Modern-day tutors: Don't get your hopes up!

Tutoring – a popular part-time job for students for many years – increasingly demands that tutors be competent and adaptable.

In the 2022-2023 school year, Ho Chi Minh City saw an increase of nearly 22,000 students. Wanting their children to receive close tutoring at home with a personalized learning plan and reasonable costs, many parents are placing their trust in student tutors.

Tutoring in the digital age

Previously, students were primarily introduced to tutoring opportunities through word-of-mouth from acquaintances or paid job placement agencies. Now, however, tutoring communities on platforms like Facebook and Zalo are very popular. The advantages of these groups include diverse information, time savings in research, and connecting supply and demand for tutors.

It's not difficult to find tutors for subjects ranging from natural and social sciences like math, physics, chemistry, biology, and literature... to arts like music and painting. Additionally, students can find work through clubs right on campus. For example, the Tutoring Club of the University of Technology - VNU-HCM, part of the Student Support and Employment Center, has a fanpage with over 32,000 followers and a hotline for tutoring services; providing dedicated, high-quality, and free advice. This club serves as a bridge for students with high expertise and equips them with the necessary skills and expertise for teaching general subjects, international programs, foreign languages, and customized tutoring.

The author (bottom right) teaches online to a high school student.

Student tutors are becoming more "professional" by preparing CVs (Curriculum Vitae) that summarize personal information, academic background, achievements, and future goals. Many students from education, medicine, engineering, etc., are highly regarded and become tutors in their first semester of university. Besides ensuring knowledge and discipline, tutors are now very versatile, mastering both in-person and online teaching methods.

While in the memories of previous generations, the image of a tutor often conjured up of someone meticulously teaching students at home with a briefcase, today's tutors connect with parents through social media and smart applications that support teaching and learning. As a student tutor myself, I've found that I and my peers have great access to these new tools and enjoy greater flexibility in terms of time and location for tutoring. Teaching can be conducted via software like Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc. I even use Adobe Illustrator (a vector graphics editing software developed by Adobe Inc.) to design engaging lesson schedules and lecture content.

The more difficult the job, the more you need to be prepared.

Compared to part-time jobs like promotional girls, waiters, or drivers, tutors offer better salaries. The higher the grade level of the student, the more complex the teaching becomes, and the income increases proportionally. However, students are often perceived as lacking pedagogical skills and experience, so they must consciously strive to improve themselves comprehensively. Although seemingly all issues can be researched online and through self-study apps, tutors still play a crucial role, not only imparting knowledge but also acting as companions, listening to and supporting students, especially during the turbulent period of adolescence. Tutors who are proficient in managing and monitoring student progress through Google Classroom, Shub, etc., and receiving feedback through applications like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, and Slido have an advantage. To make tutoring sessions more engaging, they can create games using tools like Kahoot or Quizizz, providing students with a dynamic and creative learning experience.

The small class brought much joy and motivation to Tran Pham Khanh Duy.

Le Huu Phat (a student at the University of Technology - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) has a solid foundation in English. Tutoring younger students in this globally relevant language motivates Phat to improve his skills, and he enthusiastically researches reputable scholarship programs to share with others.

Tran Pham Khanh Duy (a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education) dreams of becoming a chemistry teacher. For the 18-year-old, tutoring is a valuable opportunity to gain professional experience while still in university. Duy, currently tutoring middle school students in chemistry, shared: "I'm lucky to be tutoring at this time. Because I've just finished my own school years, I understand the students' psychology and there aren't too many age barriers. I tutor with all my enthusiasm and responsibility."

Not all students can do it.

According to education expert Bui Khanh Nguyen, tutoring is generally ideal for students because it involves imparting knowledge and guiding study skills. Students are also seniors, possessing some academic experience that they can use to guide high school students. Students in other countries often take on tutoring or teaching assistant jobs, which helps them consolidate their own knowledge while also providing part-time work and additional income. Khanh Nguyen emphasized: "The advantage of tutoring is that if the teaching is related to one's major, for example, a math student tutoring math, a foreign language student tutoring foreign languages... it increases the opportunity to delve deeper and thoroughly learn various aspects of knowledge to pass on to students. However, there are also downsides. For example, if you are an economics or engineering student, part-time work related to business or engineering often has more practical value for your future career. Furthermore, if the tutor is not truly skilled and passionate about teaching, the relationship between the teacher and the student may not be a win-win situation but rather a lose-lose one. Therefore, tutoring is not suitable for all students."

Recorded by Nguyen Thuan

Source: https://nld.com.vn/giao-duc-khoa-hoc/gia-su-thoi-nay-dung-tuong-bo-2022120409493288.htm