Is your child having trouble keeping up with the pace of school? Are there certain subjects that he or she is struggling with? Is he or she failing at school? Your child may need academic support: why not call on a coach?
The coach: more than a private teacher
Traditionally, teachers provide tutoring for children and adolescents in the form of support classes. During these support classes, students review certain lessons they have not learned with a private teacher, or do exercises in their presence.
Today, the concept of academic support has a broader meaning. It is no longer a simple support course but a comprehensive and personalized support for the child or adolescent.
The issue is no longer focused solely on school learning but on the child or adolescent in general and how they evolve in their environment.
One person to tackle multiple issues
School coaching is a practice imported from the United States.
The practices of a coach, much more complete than those of a simple teacher, have however nothing to do with those of a shrink (who often frightens children and adolescents).
The goal of a coach called upon for children or adolescents experiencing academic difficulties is not only to improve their academic results. The coach is there to try to improve their life in general, by working on:
- their personality
- their skills
- their weaknesses…
Because this approach assumes that academic difficulties are often part of a larger problem.
Supervision and a pragmatic approach
The advantage of coaching is that it is pragmatic: identifying a blockage or a problem and proposing practical solutions to overcome it.
The objective is to provide support that allows for improvement in all areas that can be improved, regardless of the nature of the problem. In short, it is there to promote the personal development of the child or adolescent.
For example, the coach can offer an introverted child methods to reach out to others more easily and communicate better with those around him. Or, he can help a violent teenager to channel his energy.
Because that may be where the source of his problems at school lies…
A service available online
Finding online tutoring is already common practice in France.
There are many platforms on which you can:
- Find exercises to do online (all subjects)
- Request the services of a coach for personalized support for your child experiencing learning difficulties.
Some sites dedicated to online tutoring also offer parents the possibility of communicating directly with a coach.
Rates vary from site to site but are generally affordable for an average budget. There are several options:
- Exercises
- Complete training in a subject
- Packs with diagnosis and personalized support from a coach…
Last important point: the coaches found on these sites are certified professionals.