When you hire an online tutor, you receive many benefits not available in traditional learning environments. Online tutor programs give you access to some of the best tutors available for a wide variety of subjects. Perhaps you need a tutor to help boost your Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores for college before graduating high school. Perhaps you are already in college and need help studying for a challenging subject. Maybe you have a child who is struggling with schoolwork and in need of tutoring to help him or her achieve better grades. Whatever your needs, a qualified online tutor is available to help. Continue reading for more important information about the best online tutor programs available today.
New to Online Tutoring? This is how it works.
Online tutoring combines the benefits of an isolated private learning environment with the convenience of not leaving your home. The best online tutor programs give you access to some of the most credible teacher options available worldwide. Research is required to find:
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The best services available for your needs.
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The best tutors available through these services.
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Pricing and scheduling options to suit your budget and calendar.
Tutoring prices vary per situation. Scheduling flexibility is available based on tutor availability and the intensity of each subject (and level) taught. Multiple teaching and learning methods are utilized during online tutoring sessions. Sessions are also available for students ranging in age from kindergarteners to college levels and post-graduate professionals alike.
Professionals sometimes need tutoring when training for certification programs, which are often required to advance careers and boost salaries. Students need tutoring for many possible reasons. For example, you might need a tutor for the following reasons:
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To bolster your SAT scores or your grade point average (GPA) in high school or college.
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To prevent failing out of a class.
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Your current or upcoming job requires additional training.
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To achieve a better understanding of challenging subjects or course material.
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To maintain healthy brain functions and activity (especially useful for senior citizens or people who suffered brain-related trauma).
What Is the Socratic Seminar?
The Socratic Seminar is facilitated by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). English is one of the most common subjects taught by tutors in the U.S. today. The concept of teaching using Socratic methods obviously dates to the age of Socrates itself as one of the earliest types of learning platforms invented. This method challenges students to engage in critical thinking and writing. Student’s thoughts are encouraged to be articulated clearly and with respect, if not reverence, for the subject, tutor, other students and (most importantly) themselves.
The Expansion of Online Tutoring
The recent and rapid expansion of modern tutoring makes sense when you consider all factors contributing to limitations, challenges and opportunities in the modern world. Both parents and students alike are spending in the hundreds of billions of dollars each year on online tutoring services for a variety of learning purposes. This uptick in spending creates an influx of new tutors to the online teaching world. Most beneficial of all, however, are the ways in which the current tutoring expansion provides you or your child with access to some of the best tutors available around the world.
Most Common Subjects Taught by Online Tutors Today
Math, English, and Science are typically the three most common subjects taught by online tutors nationwide. The subjects taught via online tutoring sessions are quite diverse, however. For example, each umbrella subject might also be broken down into multiple specific categories or areas of specialization.
The COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in determining which subjects were most taught online in recent times. For example, Chemistry, SAT Prep and French rivaled traditional Math, English and Science in popularity and tutoring sessions booked during pandemic-based quarantine periods. Foreign languages are also highly popular tutoring subjects. This includes and is especially true for non-native Americans who have received their Green Cards or U.S. citizenship and need to improve their skills in English. Native U.S. residents are also booking online tutoring sessions to learn a different language. This might be to improve their experiences when traveling to a foreign country. Some students might be business owners working to stay in-step with the expansion of diversity and minority hires in the country today. Other students are simply looking for a new challenge or to keep their minds active and fresh.
Areas of Specialization
Many top online tutor programs specialize in training students for their American College Testing (ACT) examinations. Others specialize in tutoring for the SAT or the various types of college placement examinations facilitated by schools around the country. College-level tutors especially focus on specializations, although most also teach general education courses required in college as well.
Top Platforms for Online Tutoring Sessions
While Skype and Zoom are the two primary services used to facilitate online tutoring sessions, other platforms are also available. Each platform is commonly dependent on the system as facilitated by the tutoring service itself. Students are required to possess a reliable Wi-Fi connection, appropriate Wi-Fi-accessible device (laptop, tablet, desktop computer, etc.) and any additional technology required to allow sessions to run smoothly and without interruptions.
Average Rates for Online Tutor Programs
The rates charged for online tutoring sessions vary based on a large variety of factors. Rates might range between $20 and $100 per hour. Prices for tutoring sessions for the same subject and material will vary between the different tutors teaching the subjects. Independent tutors set their own rates. Tutors working for larger organizations or services might follow company pricing policies. This is not always the case, however. Some tutors working for a tutoring agency have permission to set their own rates. In these cases, however, the agency takes a fee off the top of the rates set by individual tutors. This means you might pay more for an agency-based tutor than you would if hiring them privately. The biggest tradeoff involves each agency vetting the tutors they hire for education, certification, tutoring background, education, and additional information.
Sessions are typically booked in 30, 45 or 60-minute intervals. Lower rates might be available when multiple sessions are booked at once. Discounts for long-term bookings might also apply. Conversely, students might be charged extra for sessions running overtime and based on regional market and economic factors.
Top Online Tutor Programs Today
The PrivateTutoringAtHome.com website, alongside Varsity Tutors and Thumbtack services all provide reliable resources for finding the best online tutor programs available. UniversityTutor.com and Wyzant are two of the top programs today. Additional top online tutor programs available now include: