The end of the first trimester of lessons represents for students and families the time of the first assessments, in the form of school-based school reports and / or plenary interviews. And never like now, it could be the occasion for a new “showdown” between teachers and pupils. At least if the teachers will remain on the line of judgment adopted last June, when – after the “amnesty” of the previous year, due to lockdown – the number of rejected and sent back “with debt” was considerable. It is easy to imagine that, also due to the negative aftermath of Dad’s long periods, especially among the high school kids, the shortcomings will fade. Thus, many families could decide or be advised by the teachers themselves to immediately run for cover, enhancing the preparation of their children by relying on private repetitions. A world that is always difficult to explore, which in addition to many advantages also hides many pitfalls. For this Rosella Sidari, Didactic Consultant for the specialized platform Skuola.net | Repetitions, provides a handbook with the main practical tips to find the perfect tutor and achieve the recovery goal.
Record review or patient study? What is the best strategy
Planning is key when starting a recovery journey. Assuming that each issue is a story in itself, there are general guidelines to follow. What is absolutely to be avoided is last minute recovery. The ideal would be to understand as soon as possible that we are facing difficulties, to plan the type of support we need, allowing the private teacher to work on it. If it is not possible to play in advance, it is always preferable to spread the lessons over time, to better metabolize the information and assimilate it in a lasting way.
Everyone has their own times
What does this time correspond to in terms of weeks (or months)? Difficult to say in the abstract. In fact, recovery differs from student to student. It can vary according to the subject of study, the person and the accumulated gaps. But a professional tutor can evaluate it very early on.
Before the teacher comes the “plan of attack”
Precisely for what has just been said, before starting to take private lessons, the best thing to do would be to ‘rely’ on a Didactic Consultant. This is a new professional figure – extremely widespread in the Anglo-Saxon world – who is also finding space in our country, made available by the most reliable companies specialized in complementary training, who, in agreement with the student, builds a personalized study path, “subject by subject “(if there were more than one to be recovered). Selecting only the teachers most suited to his needs, starting from established objectives. Since not all the figures that in various capacities offer private repetitions are suitable for all objectives. Even today, however, in the search for a teacher we often still look at the traditional “family friend” or “word of mouth”. A step that, however, represents a risk, as this cannot always guarantee the result.
Multiple insufficiencies? Don’t panic
We talked about “matter by matter”. In fact, many young people find themselves in the position of having to make up for more shortcomings. But this need not be an additional cause for concern: the sooner a gap is addressed, the sooner it is filled. So there is no contraindication in taking advantage of private tutoring in different subjects in the same period. Indeed, precisely because it is a common scenario, private teachers know that they could carry out their work simultaneously with other colleagues. But with a good didactic organization the mission is absolutely manageable. Just outline a good timetable. And here returns the central role of the Didactic Consultant, who can act as a filter between tutors and students, fitting all the commitments to get the desired result in all subjects, in the same period.
Goal achieved: stop or continue?
The recovery of an insufficiency is certainly a reason for satisfaction. But it would be wrong to think that at that point the problems suddenly disappeared. Leaning on your laurels could be dangerous. Once the initial tour de force is over, it would be good to reinforce the preparation periodically. Always supported by a tutor, who can first of all “record” the study method introduced previously. And who manages to understand if, despite the lessons, there are still weaknesses that could expose you to new problems, filling any gaps that are being created and that, soon, could become insurmountable obstacles.
The identikit of the perfect tutor
If on your path you are lucky enough to meet such a teacher, you have done bingo. But what are the characteristics that make us understand that we are dealing with a SuperTutor? In Skuola.net | Repetitions, for example, are included in this category those teachers who first of all have a qualification consistent with the subject on which I propose the repetitions, with a considerable number of lessons behind them in that specific discipline and above all with many positive feedbacks from students who have had the opportunity to follow. In summary, they are the best in that subject and that specific level of education. In fact, giving private lessons is a different “job” than teaching at school: if you want to make a comparison, it is a bit the same difference that passes between a group lesson in the gym and an individual path with a personal trainer. So, in addition to academic qualifications, experience and having collected many successes with other students in the past count a lot.
From the bulletin board to online platforms: pay attention to the differences!
In the past there were essentially four ways to find private repetitions: word of mouth, notice boards in local businesses, magazines dedicated to advertisements and finally specialized centers. Only the latter have always provided not only the service – the lessons – but also educational advice and therefore a sort of guarantee on the service rendered. These forms still exist today, but have been joined by the online channel. However, there are various types of sites that offer repetitions and which, although apparently similar, have profound differences between them. There are the classic containers of announcements, with which however it is not possible to evaluate the performance of the teacher: you must trust what he says. There are those who only give you the contact of the teacher, without however guiding the choice of the tutor. And then there are real digital ecosystems – like Skuola.net | Repetitions – which follow the student from start to finish: orientation, evaluation of the various teachers, booking of lessons, a wide choice of subjects, assistance throughout the recovery process (including the payment phase). The latter are certainly the ones to recommend.
Ok, is the price right?
Furthermore, always in the selection phase, it is not easy to understand whether the cost of hiring a private teacher is correct, based on the market. This, in fact, is influenced by various factors and personal characteristics. More or less those already listed: teacher qualifications, skills, years of experience, student reviews. There are tutors who cost € 10 per hour and others who can ask for € 50. Even the subject taught can change things: taking lessons in the more technical or less common ones can cost more than the average. Just as the price can also vary according to the school level: a tutor for elementary schools is certainly cheaper than a tutor who has to teach a university subject.
The advantages of online repetitions
Turning to operational issues, it must be considered that in the world of repetitions digital can lend a great hand. Unlike what has often happened for schools in the last two years, here the use of online to carry out ‘remote’ lessons can be an excellent solution. Practical aspects come into play: no travel or waste of further time to reach a location. Cheap: no additional cost for the journeys. Furthermore, since the pandemic is not over yet, not being in too many circles never hurts. This is not to say that ‘physical’ lessons are not effective, but the benefits of online far outweigh those of meeting in person. Just think of the fact that you can also choose tutors who live far from us. It is no coincidence that this has been a method that has already been widespread and appreciated for years in many foreign countries, and is also growing in Italy.
Trust is sometimes good
In the end, therefore, the biggest advice to maximize the chances of hitting the goal is simply to get advice. In this sense, word of mouth with one’s acquaintances can be valid, provided that the personal experiences reported are in some way similar to one’s needs. Certainly the figure of the Didactic Consultant – who by analogy works as a “word of mouth aggregator” – can be more efficient because he is able to compare each specific request with a large database of tutors from which to draw and evaluate. Because once you have identified the best teacher on paper, the experience “in the field”, then, does the rest: making a professional adaptive assessment, avoiding standardized models that almost never lead to the goal, always makes the difference. Choosing one or more personal tutors means bringing out your potential to the maximum and that is why it is necessary to find the right one for us. Each student is unique and deserves a tutoring experience as unique as their needs.