Is online tutoring effective?
As a teacher whose practice was turned upside down in the middle of the 2019-2020 school year, one thing I can say for certain is that online education is not as simple as just scanning in documents and watching students work. In order to be effective, I had to develop an entirely different skill set than my face-to-face pedagogy.
Is online tutoring actually effective?
This is the single most common concern that parents express about online tutoring. I hear it all the time, ‘My child doesn’t do well with the online stuff’ or ‘They really struggled when things went digital’. Look, we were all there in 2020 when schools went digital. Most parents that I talk to did not have a pleasant experience and they say the same about their students. Here’s what I tell parents.
#1 It’s all about the ratio. Digital learning and online tutoring are completely different. In 2020, we worked with students in a 30:1 ratio….IN ZOOM CALLS!!! How many times do you remember seeing the Saved by the Bell gang in a class with 24 other Bayside students? Do you ever remember Mr. Feeny dropping life lessons to 30 teenagers in an episode’s closing monologue? The point is that a 30:1 or even 20:1 student teacher ratio is difficult in even the best of settings. But with online tutoring, it’s usually a one-on-one setting which helps tremendously in ensuring effectiveness.
#2 Students are much more comfortable with communicating in this format than adults. Students may struggle with grammar or write like they text, but the anxiety that most adults have about meeting virtually is simply just not present in nearly all of the kids that I work with.
#3 As a teacher and business owner, my top priority is to help kids. Sure I want the business to succeed, but not at the expense of doing people wrong. We’ve all been in situations where the instructor simply was not effective. It’s a helpless feeling that can turn into anger especially when you’ve purchased the service and are not getting what you paid for. I am confident that our teachers will help your student, but if you or your student is not completely satisfied with how their session goes, I personally guarantee that I’ll make it right.
