When an Olympic athlete wins a medal, they are always quick to thank their supportive coaches – and for good reason! A coach takes a person’s goal, breaks down the steps needed to get there, and organizes the process of improvement in a manageable way. Nobody becomes a star all by themselves! Learning is no different. The tutors we work with are academic coaches! We pride ourselves on being more than just extra-curricular instructors. Like any other coach, the goal is always to create a personalized plan for the individual, and then help them to make it happen. When it comes to tutoring, we’re experts at academic coaching!
So what makes an academic coach different than a standard “tutor”? At Tutor Doctor, our goal is to create a comprehensive learning program to help our students succeed long after they have graduated. As we always say, our focus is learning for life!
Academic coaches can create an individualized learning plan. Every student is different. We all have different strengths, skills, and learning styles. Tutoring programs that strictly stick to one subject may not be the best option for the student. A student struggling in geometry class may really need more practice with algebra. Our goal is to dig deep and identify gaps in learning that are causing the student to struggle in the first place. Our academic coaches are able to make a personalized learning plan for each student, making sure to cater to them as individuals. In many cases, this requires going back and revisiting older topics. Which leads us to…
Academic coaches can take a fluid approach towards instruction. Perhaps our example student is having trouble with geometry not because they don’t understand the geometric concepts, but because they’re making errors when solving equations. If our student is in a strict “Geometry Tutoring” course, it’s not going to help them much. An academic coach, however, can start to revisit algebra and problem-solving math concepts that are causing the student to struggle. In the classroom, teachers and instructors have a schedule – they have to move onto the next topic by a certain date, regardless of whether or not every student fully understands the material. Academic coaches can identify these learning gaps to go back and “fill in the cracks”!
Academic coaches can facilitate communication with all parties. There’s a whole lot of communication that goes on these days in the world of education. By the time they reach high school, students are expected to know to access online resources and portals from their teachers. In addition, many teachers provide important classroom updates via school email. On top of all this, students are also expected to remember college application deadlines and important test dates. Finally, the parent themselves is expected to maintain a teacher-parent relationship and reach out to their child’s school if necessary. We know that this is a lot of work, and it goes outside the realm of what a typical “tutor” might offer. Academic coaches are able to streamline and organize this process. At Tutor Doctor, we pride ourselves on keeping in frequent contact with our student’s teachers and providing consistent session reports detailing the student’s progress. Academic coaches help to make sure everyone stays in the loop!
Academic coaches can ensure the student always comes first. When it comes down to it, the tutors we work with work around you. As academic coaches, we understand that life gets hectic. That’s why we don’t expect our parents and students to adhere to a strict schedule like many after-school learning centers. Sometimes more time is needed, and that’s alright! Maybe there’s a big test coming up and extra sessions need to be done. Maybe you’ve got a doctor’s appointment and won’t be available until later in the evening. No problem! Ultimately, we work around your schedule. After all, can you imagine a coach that wasn’t available when their student needed more practice? Neither can we!
For all these reasons and more, we highly recommend adding an academic coach to your child’s routine. The tutors we work with are experts, and we know you’ll appreciate Tutor Doctor’s innovative approach towards learning. No one gets to the top by themselves – let our academic coaches help pave the way!