At Brooklyn Math Tutors, we have one mission: to help you achieve your academic goals! During our one-on-one tutoring sessions, we are laser focused on your success. But it takes two to tutor! In order to get the most bang for your buck and your time, here’s a few of our top tips to make the most of any tutoring session:
Bring Problems and Questions To Your Tutor!
Our tutors are experts at identifying your weak areas, but no one knows your trouble areas better than you! When you encounter something in your classes or test prep that you are confused by, star it and bring it to tutoring. In your day-to-day schoolwork or test prep, follow this thought process to keep track of trouble areas:
Here’s what we mean by star or circle it:
The Bottom Line:
Tutors want to help you - come prepared!
Do The Work Your Tutors Assigns – it’s Not to Torture You!
At the end of every tutoring session, tutors generally assign or recommend supplemental work to complete before the next session.
Tutors do this because we know that one hour of tutoring a week isn’t enough to result in full subject mastery. Tutors will usually pick relevant practice materials (they aren’t just giving you work for the sake of it!) and it’s important to do the work to cement the skills taught during sessions.
Additionally, these assigned problems act as a litmus test because if you find certain problems confusing, that’s exactly what your tutor will zero in on in the next session.
Over time, a good tutor will have you focus only on problems you have trouble with (if you are studying for a big test like the SAT) to make the best use of your time. You should also steer yourself towards these “trouble areas” – don’t waste any time on areas that you ace! No need to practice those.
The Bottom Line:
Do all of the practice problems we assign
and come prepared to discuss them!
Be Honest
If your tutor explains something and if you still don’t get it, ask them to explain it another way. Your tutor should never get impatient with you or insist that you should “get it.”
Persist until you really understand it. The best tutors will switch the way they’re teaching you a topic numerous times to try to help you understand it.
If you find that your tutor isn’t able to explain something in a way that you understand, switch tutors! But all tutors do rely on you to be honest about what you do and don’t understand.
The Bottom Line:
Honesty is the best policy! Speak up if you don’t understand.
If your tutor isn’t patient with you, get a new tutor!
Summary
If you follow these 3 steps, tutoring can help you achieve your goals. As tutors, we are here to help clarify topics and guide you to success. If you prepare for sessions and speak up when you don’t understand something, you’ll get the most that you can out of tutoring.
If you feel that a tutor could be beneficial to you or your child, consider calling us for a free phone consultation. We have experienced and relatable tutors who can help inspire your child to try harder and do better in school. We tutor all subjects, not just math. Give us a call today: 718.552.0300
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