Compared to a few decades ago, it is obvious that American students of today’s world are not nearly as competitive as their older counterparts. The decline of the American educational system has been the focal point of the outcry from concerned parents and educators. There are achievement gaps both within and outside of the United States.
What are the Achievement Gaps?
The facts are undeniable: research has shown that African American and Hispanic students, especially young males, are often falling behind in their academic works, and at the same time, there is an achievement gap between students from the United States and those from other parts of the world. For example, Asian students constantly beat American students in important subjects like Mathematics and Science, and the gap is only getting bigger.
Because of budget cuts from local governments, public schools are not able to alleviate this deficit in academic abilities. Obviously, this has nothing to do with the individual students’ capabilities, the problem stems from a structural flaw that can only be fixed by a complete overhaul of the current educational system. However, there are solutions to bridge the achievement gaps, and one of them is private tutoring.
How Does Tutoring Bridge these Gaps?
Tutoring does not only help students learn about a particular subject, but it also helps them develop qualities that are beneficial to many aspects of their lives outside of the classroom. Some of these qualities are the factors that give people good jobs that they never imagined they could get. First of all, tutoring teaches students to never give up on anything and that everything is possible when extra attention is paid to that work. Secondly, the personal attention these students are given is going to be the breath of fresh air that propels their academic abilities forward.
In a large classroom, teachers are often overwhelmed, and they are not able to take care of individual students’ needs. However, a tutor can easily pinpoint the strengths, weaknesses and personal habits of the students to give them the nudge they need to succeed.
The Benefits on the Students
Apart from that, tutoring also helps the students gain knowledge of things directly or indirectly related to the subject. This is because the tutors will not only explain to them the contents that are found in books, but the tutors will also introduce the students to additional concepts. Since the tutors are usually experts in the subject, they are able to offer tips so that the students are able to concentrate on the tasks at hand and also understand the topics better.
Most tutors tend to use real-life situations as examples, and this helps hone the students’ knowledge of these particular areas. By building a strong foundation in critical thinking, students are able to deal with specific scenarios when they encounter the problems by themselves.
Although most people find this hard to believe, the fact is that tutoring may help students build self-confidence both inside and outside of the classroom. Research has proven that a majority of students who have received one-on-one tutoring display a higher sense of confidence than those who have never been tutored. This is because struggling students tend to have lower self-confidence since they believe that they are not as intelligent as their classmates. However, once they start having private sessions with their tutors, whether private or public, they are able to see that they have the potential to learn and comprehend things.
After getting the personal attention they deserve, they will able to re-gain their confidence that they may have lost. At the same time, they will realize that they can learn things just as well as their fellow students once they have found the right techniques. With enough time and effort, they will be able to catch up with their studies and excel at exams.
Jennifer Carrigan has been tutored (in Physics) and been a tutor (in Trigonometry). Best in Class Education can help your child get the tutoring he or she needs.