Becoming a tutor can be an incredibly rewarding experience as tutors make a real difference in student’s lives. If you’ve been thinking of becoming a tutor, you might be wondering what you need to get started. Here are some things that Tutor Doctor looks for when selecting tutors to join our global tutor network. You probably have many of these skills and qualities and would make an excellent tutor— you just might have not realised it yet.
What Skills Do I Need?
Strong Subject Content Knowledge
All of the tutors who work with Tutor Doctor are subject matter experts. They each have a strong grasp of the subject content they tutor, which is vital to supporting students as they build their own knowledge and understanding of the subject. If you have excellent subject content knowledge, you could be a tutor! Remember, not all great teachers choose education as their career path. You do not need to be a teacher or have an education background to be a tutor. So, whether you’re a scientist, engineer, writer, translator, or something else, if you are a subject matter expert, we believe that you can become an excellent tutor.
Passionate About Making a Difference
If you’re considering tutoring, it’s important that you have a genuine passion for helping students succeed and for making a difference in their lives. A tutor must have the desire, and the compassion, to meet students’ unique needs and to help them grow, both academically and as people. Effective tutors have a mentor mentality and a passion for being a positive influence in a young person’s life. These tutors naturally go above and beyond to provide their students with the support and care they need and deserve.
Excellent Interpersonal Skills
One of the most important aspects of a successful tutoring programme is the relationship between tutor and student. It’s imperative that a tutor and student develop a relationship of trust and understanding. To achieve this, tutors need to have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to read their student’s non-verbal cues. Tutors also need to develop a positive and supportive relationship with their student’s family, as this is key to building trust and confidence in you and your tutoring.
Dedication and Commitment
Finally, if you’re considering being a tutor, you will need to be dedicated to your role, your student, and your student’s success. Your student will be counting on you to be their guide, mentor, and cheerleader as they work to catch up and stretch their knowledge and ability. A quality tutor is committed to their student’s success and works with their student, as a team, to support them in reaching their goals and overcoming any obstacles they may face.
Becoming a tutor is an excellent opportunity to develop your own skills while changing the trajectory of a student’s life. If you’re passionate about making a difference and think that you have what it takes to be a tutor, we want to hear from you! Visit our Become a Tutor page
