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More and more parents are turning toward online tuition for their children. It's convenient, safe and the standard of online tutors has rocketed. But what should you look for when choosing? There are so many tutors to choose from and with a huge array of subjects, it can seem a daunting task to find the perfect match. There are, however, a few different things you can factor in to make it easier when you start trying to find an online tutor.
How much do they charge?
Many families struggled financially since the lockdowns, and so you may not have the biggest budget to spend on online tutors. The tutors on our platform can charge anywhere from 80ds to 300AED per hour. Some charge even more for highly specialized subjects. It's important you take the time to think about your budget, and how much you're willing to spend on an online tutor. You also need to think about how many lessons per week and for how long you will require the tuition. Once you have an amount in mind, you can then filter the tutors down to those that fit your budget. This is a good way of narrowing your search down right away. It also means you know you can afford any of the tutors that you look at in more detail.
How much experience do they have?
There are two ways of viewing the experience levels you need to look for in an online tutor. Firstly, how long have they been tutoring? This is an important consideration. The more tutoring and teaching experience an online tutor has, the better they are at explaining concepts and communicating with your child. Experience is even more important if your child has specific educational needs that they'll need to take care of. The other level of experience is subject-specific experience. At lower levels, like Primary/Elementary, subject-specific knowledge isn't as important. But with GCSE, A-Level standard, and 3rd Level Studies, online tutors will need to have an in-depth knowledge of the subject they're teaching. Luckily, all online tutors will provide their credentials in their TutorGenie bio, so make sure you read their profile. If you still have questions, simply message them, and ask.
Have they had good reviews on their profile?
Reviews are a great way of finding out a tutor's credentials and suitability. All TutorGenie's tutors will have a review section on their bios. Here you can see how other children and parents fared with the online tutor. This is a great way of seeing whether the tutor is right for your child. Remember that it isn't always about the highest reviews though. One 5-star review might look better than an average of 4-stars. But if the tutor with 4-stars has 10 reviews, then maybe there's a reason they're more popular. It's also worth noting that reviews will often be left by people who have had either a positive or really negative experience. As such, it's best to take them with a pinch of salt.
How responsive are they to messages?
We recommend that you spend some time messaging the tutor to discuss their experiences to date, their knowledge of the type of tuition you require, and so on. If they are prompt with their replies, it would suggest that they are professional, courteous, and eager. These are all positive traits in a tutor. You will also get some insight into their attention to detail by the responses they give. It's also a good opportunity to find a little bit about their personality as this is an important part of good teaching. Being able to connect with students and engage them. It's important to choose an online tutor who is quick to respond. This is useful if you need to reschedule a lesson, or if your child has a burning question about their work.
What does your child think?
Your child is going to be working closely with the online tutor, so it's only fair they get a say. Let them look through the shortlist of online tutors with you and see which tutors they prefer. Let them send a few messages back and forth with the tutors they like, so they can get a feel for what kind of person they are.
Free video call to get to know your tutor.
At TutorGenie we allow you a free 15 min video call to get to see and talk to your tutor before booking any lessons. This is a great way for all involved to get familiar with each other and get a feel for the working relationship. Children tend to be drawn to some people over others, and so this is a good way of narrowing down your options. It also helps to get your child involved and engaged
with the tutoring process, meaning they'll be looking forward to their online lessons.
Online tutoring offers many benefits.
The amazing thing about online tutoring is that you aren't restricted by geography and location. Your child can learn with a tutor from the other side of the country. Thanks to our innovative platform, complete with video calling and shared whiteboards, it will be like they're in the same room. As long as you take the time to research the online tutors before you choose one, then we're sure everything will go smoothly, and your child will love their online learning.