By: Amit Kothiyal
Submitted: 2011-03-07 06:36:34 | Word Count: 764
When searching for maths tutoring, (whether it is for a private maths tutor or a coaching centre that offers maths), knowing a few things will help you find one that’s genuinely helpful.
What subjects do they offer?
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The list of subjects offered by a tuition centre will indicate their level of expertise. For example, many tuition centres or private tutors will offer all levels of maths, except maths extension 2. As a general rule, if you’re searching for good maths tutoring, we advise you to find only private tutors / tuition centres that offer extension 2. Maths is a very integrated subject, and any one topic can’t ever be fully separated from another – there are connections on every level and a knowledgeable tutor will have no problem teaching any level of high-school maths, including Extension 2.
Know the principal(s) and their background
For tuition centres, find out as much as you can about the principals – the person(s) that make the decision. What background are they? Mathematics / sciences? English / humanities? The background of the principals give an excellent predictor of what the institution will be strong at. The reason is simple: if the principal makes all the decisions, and has a background in maths / sciences, he/she would be in a better position to make the right decisions in terms of course design / tutor hiring decisions than a person without the right background.
Franchises
Franchises are hit and miss. You may find one where a particular teacher of a particular subject is great, but generally the entire operation is not as organised / focused as a tuition company that carries their own name. Usually with franchises, the quality of the operation of the head office differs significantly to branch offices. We won’t delve further into this issue as it would be mean of us to name names – our advice here is to seek out a free trial lesson if you’re interested, before making up your mind.
Private tutors
While we’re a tuition college, we still acknowledge that private tutors can be great, but finding a great one can be tough, especially on a budget. In finding one, just keep in mind the following:
1. Communication skills: it doesn’t matter if your tutor is a 30-year experienced HSC marker if he/she is always tired / boring in delivering the lesson. One of the most important decision factors is whether you’re comfortable with your tutor and find their teaching compatible to your learning style.
2. Dedication / responsibility: this issue is more relevant to younger tutors. Find out if your tutor is responsible. Does he/she rock up empty handed every week? Do you get the feeling that their lesson plans are a mere afterthought hastily put together just before the lesson?
3. You get what you pay for: there are tutors that charge $10/hr and come to you, and there are tutors that will charge $150/hr and won’t travel. You will need to make a decision on how much you want to spend, but also keep in mind that genuinely good tutors are genuinely in demand! If they have too many clients to choose from, why would they work for $10 / hr? These days, expect to pay around $50/hr for a good tutor to travel to you.
4. If getting a University Student tutor: as a general rule, avoid all tutors whose ATARs were < 99. This may seem harsh but each year there are roughly 1000 graduates that get over 99 so there is no shortage of bright young tutors. The only exception to this is if you find a tutor that has great communication skills, and did very well for the subject they are teaching (e.g. 95+ aligned HSC mark)
Free Trial lessons
All reputable tuition companies offer trial lessons in some form. It’s unreasonable for a place to require upfront payment of an entire term (effectively signing a contract for 10 weeks or more) before you’ve even had a chance to try it and make an informed decision. By all means, shop around as much as you can (as much as time permits, it’s important not leave it till too late as joining in the middle of a programme could mean you’ve missed some topics or modules).
Dux College is a Sydney-based HSC coaching center specializing in HSC subjects including Physics Tutoring, Chemistry Tutoring, maths tutoring and Biology Tutoring. For more information browse http://www.duxcollege.com.au/
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Dux College is a Sydney-based HSC coaching center specializing in HSC subjects including Physics Tutoring, Chemistry Tutoring, maths tutoring and Biology Tutoring. For more information browse Duxcollege.com.au
