Written By: Stephanie Dunaieff
With the school year beginning many parents look into hiring a tutor for their child.
Here is a list of suggested questions to ask a company before hiring them to tutor your child.
1. How do you select the tutors that you hire?
You should be curious about the screening and interview process. Some companies just conduct interviews while other companies have the tutor provide a mock tutoring session. It is important to know if they company has seen the tutor actually tutor.
2. Are your tutors state certified teachers?
Certified teachers have gone through extensive training to learn how to teach. They have learned many strategies to help students learn different concepts They also understand differentiated instruction and will be able to customize the lessons for your child.
3. Are your tutors currently teaching?
The federal and state education standards are constantly changing. If the teacher is currently teaching they are required to take professional development courses and will be up-to-date with the latest standards. It is important for the teacher to understand the concept they are tutoring as well as how the students are expected to answer questions on the state exams.
4. What is the cancellation policy?
Occasionally something will come up and you might have to cancel a session. You want to know if they are flexible with rescheduling. You should also find out how much notice you have to give them if you need to cancel.
5. How many sessions do I have to purchase?
Some companies will require or recommend that your purchase a certain number of sessions up front. As the parent it is important to be able to decide how many sessions you want to purchase.
6. Where are the sessions conducted?
Different children work well in different environments. Some children would learn better in an office setting or a library, while others would prefer to learn at home. Also think about transportation or supervision. If the session is outside of the house someone will need to drive the child to the location. However, if the session is in home an adult should be home.
7. Do you work with the classroom teachers?
The classroom teachers work with the child every day and constantly monitor the child’s progress. When there is open communication between the tutor and the teacher it enhances the learning experience and gives the student as much support as possible.
8. How long is each session?
Each company has different session lengths. Some companies provide 30 minutes, 1 hour, or even 2 hour sessions. However, some companies include travel time and conference time in this session. Therefore an hour session might only be 45 or 50 minutes. Make sure you are getting the most time for your money.
9. What is the return policy?
You might purchase sessions and then change your mind. Ask the company if they have a return policy and how long it is.
10. Do the sessions expire?
Sometimes something comes up and you need to stop tutoring for a period of time. If you have already purchased sessions you would want to know when they expire. Purchasing sessions in advance is only helpful if they do not expire too soon.
