Even though I’m constantly checking in with my kids to know how their day went, what they’re learning in school, and to keep tabs on always evolving friendships, their brief responses might not be an indicator of how they’re really feeling, especially when it comes to their grades. Like many tweens and teens, they’re are not always likely to share that a challenging class has gotten over their heads and starts to erode their confidence as they struggle.
As the end of the first marking period comes to a close and your child is bringing home their first set of grades for the year, check in with them. It’s just as important to talk to your straight A student and a child who may be struggling so find some time when they’re relaxed, and you can have a casual discussion without them feeling like they’re in trouble. Ask them the following questions:
- What classes do you love?
- Are there classes that you feel are harder than you thought?
- Did you get the grades you expected this quarter?
- How can we support you going forward?
How can we support you is a key question we’re constantly asking Emily who started high school in a magnet engineering program this fall. To say her course load is intense is an understatement. She’s taking 4 college level classes that includes AP Physics, magnet pre-calculus, and two college level engineering classes. She loves the challenge of her program and does a great job balancing her course load with downtime and fun, but we make it known that we’re here to support her in whatever way we can.
Sometimes this means sitting down and trying to recall the calculus I took in high school while my husband racks his brain for knowledge of college level physics. Other times it means talking about adjusting expectations, giving hugs, or offering her the assistance of a tutor to build her confidence in subjects where it sometimes falters.
But where do you start when it comes to finding a tutor? How do you fit in tutoring sessions into your tween or teen’s already busy schedule? And what if the help they need is now and their regularly scheduled tutor time is days from now?
Introducing Varsity Tutors Instant Tutoring
Varsity Tutors is a live-learning platform that matches students of all ages with personalized, vetted tutors to help them learn anything anywhere. The platform connects students with qualified, experienced tutors for 1:1 on-demand live learning or tutoring experiences via its instant tutoring tool that provides access to over 1000 subjects in less than 15 seconds.
With 40,000 subject matter experts nationwide, the service covers EVERY high school subject (and so much more!) and provides assistance anytime, anywhere via a mobile app, laptop, or desktop computer.
Getting Started with Varsity Tutors Instant Tutoring
I signed up for a Varsity Tutors account at the beginning of the school year not knowing if or when Emily might need it. One evening she was stuck on kinematics problems that were part of her physics homework. She queried her friends via group text like she often does but after getting no response, she decided to try Varsity Tutors Instant Tutoring.
Getting started only involves these 3 steps that make it quick and easy for your child to connect with a live on-demand tutor:
- Sign in to your Varsity Tutors account online or via their tutoring app
- Under “Instant Tutoring,” select or search for the subject your student needs help with
- Choose “Meet With a Tutor Now” tobe connected with a tutor in as little as 15 seconds.
In just matter of minutes, Emily was connected with an AP Physics tutor named Leonard. Using the camera on her laptop and the microphone on her earbuds that were plugged into her laptop, she showed Leonard the first kinematics problem in her homework set and they talked through them.
Over the course of an hour, she and Leonard worked on her homework and while they were connected, the Varsity Tutors platform recorded their tutoring session.
Upon conclusion, Emily received an email with a link that she could use to watch the session in order to revisit key learning concepts, questions, and the things that she and Leonard discussed. I love that the session can be watched at any time, as often as she needs so can be used to review concepts as a refresher before a test.
Summary of Varsity Tutors Instant Tutors Experience
Emily said she felt much more confident about her kinematics homework after working with Leonard. She appreciated the 1:1 flexible nature of Varsity Tutors Instant Tutoring where learning was personalized and based on her learning goals. As a busy teen with lots of after school activities, she also loves that Varsity Tutors connects her with tutor immediately and when she needs help the most. She also likes that she can watch recordings of past tutoring sessions if she needs to review concepts at a later date.
Emily has continued to use Varsity Tutors Instant Tutoring for homework help and to complete review packets for tests since her initial session with Leonard. She gives it rave reviews and I’m happy to have had found a solution that works well for her and makes her confident about her coursework.
While we used Varsity Tutors Instant Tutoring for homework help, it can also be used for:
- Immediate exam prep help— When your tween or teen needs help studying for an upcoming test, Tutors Instant Tutoring can help them re-learn what they need to know before that big Algebra exam.
- Brush up on a foreign language before a vacation or work trip— Varsity Tutors Instant Tutoring isn’t just for students. Adults can use it to reinforce knowledge of Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, and beyond to build language fluency through daily practice.
- Proofread and edit your essays and research papers— As high school seniors are putting those finishing touches on college application essays and research papers, Varsity Tutors can provide an extra pair of eyes to check their writing to provide a boost of confidence and peace of mind upon turning in work.
Varsity Tutors has worked with nearly 150,000 students who have accessed over 4 million hours of tutoring the company’s 40,000 subject matter experts nationwide. Additionally, through the company’s free online learning tools and mobile applications, Varsity Tutors has created a learning ecosystem of more than 100,000 free practice questions, answers and explanation sets across more than 150 subjects and standardized tests.
Varsity Tutors Instant Tutors are available through a package price where you pay in advance for a set number of hours. This is an example of pricing for the Academic level (for grades 6+). Pricing depends on tutoring needs and hours you’d like to purchase and varies accordingly. More information on pricing can be found here.
Win 5 Hours of Instant Tutoring from from Varsity Tutors
For more information and to connect with a tutor for in-person on-demand help, visit the Varsity Tutors website.
Varsity Tutors provided us with a voucher good for complimentary access so we could try Instant Tutoring. No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own and based on personal experience.
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