Deciding to leave the traditional classroom nearly four years ago was an incredibly difficult decision. It wasn’t a choice I took lightly, but I knew it needed to be done. After leaving, I knew I wanted to continue in education. Tutoring came into my life at the perfect time! At first, I was concerned that my teaching skills would diminish without being in the classroom. But, I actually found that my teaching is stronger now than it was when I left the classroom. Here are five ways tutoring has made me a better teacher.
- I am more organized. When you are tutoring, you are not always with the same students for an entire year. My schedule changes several times during a school year. sometimes, I’ll have a new student just show up! To keep up with those changes, I’ve had to develop a system that allows for me to be prepared to assess a student at a moment’s notice and have a plan in mind for moving forward. As much as I planned when I was in the classroom, for some reason, I was never as organized as I am now. I can definitely see myself keeping up this system if I ever choose to return to a traditional classroom environment.
- I am more aware of students’ needs. This may seem like a no-brainer, but tutoring has made me more aware of what students need to grow academically. Not only am I more aware, but I can now also notice needs sooner. Working one-to-one or in small groups with students surely helps in noticing student needs. However, as I get better at deciding what my students need, I can see this skill translating into the general classroom experience.
- I am better at building relationships with my students and their families. Again, this one seems like a no-brainer. However, my tutoring sessions last anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes once or twice a week. I have to make the most out of our limited amount of time together. As a classroom teacher, I think I took for granted the time that I had with my students because I saw them everyday for six hours. I assumed that relationships would naturally build. Working with students in such a limited capacity has really pushed me to seek out these relationships with my students and their families.
- I can choose my own professional development. Yes, I also have to pay for my own professional development, too. But, there are some amazing educators with a wealth of knowledge and experience that are sharing their information for free or at a low cost with blogs, webinars, YouTube channels, etc. Being able to decide what I want to learn about and when to make the time to do my learning has been freeing. I can focus on the areas I need to strengthen or get fresh ideas from educators who really inspire me.
- I have learned to use the materials I have to the fullest. When I was in the classroom, all of the district-purchased programs all came with a lot of “stuff.” Most of the time, I either couldn’t fit it all into my teaching or didn’t know how to fit it all in. Now that I’m on my own with my materials, I learned how to take full advantage of them. I’ve also learned to be very selective of the materials I purchase. If it doesn’t fit in with my teaching style or my students’ needs, I don’t buy it no matter how cute the cover is!
Some days, I really miss being in the classroom full-time. But, I then realize how much tutoring has given me. If I were to ever return to the traditional classroom setting, I feel much more confident in my abilities to be an effective educator.
What do you feel has made you a better teacher? Please feel free to share your knowledge and experience in the comments. We’re all here to learn from one another.
Until next time… Happy Teaching!
PinaRose Education 