Tips to Confirm Students Really Understand

Chances are high that you've had a student who told you they had no questions, when really they were completely confused and had no idea what you were talking about. It's unfortunately a very common part of teaching.

If the student doesn't understand the first thing you say, they might struggle to understand the next thing, and maybe even everything after that. This means they will be less likely to make an effort in the lesson, which results in more work for you as a tutor. 

And, of course, a frustrated student is less likely to give you a high rating when the lesson is over. 

So it's better for everyone to make sure the student actually, really does understand you and is following the lesson. But how can you do this?  Let's look at a few ways.

Why don’t they just tell you the truth?

First, let's take a moment to think about why students say they understand when they don't. There could be many reasons, but the basic answer is because it's simply easier. Many students may be self-conscious about asking you to repeat something they didn't catch or to explain a concept in more detail. They may not know how to phrase the question they would like to ask. Perhaps they think they've already asked too many questions earlier in the lesson. Or maybe they feel their question is a silly one. So saying everything is fine is the easiest way to avoid feeling uncomfortable.

So what can you do about it?

Encourage questions

One simple thing you can do is to let your student know early in the lesson that questions are welcome. You can even encourage them to interrupt you whenever they have them. 

This does two things:

1. It lets them know that there is nothing wrong with questions — they are a normal and expected part of any lesson. After all, a student in any type of class with no questions at all would be strange.

2. This helps create a more relaxed lesson environment. Your students (and perhaps you, yourself) may be more familiar with a stricter classroom style in which there's a clear separation between the teacher and student. Some tutors may prefer this, and that's fine if it works for you. But for everyone else, encouraging questions can make the student feel less like they are just listening and more like they can join in. This can really motivate the student to speak more, which means more practice for them and less work for the tutor.

Test their understanding

It would be nice if encouraging questions alone was enough to help your students follow the lesson, but you'll probably need to do more. Instead of waiting for them to ask you one, put a little pressure on them and ask a question yourself. But not only that — check for proof that they understand.

If they can successfully meet your challenge, you know things are moving in the right direction. Plus, this allows them to practice what they've learned by repeating it, and it can lead to more questions that might have been lost if you had moved on without checking. On the other hand, if your student struggles to answer your question, you know they need more help with it.

No matter which way it goes, it will give both you and your student a better idea of when they need help.

A two-way street

It's often very easy for students to pretend everything is fine in a lesson when it isn't, but this just makes things harder for everyone. Making sure they aren't feeling left behind is an important way to make lessons more helpful for them and less difficult for you. 

Let them know there is nothing wrong with asking questions and encourage them to speak up when they are unclear about something. Then, challenge them to show they understand so you can see where they need more help.