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Is this normal for tutoring? (1 Viewer)

katiekms

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So i do maths tutoring with this online tutoring company and i’m unsure if this is just a weird tutor (i switched recently as my last one left) or this is how it usually goes.

So with my last tutor, they would find resources FOR me that helped me learn things, they would go through practice questions and they would check my answer both by looking at the answer and doing it themselves. if i wanted to get ahead, they would also find summaries of the next topic and then do more practice questions. i loved this process. however, with my new tutor, she wants me to bring in any questions i have trouble with and then we’ll go through them and if i come up with an answer she’ll be like “yup, seems right enough..” and doesn’t check it in any way shape or form. sometimes i won’t have any questions to bring and then she’ll just google topics i'm doing atm and literally just read definitions to me. this doesn’t help me at all. but i already tried another tutor before her who did a similar thing so i don’t know if this is what i’m stuck with. i just want my original tutor back but she left tutoring 😭😭
 

Average Boreduser

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So i do maths tutoring with this online tutoring company and i’m unsure if this is just a weird tutor (i switched recently as my last one left) or this is how it usually goes.

So with my last tutor, they would find resources FOR me that helped me learn things, they would go through practice questions and they would check my answer both by looking at the answer and doing it themselves. if i wanted to get ahead, they would also find summaries of the next topic and then do more practice questions. i loved this process. however, with my new tutor, she wants me to bring in any questions i have trouble with and then we’ll go through them and if i come up with an answer she’ll be like “yup, seems right enough..” and doesn’t check it in any way shape or form. sometimes i won’t have any questions to bring and then she’ll just google topics i'm doing atm and literally just read definitions to me. this doesn’t help me at all. but i already tried another tutor before her who did a similar thing so i don’t know if this is what i’m stuck with. i just want my original tutor back but she left tutoring 😭😭
go to a group tutor thats well known orrrr, just find tutors with good rep.
 

.kumori

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i dont think ur tutoring sound to great to be honest. It's either they don't seem to really care to teach and help you or they are really confident and relaxed with tutoring students.

I would say this is not really normal for tutoring
 

C_master

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So i do maths tutoring with this online tutoring company and i’m unsure if this is just a weird tutor (i switched recently as my last one left) or this is how it usually goes.

So with my last tutor, they would find resources FOR me that helped me learn things, they would go through practice questions and they would check my answer both by looking at the answer and doing it themselves. if i wanted to get ahead, they would also find summaries of the next topic and then do more practice questions. i loved this process. however, with my new tutor, she wants me to bring in any questions i have trouble with and then we’ll go through them and if i come up with an answer she’ll be like “yup, seems right enough..” and doesn’t check it in any way shape or form. sometimes i won’t have any questions to bring and then she’ll just google topics i'm doing atm and literally just read definitions to me. this doesn’t help me at all. but i already tried another tutor before her who did a similar thing so i don’t know if this is what i’m stuck with. i just want my original tutor back but she left tutoring 😭😭
Yeah sounds like your just wasting your time. Drop and keep trying for a different one
 

Cherryy9

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I don’t tutor math, I tutor bio and English but I think that this way of teaching is not correct. I don’t think it is fair to you who is paying a private tutor to just have someone read definitions and not have any lesson plan. I personally think that if you feel you are not benefiting from the way a tutor is teaching and they are reluctant to change then you need to stop. I also truly believe that a tutor must have their student’a goals in mind. For instance, if your goal is to do really well and perform to the best of your abilities and they are simply telling you your response is fine without elaborating and trying to help you perfect it, then that is not right. In addition, this may be a personal thing but a private tutor should be able to send you additional responses to do and either (if they are simple responses) mark and send feedback or (if they are harder conceptually and need a larger amount of feedback) go through it in class. I recommend you find another tutor that has a teaching style that you are comfortable with or are willing to adjust to your needs. All the best!
 

cossine

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So i do maths tutoring with this online tutoring company and i’m unsure if this is just a weird tutor (i switched recently as my last one left) or this is how it usually goes.

So with my last tutor, they would find resources FOR me that helped me learn things, they would go through practice questions and they would check my answer both by looking at the answer and doing it themselves. if i wanted to get ahead, they would also find summaries of the next topic and then do more practice questions. i loved this process. however, with my new tutor, she wants me to bring in any questions i have trouble with and then we’ll go through them and if i come up with an answer she’ll be like “yup, seems right enough..” and doesn’t check it in any way shape or form. sometimes i won’t have any questions to bring and then she’ll just google topics i'm doing atm and literally just read definitions to me. this doesn’t help me at all. but i already tried another tutor before her who did a similar thing so i don’t know if this is what i’m stuck with. i just want my original tutor back but she left tutoring 😭😭
Why would you need to find resources. The best resource is the textbook (Terry Lee) and thsc.com (past papers).

