The importance of effective communication within the personal tutorial role is incredibly important, even more important than that of the lecturing role. In order to fulfil many of the required skills and qualities of being a tutor effective communication is required. Being respectful, friendly, diplomatic, a good listener and to be able to build a rapport all require good communication skills. Tutors “who hone their communication skills are prepared to instruct, advise and mentor students” (Silver, 2018).
Students will express themselves to their tutor often in greater depth than any other lecturer, as a result it is essential their tutor has effective listening and communication skills to obtain the required information while providing the necessary support. This is particularly important when the tutor “conveys a difficult message about the student’s misbehaviour or learning problems.” (Silver, 2018) Good communication extends beyond the communication between tutor and tutee as tutors must also “communicate well to effectively collaborate with colleagues and update administrators on student progress.” (Silver, 2018)
Tutors must also be able to communicate with parents effectively as it is common for regular interactions in person or via phone, often this interaction will involve the parent being concerned or frustrated due to the performance or behaviour of their child, this conversation can become very emotional and requires effective management.
Silver, F. (2018, July 1). Why Is It Important for Teachers to Have Good Communication Skills? Retrieved from Chron: https://work.chron.com/important-teachers-good-communication-skills-10512.html
Author Profile
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My first experience of teaching was in 2016, when I was asked to
deliver a talk to a group of 16-year-olds on what it was like to start
your own business. I immediately knew I wanted to become more
involved in teaching but I didn’t know where to start as I had not
previously considered a career in education. A few weeks later I
agreed to teach a class of Chinese students from the Shanghai
Technical Institute of Electronics and Information, who had travelled
to the UK to learn English and Software Engineering, after that I was
hooked. Within the next few years, I taught hundreds of students of
many different nationalities, aged from 16 to 60, and from
levels 2 to 6. I focused my time teaching with Bath University and
Bath College for several more years until I felt a change was in order.
For the last few years, I have taught remotely with several private
training organisations, provided dedicated one to one coaching
sessions, provided consultancy on teaching and assessment practices
and written about my experiences as a teacher. I plan to continue
with my current activities for the foreseeable future but I’m always
open to new teaching experiences.
