It’s 2022 and we’re still in a pandemic. Schools are doing the best they can, but they’re still far from normal.
Pandemic life is hard for 100,001 reasons. For our second graders, it means they have NEVER experienced a year of consistent learning. Thankfully, schools are understanding, and expectations are lower. But that leaves a huge gap. Students are not where they should be, and parents are stressed for many reasons.
Benefits of tutoring
Tutoring boosts academic performance by giving students the one-on-one attention they need to feel comfortable asking questions and reviewing concepts. This builds their confidence, which leads to a better understanding of the course material. Ideally, it also reduces time spent studying outside of class for future assignments.
Tutoring has many benefits over more traditional styles of studying. For one, you can choose to work with a tutor who is knowledgeable about your course material and available at times that work best for you. You also have complete control over where and when you study; no need to worry about missing class or any other obligations. In addition, tutoring can help students set goals and develop study habits that will benefit them beyond college.
Benefits of online tutoring for students
Working independently – Online tutoring gives you the flexibility to work around your schedule outside of business hours.
Convenience – You can access online tutoring from any computer or device with an internet connection and a browser, such as a laptop, phone, or tablet.
Benefits of GoPeer
GoPeer is so easy to navigate, set up, and get started. It’s seriously like pushing the big red easy button.
I’ve never used a dating site, but I imagine finding a tutor on GoPeer is similar to finding a date with similar interests, etc.
After filling out a very quick and easy profile, you are matched with tutors who can help in your unique situation. You can then check out their profiles for more information and chat with them right there on the site.
You can try out a tutor with a free session before committing.
Once you find your tutor, your sessions can start right away.
Your sessions are recorded. The tutor will send you the recording a few minutes after your session. Recordings make learning online 10X more effective than in-person tutoring because students can reactivate what they learned to enhance their understanding and improve their ability to apply that knowledge to different contexts.
Even if your child isn’t behind in school, GoPeer still has lots to offer. GoPeer has tutoring for ACT and SAT testing. It can even help with test-taking in general. In addition, you can take lessons in extra-curricular activities. You can also learn coding, piano, and foreign languages.
The tutors from GoPeer are college students who enjoy working with kids and want to use their skills to make money to support themselves through college. Tutoring rates are affordable, and 100% of your tuition goes directly to your tutor.
It’s very safe. How many times have we told our kids not to talk to strangers online? GoPeer has many safety protocols in place, including appropriate screenings and background checks. They have implemented industry-standard best practices to help keep your personal information safe whenever you use their service. They use HTTPS encryption for internet security to keep all of your information safe.
In addition, all communication with the tutor happens on the GoPeer platform. Therefore, all communication is monitored by appropriate staff.
Benefits of Online Tutoring for Parents
Online tutoring has become an excellent way of supplementing education among students who seek additional help on a particular subject or who need help on a specific assignment. Tutoring supplements what is being taught in school and provides the student an opportunity to learn from someone who has more knowledge and experience than their teacher.
For me, handing this over to someone else who is more qualified was a huge relief. I’m not a teacher. I went to school in the ’80s and ’90s, and I learned in a completely different way. I’m a fairly intelligent adult, and I honestly don’t understand my kids’ homework assignments.
Helping with homework is frustrating enough. Trying to help my daughter get caught up was almost unbearable. A parent never wants to see their child struggling or suffering. But when a parent is frustrated and growing impatient because there are still 408 things that need to be done in the next 30 minutes, that creates more stress and makes their child suffer even more.
Our Personal Experience with GoPeer
When the world came to a screeching halt in the spring of her kindergarten year, I honestly didn’t worry about her falling behind in school. Of course, I had no idea we would still be in this two years later, but I just felt confident she would catch up.
When she fell behind, I just chalked it up to the wacky years and let it go. Besides, I was dealing with my stress and trauma from the changing world.
At the beginning of second grade, she was identified as needing extra help in reading. However, I still didn’t worry too much. Having two older children, I knew her experience at school was far from perfect, and I just kept thinking she’d catch up eventually.
We’re more than ½ way through the school year, and she still hasn’t caught up, so I had to find a better solution.
When this opportunity to try online tutoring with GoPeer was presented to me, I had mixed feelings. Of course, I wanted the extra help for my daughter, but I have some lingering negative feelings around “online learning.” Not only do I have traumatic flashbacks to online and hybrid learning, but I also don’t want my daughter to spend too much time in front of a screen. It’s winter in Ohio; she already spends more than enough time looking at a screen of some sort.
But I needed to put aside my feelings and give it a try.
It was so easy to get set up and started. But, let’s be real, if something isn’t easy, it isn’t getting done right now.
My daughter wasn’t excited about doing any “extra learning” outside of school and homework, so I had my work cut out for me. I had to pull out my most effective persuasive technique, also known as bribery with ice cream.
My daughter was shy and slow to warm up to the tutor initially. And getting started for the first time takes some extra time and effort to figure out what precisely is needed from the tutor.
But in just a few minutes, things were running smoothly. My daughter was more willing to participate, and the tutor quickly figured out how to help her best.
It was eye-opening for me to see her with the tutor. Doing homework with her is one thing, but seeing how she’s learning and interacting with a teacher or tutor is completely different. It didn’t necessarily teach me HOW to help her, but to understand her challenges better. The tutor is for the HOW part.
After the first few sessions, I was able to leave her with the tutor while I made dinner. That brought some major peace of mind. I could still observe and hear what was happening in the online session and chime in when I needed to, but I was also able to get dinner ready for the rest of the family.
Another thing I quickly learned was not to use the words “tutor” or “tutoring.” Those words made my daughter feel self-conscious. We agreed to call them “learning sessions,” and she actually enjoys them now.
We’re both learning a lot in this process, and I’m grateful for the services provided by GoPeer. I’m just like every other parent out there who wants the best for their children. Finding support during these troubling times is helping us feel more confident and able to move forward.
