prep 101 As I say in Honestly and Rarely: How to Talk about Standardized Tests with Your Child, the more you talk about standardized tests with your child, the less they’ll want to study. Unfortunately, you have to check that they’re doing their work. The best way to do so is …
