Benji Kessler, founder and executive director of Albany-based Joy Tutoring, has a simple answer to the tutoring question. His advice: “If your child is in a classroom with more than 10 students, they likely would benefit from tutoring.”
Kessler went on to explain that there’s a difference between “need” and “benefit.” If a student is obviously struggling, has falling or failing grades, clearly there’s an urgent need for help, he said. But a tutor can also build back a student’s confidence in themself and their ability to learn, increase motivation and address the many learning styles now known to exist.
“If your student has begun saying things like, ‘I’m bad in math,’ or ‘This is so boring,’ or even, ‘I’m too stupid to understand this,’” Kessler said, it’s likely time for tutoring. “It’s less about age, and more about intervening as soon as your child is beginning to struggle.”
Ariel Rodriguez, director of college counseling for Oakland-based Study Smarter, noted that the student’s age is important to consider. Younger students, she said, may display distraction, or a lack of interest. “Some are bored, and the one-on-one attention of tutoring can help challenge them,” she noted. Older students, high-school age, may need help to develop better study skills and hone executive function, both essential for college success.
Both Kessler and Rodriguez emphasized that their companies do not provide diagnoses for neurodivergences. But, said Rodriguez, “We have a lot of experience working with students who have IEPs,” or Individualized Education Programs. Kessler noted that parents often contact Joy Tutoring when their student has just gotten a diagnosis that falls under the category of neurodivergency, and that diagnosis factors into getting to know the student.
The Right Tutor
The National Tutoring Association’s advice on finding the best tutor match for each student involves careful evaluation. “The goal for every tutor should be overall progress for the student which is measured in academic success, improved self-esteem, and increased independence as a learner,” its website states. “Hiring a tutor should be approached in the same manner as hiring any other professional. Ask questions, look carefully at references, and use your instinct as to whether this tutor is a good fit for your student.”
This approach is supported and supplemented by both Kessler and Rodriguez.
Kessler utilizes an extensive conversation with parents and students prior to selecting a tutor. Then a first meeting is set up. Post-pandemic, almost all meetings, including the tutoring sessions when they begin, are in-person, but in some cases, due to distance, virtual meetings are possible.
Said Rodriguez, “We have multiple conversations about the student’s needs.” The student’s personality, introvert or extrovert, is considered. A tutor will then meet with the student for a few exploratory sessions, and then the student is asked what their experiences have been.
Concurs the NTA: “The student is 50% of the learning team, and as such, needs to be involved from the onset.”
Process, and Measuring Success
Most students will stay with a tutor for at least a full academic year, said Rodriguez, and some much longer. “We work with some students when they start high school, and continue all the way through graduation,” she explained.
Although declining or failing grades are often the spur for parents to seek tutoring help, both Kessler and Rodriguez emphasized that giving the student confidence to enjoy learning again, to appreciate the process of learning and its lifelong benefits, is at least as important as improving GPAs.
Kessler and his tutors look to see changes in confidence and mood. “Parents will say, ‘My kid likes math, and they never did before,’” he said. “They may now be helping their friends with their homework.”
Rodriguez told of similar situations. She’s heard parent feedback such as, “My student was looking forward to seeing you this week.” Another sign of progress: She sees that the student will have already completed all their assignments for the week.
“Our goal,” she said, “is to make ourselves obsolete.”
Where Do Tutors Come From?
Joy Tutoring and Study Smarter both utilize their proximity to UC Berkeley to recruit top-quality tutors.
“Many of them are Berkeley Ph.D. students, and many of them I know personally,” Kessler said. He interviews them by “having them teach me something.” A good tutor needs emotional intelligence and the right attitude as well as teaching skills, he noted. “And they need to love learning themself.”
Said Rodriguez, “Some of our tutors are former students. Ninety-five percent come from Cal.” There is a rigorous set of interviews, and once hired, tutors receive “extensive training on the ‘soft skills’ of tutoring.”
Success Stories
Rodriguez shared a classic success story, saying, “We had a student who was skating by. His relationship with his parents was rocky…they felt he could do better. We worked with him for two-and-a-half years, digging into the whys and hows of learning, his organization and motivation.
“He’s now finishing his first semester of college, and his relationship with his parents got so much better,” she continued.
Kessler shared a somewhat mischievous, but funny, success story. “I had a student failing math and science,” he said. The student began doing so much better, “he got into trouble because a friend was copying off his test.” Kessler hastened to add that of course neither he nor his tutors condone cheating, but are enthusiastic about success.
On Joy Tutoring’s website, 7th-grader Marilyn writes: “I never knew that math could be kinda cool. I did math, and I never thought I could.”
Other Options
If private tutoring services aren’t an option, libraries and school systems offer free tutoring help. Check websites for availability.
Joy Tutoring, 510.309.8098, joytutoring.com.
Study Smarter, 510.350.8444, studysmarter.com.
