Sometimes when we’re struggling, all we need is a little push and guidance to reach our goals. The right tutor can do just that, but it might seem hard to find the perfect match that would lead you to success. Here are a few tips to help you find the right tutor:

1- Know where to look

–   Online

Many online tutoring platforms or LMS offer a wide variety of tutors and subjects you can choose from.

–   Local Schools

Schools will often offer to put learners or parents in touch with tutors who have helped other students in the past. Parents may feel safer going through a school as they can be sure tutors are vetted and come recommended.

–   Tutoring centers

These private businesses employ a staff of part-time tutors experienced in helping learners. This also often means that the tutoring will take place at the center.

2- Decide what to learn

This tip might seem obvious, but choosing the subject you need help in will allow you to search for your tutors by category. Whether you’d like to learn math, chemistry, or even coding or chess,  need help for your SATs or general assistance in your homework, you can first search for tutors through the subjects they teach.

3- Set your expectations

To narrow down the pool of tutors, have specific criteria in mind- for example, someone who teaches elementary-level math won’t be helpful with university-level statistics (and vice versa), or a tutor that teaches French in Arabic won’t be helpful if the learner is better at comprehending material in English. Look at the person’s experience and educational background, and don’t be afraid to ask questions to better understand if they match the criteria. 

4- Create a learning schedule and look for tutors who are available at those times

Before going on the hunt, decide how many hours of tutoring will be needed per week and on which days the tutoring sessions should take place. When looking for tutors, in addition to the criteria, ask them if they are available at those times and narrow your selection accordingly.

5- Set a budget and stick to it

Money is also an important factor when selecting a tutor. Ask around for rate ranges to figure out what you can afford for the number of hours needed. There’s a tutor out there for every budget, but it’s important to discuss this early on when talking to a potential tutor because if they charge more than the set budget then you can quickly move on to other options.  

6- Ask questions

Once you’ve decided what to expect from your lessons and are ready to meet some tutors, have some questions prepared to get to know them and decide if they’re right for you. Some of the questions could be “How long have you been teaching?” “How old are your students on average?” or “What is your teaching method”.

7- Choose a tutor you feel a connection with

Even though a tutor isn’t meant to be a friend, finding someone you connect with positively can provide the motivation needed to work hard to keep learning and make lessons more interesting.

8- Pick an online platform that suits your needs

Many tutors deliver lessons online. But not only is the right tutor important, but also the technology they use to deliver lessons should be easy to use and access the content and be the primary mode of communication to minimize distractions and enable you to focus on getting value from the tutoring experience. If you decide to choose an online tutor, you will need to find an online platform that is right for you. With oktopi for example, you can do all that to stay organized and have the tutor deliver online or in-person, and pay them online safely via the platform. You can also search for and find the right tutor for you while still checking all of these boxes. If you found a tutor through other means, you can always invite them to create an account and deliver lessons on the platform. And if you have multiple tutors, then all content and sessions can take place in the same place for centralized access to all your learning content.

9- Be open-minded

Finally, the last tip for you is to stay open-minded in your search and choices, as you never know who might surprise you. You might even find the best tutor in the world when and where you least expect it!