6 Months Have Passed, And My Child Isn't Making Any Progress........

What now? Get the blame game rolling and have your son/daughter placed squarely between the crosshairs of your simmering wrath? Or huff and puff and blow the tutor out of the house? A coolly conducted post-mortem goes much further in helping to shed light on things that didn't quite turn out right, as opposed to simply going all apeshit-crazy (that's how nuclear wars get started). So firstly,.....


Take A Hard Look At Yourself

As a parent, what exactly is your definition of progress? How realistic are your expectations? Some mums and dads want to see their precious child jump from a F to an A grade in double quick time-they probably forgot tutors are not miracle workers. When this doesn't happen soon enough, the tutor is flashed a red card. Pray tell, are you a member of this over-demanding fraternity? If you are, bear in mind fast and furious don't cut it with most human learners, so dial back on the "enthusiasm". Slow and steady wins the race. Not too slow of course.


If you feel you are a reasonably pragmatic soul who doesn't ask for the sky (ie you know its more than decent to expect a gradual upward trending of your child's academic performance), yet not an iota of improvement is observed after all this while, you have every right to be concerned. Which therefore requires you to.......

Take A Hard Look At Your Child

What's the deal with kiddo? How motivated is he/she in wanting to do well in them tests and exams? If he/she is an ardent fan of Newton's law of inertia and will only haul ass when push comes to shove, it becomes rather clear where the issue resides. Synergistic teaching-learning is pretty much a two-way traffic thingy-both teacher and student must do their part. If a piece of rock adamantly refuses to actively cooperate/participate during lessons and desires to remain, well, a piece of rock, don't expect a diamond to materialize after applying all that heat and pressure.


But your boy or girl is a rather conscientious angel, you insist. Always does as he/she is told, completing all homework assigned religiously and giving his/her 120% attention-wise during all tutoring sessions. Therefore all the above: irrelevant. Have no worries we are not about to contest your assertions. As such it's time to.....

Take A Hard Look At The Tutor

Plain simple. The laws of Physics at work. If it ain't you, or your child, then the tutor must get into the hot seat. What does your kid think of the tutor's ability? Competent? Terrible? How are lessons usually being conducted? In total silence for most of the times, where the student writes away and the tutor simply looks on blankly? Or there is significant interaction between both parties-the tutor teaches and the student raises questions? If feedback from your child suggests that you have indeed been hiring a cybernetic organism rather than a bonafide human being, it's definitely time to look for someone else.


Then again tutor-tutee rapport is something that cannot be overlooked. Does your child like the tutor? Does he/she find the tutor too boring and regimented? Different folks, different strokes. A tutor is well suited to teach students of a certain caliber and temperament, but may not fare so great when it comes to adapting to a whole different tier of learning habits and preferences. It doesn't mean he/she sucks outright; let's just say the universe and its elements have conspired to make other plans for your child. Not a good fit, you are better off seeking a new pair of helping hands. Period.

There you have it, our tiny troubleshooting manual. Be discerning and sensitive always, but never act on impulse. Gather the facts, then improvise accordingly. Here's to your child surviving well and shining bright at the end of it all.