Best practices for communicating with your students’ teachers and caregivers

Tutors play a pivotal role in helping children improve their academic performance. They assist learners who need to close learning gaps and catch up academically, and they can even give students an educational edge.

Communicating effectively with students is only part of what contributes to tutoring success. Tutors also need to maintain productive relationships with caregivers and teachers. In your interactions with these adults, you can do several things to enhance communication and maintain these critical connections.

Be transparent about tutoring plans and methods.

You should let teachers and caregivers know what you’ll cover during tutoring and how you organize your sessions. Tutors who work through an online portal like Remind can easily share their information quickly and frequently. An online platform allows all parties to exchange messages, facilitate teamwork, and set clear boundaries and expectations.

Distribute written copies of your tutoring plans to teachers and families so everyone knows what to expect. Being forthcoming about these plans reinforces their expectations of open and transparent communication. It also prevents inconsistencies and unnecessary redundancies with classroom teaching.

Reach out early and often to caregivers and teachers.

Staying in touch frequently with all parties helps maintain open communication and positive relationships. At the very least, touching base with caregivers and teachers after each tutoring session will help keep all adults updated on your students’ progress and allow for adaptations of tutoring plans and methods.

You should never fear that asking questions or requesting help will undermine your credibility. On the contrary, waiting too long to ask for assistance or clarification can damage relationships with teachers and caregivers. It can also interfere with providing students with the academic support they need. Tutors should also take advantage of the best online tutoring platforms to reach out to other tutors for help or guidance.

Acknowledge your students’ achievements and hard work.

Besides constructive feedback, frequent encouragement of your students and positive feedback, when warranted, convey support and strengthen the tutor-student relationship. Expand this rapport-building to include caregivers and teachers by reaching out to reiterate the praise and provide detail on what students are doing well.

Tutoring is a team effort that requires careful and frequent communication with caregivers and teachers. If you’re interested in joining our highly connected educational community, learn more about becoming a Remind tutor and apply today.