How to "Break Up" With Your Tutor
Working with a tutor in college can be extremely beneficial for your grades; however, not all tutors are going to work for you. Every individual person learns differently, which is why it is very common for students not to connect with a specific TA, professor, or tutor.
That being said, sometimes your partnership with your tutor will not be beneficial, and, at that point, it’s important that you “break up” with your tutor.
But how do you do that?
There is a way to keep it professional and to make sure that you are doing what is best for the both of you. So, to better assist you in this breakup, here are six tips to help you “break up” with your tutor.
1. Give them a fair chance
Make sure you are fully informed as to the reason you are breaking up with your tutor before you do so. If you do not have a legitimate reason, then perhaps it would be in your best interest to continue working with the tutor.
If not, if you do have a solid reason for needing a different tutor, be sure that you are prepared and have the proper reason for splitting up with your tutor. Again, your education is of the utmost importance here, so be sure that you are making the right decision with that in mind.
2. Keep it professional
Try not to let emotion lead your way in determining what is best for you here, and definitely leave emotion out of the split. Let them know the reason for your leaving and make it clear that you are making the transition due to your educational needs and nothing more or less.
3. Gauge the appropriate location
Sometimes, a professional email works in this regard, especially if the majority of your relationship has been online. However, if you have been meeting with this individual in person, it would make sense to make the split in person as well. In this regard, be sure that you are providing the tutor with a warning, as they will be expecting a full tutoring session, but if that is not your plan, let them know so that they can make other plans accordingly.
In other words, don’t show up with the intention of quickly leaving if your tutor is planning for a one-hour tutoring session. Out of professional courtesy, it’s best to let them know what your plans are.
4. Thank them for their time
Like any professional split, you do not want to leave them high and dry without thanking them for the effort that they put forth in helping you. Again, the split is due to personal reasons (in most cases) in terms of your education.
Clarify this with them and let them know that you truly appreciated their efforts, but you need a different tutor to be successful.
5. Leave things open
Still, networking in college is great for your future career. While this tutor may not have been the best for you in terms of academic life, they could still be a good person to know in the future. Networking is so important, and you should certainly always have this in mind, even when (and especially) ending professional relationships.
So in thanking the tutor for his/her time, be sure that you connect with them on LinkedIn and keep in touch. Just because it is not an academic fit does not mean the two of you will not be able to work together in the future.
6. Be kind
While this seems like common sense, sometimes it is easy to forget how to be kind when ending a professional relationship. Remember that you are making the best decision for yourself, but also keep in mind that you are dealing with another person that has feelings.
Kindness in these situations goes a long way, so be sure to be kind and I promise, that will come back around and help you in not only future relationships with this individual but also future professional situations and relationships as well.
Tutoring students takes a lot of time and energy, so when you are breaking up with your tutor, it is important that you do so professionally and with their emotions in consideration as well. Your tutor is there to help you, so if they are not, for whatever reason, a help, then you will need to end that relationship. They will understand that you are trying to do what is best for you, and they will respect that in your decision as well.
So follow along with these six tips and, before long, you will be on to the next tutor — hopefully one that is better suited in terms of helping you to be successful academically.