- Set clear and realistic goals. Have a clear idea of what you want to learn and accomplish by a set time. This will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed or going off-task by allowing you to prioritize. However, make sure the goals that you set are realistic to your situation, environment, and life circumstances.
- Do a little bit of studying every day. Instead of choosing one day to study everything, set a specific time to do a little bit of studying and practicing every day. This will help you develop a study routine, and it will also allow you to break apart your study materials into smaller, and more manageable pieces. Also, make sure to take breaks during study sessions.
- Work with your family. Share your goals with your family, and see if there are ways that they can help you achieve them. Ask them to take care of your children while you are at tutoring, or put into practice the new skills and concepts that you learned with your tutor by using them with your family.
- Come to lessons prepared. Bring your books, pencil, and other things that you need for tutoring. Also, come prepared with any questions that you might want to ask your tutor. This will help you address any confusions right away, and it will also let your tutor know what you need help on.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you are struggling to understand a lesson, don’t feel ashamed to be honest about it with your tutor. It is ok to take a long time to understand or learn new things. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to your tutor, literacy specialist, family members, and other people who can support you.
- Keep Boundaries. Remember that your tutor is just a tutor. If you need help with certain issues in your personal life, please contact your literacy specialist or local librarian for a list of references to professionals who can help you.
- Persevere. Sometimes, you will feel like you are not making any progress, but don’t give up! Students always learn and improve more than they realize. Keep any assignments you finished with your tutor, because looking at them again in the future will help you see how much progress you made. Refocus, keeping your goals in mind. You can go on vacation to give yourself a break, but try and try again!
- Believe in yourself. Always believe that you can achieve your goals, even when you feel overwhelmed. Have a positive mindset. Sometimes, struggling is a part of learning!
