How to choose a tutor on TutorAide: describe the need, then judge the first sessions

When parents look for a tutor, many picture comparing dozens of profiles, photos and degrees. On TutorAide, it doesn’t work that way. You don’t browse a catalogue: you describe the need, and a person on our team makes the match.

So choosing a tutor here happens at two moments. First, when you fill in the request. Then, during the first sessions, when you see whether the match holds. Here is what to do at each step.

Why there’s no catalogue

A tutor who looks great on paper isn’t always the right tutor for your child. They have to be comfortable with the subject and the grade, speak the language your child learns in, be free when your child is free and, for in-home tutoring, be able to get to your place. A brilliant profile that is never available on Tuesday evenings doesn’t help you.

That’s why matching goes through a real person rather than a list to sort. Every tutor is a university student or graduate, is at least 18, goes through an interview and agrees to a background check before being matched. Your job isn’t to check those basics. It’s to give the information that will help find the right person among them.

Before you fill in the request: pin down the need

Take five minutes to answer three questions, ideally with your child.

What is the goal? “Do better in math” is too broad. “Understand fractions before the end of the term”, “pass the ministry exam in June” or “get back to a homework routine that doesn’t end in an argument” give the tutor a direction from the very first session.

What exactly is getting in the way? Reread the last report card and the teacher’s comments. If you’re not sure how to read it, our article on the first report card lists the questions to ask at the parent-teacher meeting.

Is a tutor really what’s needed? If the difficulty persists despite the usual help, if it clearly affects reading or writing, or if a learning disability is suspected, talk to the school first. A remedial teacher (orthopédagogue) or a speech-language pathologist may be a better answer. Our overview of academic support in Quebec compares the options, free and paid.

Filling in the request: what really matters

The request form takes a few screens. Some answers weigh more than others in choosing the tutor.

Grade and subjects. Pick the exact level (Grades 1 to 6, Secondary 1 to 5, CEGEP) and only the priority subjects. Asking for help in four subjects at once narrows the pool of tutors and spreads the sessions thin. At CEGEP, give the course code and title.

The description of the difficulties. This field is optional, yet it’s the most useful one. Two or three sentences are enough: the concept that’s blocking, since when, what the teacher has noticed, how your child reacts to the subject. “Understands in class but freezes on tests” and “never really got Secondary 2 algebra” call for different tutors.

Tutoring language. Choose the language your child is assessed in at school. A student at an English school preparing for a math exam in English needs a tutor who explains in English.

Format. In-home, online or in a public place. Online, the choice of tutors is wider and matching is faster. In-home depends on the tutors who live in your area. If your child focuses well in front of a screen, online tutoring is often worth a try.

Schedule and start date. Give your real availability, not the one you hope for. A wide window (“Monday, Tuesday or Thursday after 4 p.m.”) opens more options than a single slot. The form then shows a cost estimate based on the frequency you choose.

If you have questions before committing, you can ask the team to call you back instead of filling everything in alone.

The first session: what to watch for

A good start doesn’t show in grades yet. It shows in how the tutor goes about it.

• They ask before they explain. They look at notebooks and recent tests, and ask your child what feels hard.
• They set a clear goal for the coming weeks, tied to what you wrote in the request.
• Your child did some of the talking. A session where the adult explains for an hour while the student nods along isn’t a good sign.
• Your child is willing to go back. They don’t need to be excited, but they shouldn’t dread the next session.

These points line up with the criteria Alloprof suggests to parents (in French) for judging any tutor, wherever you find one: experience, approach, personality.

After each session, take two minutes to ask your child what they worked on. If they can’t say, bring it up with the tutor.

After a few weeks: take stock

Allow at least four or five sessions before judging. The first ones often go to finding the gaps and building trust. Then ask yourself three questions:

1. Does your child understand the target concept better? Is homework in that subject met with less resistance?
2. Does the tutor give you clear updates on what was covered and what comes next?
3. Is the original goal still the right one, or does it need adjusting?

If nothing is moving, neither in understanding nor in attitude toward the subject, that isn’t a failure. It’s information.

When to ask for a different tutor

A match doesn’t always work the first time, and that’s normal. The usual reasons: a schedule that doesn’t hold, a way of explaining that doesn’t reach your child, or a need that has changed since the request (an exam coming up, a new subject slipping).

When that happens, write or call the team. When a match doesn’t click, we redo it. To make the second one right, give a specific example of what didn’t work, and update the description of the need if it has changed.

In short

• On TutorAide, choosing a tutor starts with a precise request: goal, sticking point, language, format and real availability.
• The description of the difficulties is optional, but it’s what helps the match most.
• At the first session, watch whether the tutor asks questions, sets a goal and gets your child talking.
• Take stock after four or five sessions, and ask for a different tutor without hesitation if it isn’t working.

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Ready to describe your child’s needs? The request takes a few minutes, there’s no signup fee, and nothing is charged before the first session. See our pricing or request a tutor.