5 Qualities that every tutor should possess
You will agree with me by stating that the task of being a tutor is one of the most demanding within the field of teaching. Nowadays online tutoring services have blown up due to demand for online tutors and it is because many of us have not been prepared for this purpose. Course after course and tutoring after tutoring we have acquired skills that have made the work of tutoring a challenge. Looking back, I realize that there have been very hard tutoring in which I have learned a lot, just as I have enjoyed tutoring that has given me enormous satisfactions and, I venture to say also, have made me a better teacher and a better person.
That is why this article is intended to highlight five qualities that in my view are essential to practice as a tutor :
1. Be empathetic. In an earlier article entitled 5 tips to increase empathy with students I already referred to empathy as an essential quality for a teacher and, of course, for a good tutor. Getting empathized with students is no easy task. Let us remember that out of empathy we understand the quality that people have of putting themselves in the shoes of another, the ability to listen to the other, the virtue of sharing their achievements, fears, hopes… An empathetic teacher will be able to cohesive a group, to be just and objective and, most importantly, to earn the respect and admiration of his tutoring.
2. Be resilient. Another essential quality that would stand out from a good tutor would be resilience. We live in a society where it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate the academic from the familiar. In our tutoring there are frankly difficult cases and it is in overcoming that difficulty that resilience intervenes. The resurgent tutor is one who is able to get the best out of each of his tutoring even more when the problems in his environment are very unfavourable. A few years ago I had the bitter experience of losing a student from my tutoring in a motorcycle accident. From this event I learned a lot, above all, I learned from mistakes and how we should deal with such situations so to the limit. In the face of such misfortunes, a resilient teacher will have the advantage in overcoming the emotional pain of his group. The tutors at EmpowerOwl are quite proficient at this. In subsequent articles I will talk in more detail about resilience and its importance in Education.
3. Be informed. Another aspect that I consider essential in the work of every good tutor is the information that he handles about tutoring. The more information we have of our tutoring, the easier it will be to be able to understand them, accompany them in their mature and learning process and help them in times of adversity. It is important that the tutor masters academic and personal history, has fluent contact with his family and with the student himself, who collects information from other teachers and has updated all the data that he/she thinks is relevant.
4. Be versatile. Those of us who are tutors share with them sessions of our own subject with proper tutoring sessions. Sometimes it is difficult to separate the two disciplines as conflicts that arise throughout the course are often frequent. I think our tutors tend to see us more often their tutors, rather than one more teacher. That is why we must be alert to your needs and know how to prioritize when to be a tutor and when it is appropriate to be a teacher. Many teachers complain that their group is more behind on weight than others because in many of their classes he always “wastes” some tutoring-themed time. To me rather than waste time, I’d rather talk about “time investment.” On many occasions this “investment of time” as I like to call it is positively in the atmosphere and climate of the group.
5. Act immediately. Another quality that I consider essential in a tutor is the immediacy to resolve an individual or group conflict. In another article titled 4 Ways to Deal with a Conflict Between Students, I explained the ways students have and, therefore, people to deal with a conflict. You have to know when a conflict needs to be mediated or sanctioned. The speed of action depends to a large extent on the success or resolution of that conflict. A mis resolved conflict will always come back and its resolution will become increasingly difficult.
There is no doubt that to be a tutor you need many other qualities than these that I have just enunciated. I’m sure after you’ve read this article you’re getting over one head. If so, I’ll be happy to hear your proposals. All I have to do is congratulate all those tutors who with their dedication and dedication make Education an exciting challenge.
