How to Keep Parents Happy as an Online English Tutor

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When you teach kids, parents are often right next to them or somewhere in the background, so you'll want to keep them in mind. Today, we'll share some tips for keeping parents happy as an online English tutor.

Encourage the student to speak as much as possible

Our number one tip is to make sure your younger students speak as much as possible.

This is good practice for all kinds of students, but it's especially important for kids, since many parents listen to their children's lessons in the background, which means they can only rely on their sense of hearing to know what's going on.

So hearing their child singing, answering questions, or repeating English words after you assures them that their child is in good hands. But how can you make sure a child keeps talking throughout a lesson? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Fun repetition: Have your student repeat after you in different ways, such as in different voices (e.g. shouting, whispering) and with different actions (e.g. popping up from the bottom of the screen).
Show-and-tell: Have your student show you their favorite toy, book, or drawing and ask them to tell you about it.
Whiteboard activities: Play games like the blind drawing game, missing words, and more.

We also have lesson materials that are designed to keep kids engaged for the full 25 minutes: English for Kids, Elementary Reading Series, and the "Getting Started" section of our Conversation materials.

And for ways to keep difficult students engaged, we recommend checking out our tips in the post "How to Get Tired, Distracted Kids to Cooperate."

Fill up the chatbox

Besides listening to the lesson, parents also check the chatbox afterwards to see how the lesson went. So even if you're busy using props (like puppets and toys), singing, or making lots of gestures, keep the chatbox in mind.

In addition to sending words and sentences, you can liven up the chatbox with pictures. For example, when you teach a new word, type it in the chatbox and include some pictures. You can paste pictures directly into the chatbox in three easy steps:

Copy the image from Google Images, Irasutoya, or wherever you source images.
Go back to the lesson room and use the paste command (ctrl + V; ⌘ + V on a Mac).
Click "Upload" in the window that appears, and the picture will be uploaded to the chatbox.

Just avoid sending external links (e.g. links to Youtube videos or games) in the chatbox, since parents are usually not impressed by them.

Speak simply and slowly

A common complaint we hear from parents is about tutors using language that is too difficult for their child. Big words and long sentences can be discouraging and demotivating — especially for younger learners who have shorter attention spans.

So make sure to speak simply and slowly and use gestures and pictures to help your student understand what you're saying. It'll also help to gauge the student's level at the start of the lesson. For example:

Can they say their name and age?
Can they talk about their favorite colors, animals, or school subjects?
Can they describe the weather?
Can they talk freely about how school was or what games they like to play?

This will give you an idea of what kind of vocabulary and grammar you should use during the lesson. At the lowest levels, kids only know the alphabet, numbers, and a few isolated words, so you'll need to keep things extra simple.

Be encouraging

Another common complaint from parents is about tutors being too strict. Some tutors correct kids too much or talk to them in a stern voice, making them scared or nervous.

So be encouraging and keep your tone of voice, gestures, and facial expressions friendly and cheerful. This will help your students feel safe and enjoy the lesson more. Here are some ideas:

Smile or nod when you listen to them speak.
Say “yaaay!” or give them a thumbs up when they solve an exercise.
React to the things they say in a playful way, e.g. gasp to show surprise.

Besides praising the student verbally, you can also send them fun emojis and stickers in the chatbox when they do a good job.

Just don't praise the student too much, as this will come off as insincere. Praise is best when it's earned, such as right after a successful attempt at something challenging (e.g. pronouncing a tricky word correctly).

👋 That’s it for now

Parents are a "part of the package" when we teach younger learners, so we hope this gave you an idea of how to leave a good impression on them.

If you have a chance to meet the parents of the students you teach (especially the littlest ones), make sure to ask them these questions. Happy tutoring!

This piece was written by Adela.