Private tutoring doesn't solve all academic problems, and hiring tutors without knowing what's wrong is the fastest way to waste money without results. This guide explains when tutoring is truly effective, when it's almost always necessary, how to choose a tutor, and what students need to do to make it work.
First: find out what's wrong
A bad grade can come from very different places, and each one requires a different solution.
A private lesson helps when the problem is:
- A specific gap. There's a foundation that wasn't laid properly, and everything built on top of it collapses. It's the clearest example and the one that best illustrates the problem.
- The rhythm of the classroom. The student understands, but not at the speed at which it is explained, and falls behind without anyone noticing.
- I'm ashamed to ask. In class he doesn't raise his hand, and the doubts accumulate until the whole subject is an opaque block.
- Not knowing how to study. He spends hours but doesn't retain anything, because he's rereading and underlining instead of practicing.
A private lesson alone won't fix:
- Lack of motivation. If the student doesn't want to be there, adding another hour of class per week won't change anything. First, we need to understand why they don't want to.
- A general organizational problem. If he's late for everything and doesn't hand anything in, the problem isn't the subject.
- An undiagnosed learning disability. What's needed there is a professional assessment rather than reinforcement.
In other words: private tutoring is very good at solving problems of content and method. It is bad at solving problems of attitude or context.
The moments when they are almost always needed
There are three points on the course where the surface changes abruptly and many people trip. Not because the student's skill level has deteriorated, but because the demands increase.
The leap to Baccalaureate
It's the most abrupt. The level rises, the pace quickens, and above all, what's expected changes: it's no longer enough to have studied, you have to have understood. Students who were doing well in secondary school find themselves with a very tough first term.
Second year of high school
Everything comes together here: the densest syllabus of the year, the university entrance exams at the end, and the grade from each exam contributing to the average, which then accounts for 60% of the final grade. It's the time when the most tutoring is requested, and also when being late is most costly.
The first year of university
Fewer classes, more autonomy, and no one hovering over you. Subjects like Calculus, Statistics, or Chemistry in the first year are failing many students who have never failed anything before.
How to choose a teacher
Four criteria, in order of actual importance:
- That he masters the concrete level, not just the subject matter. Knowing math and knowing how to prepare for the second year of high school math exams are not the same thing. The exam has its own format and criteria.
- Let him start by evaluating. A teacher who starts covering material in the first session doesn't know where the gap is. The first class should be used to identify the problem.
- Let him tell you what he's going to do. If you can't explain the plan for the next few weeks, there is no plan.
- That they follow up. If the student is a minor, the parents need to know if he or she is progressing without depending on the next grade.
A word of advice for parents hiring tutors: be wary of anyone who guarantees a specific result. No one can guarantee a grade. What can be guaranteed is a plan, follow-up, and a way to measure its effectiveness.
What does the student have to do?
This is the part that decides whether the investment is worthwhile, and curiously, it's the part that nobody explains when hiring.
- Arrive with your questions written down. An hour flies by if you start by figuring out what you don't understand. Writing down your questions during the week multiplies the value of the session.
- Working between classes. Private lessons are where you get unstuck, not where you study. Without independent work between sessions, each lesson starts from scratch.
- Try it before you ask. An exercise that you have already faced and failed at teaches much more than one that you see someone else solve.
- Speak up when you don't understand. Nodding to finish sooner is the most common way to waste a particular class.
Individual, small group or online
There is no single best format: there is one that fits each situation.
- Individual. When the gap is very specific or the student needs confidence rather than content.
- Small group. When several people share the same difficulty, it's cheaper, and in some subjects, hearing someone else's questions helps.
- Online. When the obstacle is travel or scheduling. It works well for subjects that are explained through speaking and writing; somewhat less so when lengthy procedures need to be corrected on paper.
If you want to see how we approach it by subject and level, there are private lessons in Barcelona.
Two cases have their own guide because they change the decision: if the student is in high school, it is important to know that the academic record accounts for 60% of the access grade ; and if you are hesitating between seeing each other in person or on screen, they are compared in online classes versus face-to-face classes.
FAQ
How many classes per week are needed?
It depends on the gap in your knowledge. To overcome a particular subject, one weekly session with additional work in between is usually enough. To regain a missing foundation, you need more time at the beginning and less later on.
Since when have the results been noticeable?
The first thing that improves isn't the grade, it's the feeling of understanding. That usually comes sooner. The grade requires an exam, so it takes longer.
Are they useful if my child doesn't want to go?
Not much. If the problem is motivation, it's best to understand where it comes from before adding more class hours. A private tutor can help regain confidence, but not by force.
Is it better to start in September or when the first bad grade arrives?
In September, provided it's already known that there's a weak subject. Starting when the failing grade has already been obtained forces students to catch up and move forward simultaneously.
Do online classes work the same?
In most subjects, yes. The difference arises when lengthy paper-based procedures need to be corrected, where in-person instruction remains more convenient.
How do I know if it's working?
Ask the teacher what they've worked on and what still needs to be done. If they can't give a concrete answer after a month, there's no plan behind it.
