Motivation is defined as “a desire or willingness to do something,” and is often the reason we strive towards a goal – whether it be better grades, saving up towards something or sticking to a New Years’ Resolution. It provides us with the drive to keep moving forward towards a goal, even when it may seem unattainable or impossible.
With academia, however, it’s often that children find the little motivation they already had slipping away quickly. It’s no surprise – given that they may have teachers who only briefly cover content and move ahead quickly or that the pile of assignments and homework seems endless. The HSC in particular proves difficult – with no end in sight as students try to juggle the assignments that keep piling on, the exam notifications they keep receiving and any semblance of a social life. They’re told, “Get your act together; it’s the HSC,” but it’s hard; especially when their motivation slowly withers away.
As a parent, it may be even harder – struggling to figure out why exactly it is that your child has so little motivation for school or how to help them. You might have considered tutoring before, or maybe you haven’t – but here are some reasons as to why tutoring may be right for your unmotivated child:
- Expertise of tutors – unlike school teachers who may not be able to cater to the specific needs of every student in a class of 30 students, tutors are able to focus on the specific weaknesses of their students. Their thorough understanding of syllabus content combined with their expertise of different learning methods allows them to adapt to the individual needs of different children and to focus on their weaknesses. This allows tutors to explain concepts and ideas in a way that is effective and enjoyable for their students whilst also covering all of the syllabus content.
- Passion – students often lack motivation for a specific subject due to their lack of interest in it. This may be influenced by fellow classmates, who also have a preconceived negative perception of the subject or a result of school teachers who teach topics in an uninteresting way. Tutors, however, are incredibly passionate about the subject they teach – the tutor’s passion automatically translated into how they teach. The tutor’s interest in a subject allows them to engage with the student as they implement more interesting ways of explaining complex ideas.
- Removal of distractions – unlike in a classroom environment where teachers may not be able to give one-on-on or individual assistance, one-on-on tutoring provides an environment where the tutor is focused on your child only. This removes any factors that hinder your child’s learning that may be present within the classroom – for example, copying answers from friends or copying worked solutions. This allows your child to develop the personal quality of persistence as they combat negative attitudes of “giving up” on difficult concepts and achieve a better understanding of difficult ideas.
It’s hard to figure out how to help an unmotivated student; but it’s not impossible. All you need is a passionate and patient tutor!
