What Makes An Effective Tutor?

Part 4: Working Toward Independence

What can seem like a great student-tutor match may actually be detrimental to a student in the long run if the tutor is functioning as a crutch. We often think about the old proverb, “Feed a man a fish and he will eat for a night; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime” – a good tutor or private SAT tutor is always trying to teach the student to fish and leave the student independently successful. A tutor should be a mentor and a coach, but never an assistant.

Tutoring should be about building skills for life success as much as student success. In Part 3 below, we discussed our view of student achievement through the three-layered prism of the What, How, and Why. We believe that independence must be built in all three of these areas.

In the What layer (subject matter understanding), students must not simply learn to memorize formulas or methods needed to succeed on one test or assignment, but rather, they need to be taught to grasp the underlying concepts at hand. That level of depth of understanding will stick with a student and forms the foundation for future independent understanding.

When it comes to the How layer (fundamental student skills), a tutor must work with the student to build long-lasting skills relating to organization, time management, studying, writing, problem-solving, presenting, student-teacher interaction, etc., etc. These skills, if truly ingrained in a student’s habits and understanding, will provide the bedrock for success in college, graduate school, and an eventual career – all well beyond the tutor’s time with the student.

It is often true foundational strides in the above areas that leads to real changes in a student’s confidence, motivation, and attitude, or what we call the Why of school. A student that succeeds but feels that he or she did so mainly because of a tutor’s help is not going to have gained any inner confidence from tutoring, and any increase in motivation will likely be short-lived. But when a student really begins to believe in his or herself, it can result in a whole new attitude, and the results can be staggering. This is why we come to work every day!