Interviewing a Tutor | Tulsa Tutoring
For many parents, hiring a tutor is the biggest gamble they’ve ever made in their life. They typically do not offer any sort of guarantee for their services and, in addition, their usually great academics but not great teachers. A quick google of “tulsa tutoring” brings up over 361,000 results. No wonder parents are worried!
Below is a quick checklist you can use when selecting/ interviewing a tutor to assist your student. We’ve also attached a grading scale:
| Question | POINTS |
| Is the tutor a high school graduate? | 1 |
| Was the tutor successful themselves in their tutoring subject? | 2 |
| Do they dress professionally? | 1 |
| Do they usually show up on time? | 1 |
| Do they show up early? | 2 |
| Have they been late over 3 times? | -2 |
| Does your student have a personality connection with the tutor? | 1 |
| Does the tutor teach to your student’s learning style? | 1 |
| Does the tutor require you to buy all the supplies? | -1 |
| Does the tutor check in with you regularly to update you on your student’s progress? | 1 |
| Does your tutor offer consistent assessments to measure progress? | 2 |
| Has the tutor tutored before? | A point per year |
| Has the tutor gone through any education/teacher training? | 2 |
| Does the tutor have flexible availability? | 1 |
| Does the tutor have any social proof? Testimonials, references, etc | 3 |
| Can the tutor give you an estimated ROI for what you’re paying them? | 1 |
| Does the tutor offer a trial period or guarantee of some sort? | 2 |
| Does your tutor make your student nervous or feel stupid? | -1 |
| Does your tutor have a sense of humor? | 1 |
TOTAL: _____________
A score of 10 or less – BAD TUTOR: As my mother said when I brought my high school girlfriend home, “You can do better.” There are plenty of good tutors out there and this one is not worth your time and definitely not your money.
A score of 11 to 20 – GOOD TUTOR: This guy (or girl) can do the job. They may be late a couple times and reschedule but, all in all, your student will learn what they need to and you’ll be happy with the end result.
A score of 20 or higher – GREAT TUTOR: This tutors knocks it out of the park every time. They are like the Bo Jackson of tutoring. Not only are they usually proficient in the area the student needs help in, but they can usually help with auxiliary areas too.
What are some things you look for in a tutor? Leave it in the comments below!
Be Smart.
Dominick Cooper
Founder of Launch Academy Tutoring Company, 2011 DaVinci Scholar Winner, 2013 Nominee for Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Tulsa, and University Guest Speaker on Education
