Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Why working with a team-oriented tutor is in the best interest of your child. Collaboration is key in understanding where your child is and where your child can go!

Written by Sarah McQueen

Maryland Certified Teacher & Tutor at BFT

“Teamwork makes the dream work.” That’s my family's motto. And isn’t it just the truth? Things work better & life just feels easier when everyone works together. The same goes for relationships between home and school. I’m not talking about meeting your child’s teacher at Back to School Night or helping your child with their homework (although these things are important). I’m talking about an “all in” mentality from parents, teachers, therapists, counselors, nurses, and tutors, working together to help a child meet their learning goals.

That’s when the real magic happens--transforming a child who lacks drive & feels defeated into a student who WANTS to learn & looks forward to school. This is created by the effort of the team who all bring something different and dynamic to the table for the main goal of WINNING, defined in this situation as your child meeting their academic goals and finding a joy in learning.

Baltimore Family Therapy receives the most tutoring requests during the months of October & November. Everyone is settling in, and it becomes apparent where a student may need extra support. That’s where I come in. After gathering information from parents, I immediately contact the child’s teachers to find out more information. Grades most often don't give us the big picture--it's important to know the specific skills and areas a student may be struggling with. I always include parents in my emails to teachers & school staff, because I want to make sure that we all have open communication and can reach out to one another when necessary. This sets the teamwork-tone right from the very beginning.

Parents have insight into issues at home that may be causing learning difficulties at school, teachers have insight into everyday learning and how grades are assessed, and I have insight into what I’m seeing during our 1:1 learning sessions (which may surprise you!).

Are there big life changes occurring? Could a move to a new home or upcoming parental divorce be causing stress and inattention? Maybe your child has vision issues that need to be addressed in the classroom? Or perhaps your child suffers from generalized anxiety, and this shows up furiously during homework time? These perspectives are all unique and incredibly important in order to get the most clear picture of how to help that student in the most successful way possible.

As a team-oriented tutor, one of my favorite things to do is join in on school conferences, where everyone who cares about that child is sharing information, adding viewpoints, and working together to figure out the problem and work towards a solution. Our teamwork is crucial to your child’s success and it’s SO exciting to see what we can all accomplish together!

Teamwork truly does make the dream work- especially in the case of home and school relationships. In your hunt for a tutor for your child, don't settle for someone that doesn't go the extra mile. Your child deserves more than guesswork from their adults.

So with all of this being said- Let’s Go Team!!!