Frequently Asked Questions

Question from Anonymous Parent from Queens, New York

What should I look for when seeking a suitable tutor for my child?

Answer by Kelly Wang, Tutor and Founder of Big Sib Tutors

This is a really good question! I think there’s always a sense of balance needed when it comes to finding a tutor. There are many aspects that an experienced teacher can offer that a tutor can’t because the teacher is more familiar with the school curriculum. On the other hand a lot of student tutors can also offer the mentor expertise from a student perspective as they can also empathize with a lot of the struggles that their students are going through as well. I think with tutoring, it really depends on the students’ needs and a lot of that comes in from learning the students’ learning style, weaknesses, etc.

From my experience, attitude is actually one of the most if not the most important things a student can bring to a class. If they’re self driven, I’m not as concerned on the state they’re currently in at school because they can always work their way through their  errors with this internalized motivation. 

A lot of times, especially in math, understanding comes with patience after a while of letting the concepts marinate. I tell my students all the time that I was notoriously bad in algebra i when I first encountered it and part of that was because the concepts were so foreign to me at the time. But even after doing the same things again and again, one day it sporadically clicked- everything and all the concepts that were taught. Tutors can help with expediting that process.