Your experience with your new tutor seems little concerning as they don't seem prepared and might not be properly checking your work. The fact your teacher is googling definition is a little bit concerning. Why not use a textbook as a source.

As a side note, emath.com is good for textbook math questions if you want to check your answer.
 
Last edited:

aqwerty13402

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So i do maths tutoring with this online tutoring company and i’m unsure if this is just a weird tutor (i switched recently as my last one left) or this is how it usually goes.

So with my last tutor, they would find resources FOR me that helped me learn things, they would go through practice questions and they would check my answer both by looking at the answer and doing it themselves. if i wanted to get ahead, they would also find summaries of the next topic and then do more practice questions. i loved this process. however, with my new tutor, she wants me to bring in any questions i have trouble with and then we’ll go through them and if i come up with an answer she’ll be like “yup, seems right enough..” and doesn’t check it in any way shape or form. sometimes i won’t have any questions to bring and then she’ll just google topics i'm doing atm and literally just read definitions to me. this doesn’t help me at all. but i already tried another tutor before her who did a similar thing so i don’t know if this is what i’m stuck with. i just want my original tutor back but she left tutoring 😭😭
yeah thats not right. find a new tutor. you dont need to do group tutoring at an institution tho don't stress. 3/4 of my tutors is just 1 on 1 people i found onlnie.
 

katiekms

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Yeah sounds like your just wasting your time. Drop and keep trying for a different one
that’s what i was thinking too. should i find a whole separate company or should i just ask to change tutors within the company? i also do english tutoring with this one and they seem decent (at least better than the math tutor i have hahaa) so i’m not too sure.
 

katiekms

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I don’t tutor math, I tutor bio and English but I think that this way of teaching is not correct. I don’t think it is fair to you who is paying a private tutor to just have someone read definitions and not have any lesson plan. I personally think that if you feel you are not benefiting from the way a tutor is teaching and they are reluctant to change then you need to stop. I also truly believe that a tutor must have their student’a goals in mind. For instance, if your goal is to do really well and perform to the best of your abilities and they are simply telling you your response is fine without elaborating and trying to help you perfect it, then that is not right. In addition, this may be a personal thing but a private tutor should be able to send you additional responses to do and either (if they are simple responses) mark and send feedback or (if they are harder conceptually and need a larger amount of feedback) go through it in class. I recommend you find another tutor that has a teaching style that you are comfortable with or are willing to adjust to your needs. All the best!
thank you, this is exactly what i want in a tutor. the english sector of my tutoring company seems decent but with the math this is the second time i’ve needed to switch as they weren’t helping. do you reckon i should stay doing english tutoring with this company and find another company to do maths tutoring?
 
Last edited:

aqwerty13402

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thank you, this is exactly what i want in a tutor. the english sector of my tutoring company seems decent but with the math this is the second time i’ve needed to switch as they weren’t helping. do you reckon i should stay doing english tutoring wit this company and find another company to do maths tutoring?
yea i'd swap. I do group sessions for the maths, but its by a smaller company so its a lot more personalised. But i think either can work. A lot of it is just practice anyway.
 

katiekms

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yea i'd swap. I do group sessions for the maths, but its by a smaller company so its a lot more personalised. But i think either can work. A lot of it is just practice anyway.
yeah the company i use is quite small as well. UPDATE by the way, I just messaged the company explaining the issue and asking for a new tutor! hopefully it works out, and if not, i’ll try a different company :tongue:
 

MJRey

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So i do maths tutoring with this online tutoring company and i’m unsure if this is just a weird tutor (i switched recently as my last one left) or this is how it usually goes.

So with my last tutor, they would find resources FOR me that helped me learn things, they would go through practice questions and they would check my answer both by looking at the answer and doing it themselves. if i wanted to get ahead, they would also find summaries of the next topic and then do more practice questions. i loved this process. however, with my new tutor, she wants me to bring in any questions i have trouble with and then we’ll go through them and if i come up with an answer she’ll be like “yup, seems right enough..” and doesn’t check it in any way shape or form. sometimes i won’t have any questions to bring and then she’ll just google topics i'm doing atm and literally just read definitions to me. this doesn’t help me at all. but i already tried another tutor before her who did a similar thing so i don’t know if this is what i’m stuck with. i just want my original tutor back but she left tutoring 😭😭
As a tutor myself, I can verify that's not normal. If I did that to my students my boss would have me fired.
 

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