Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in the importance of online education. Online schooling and tutoring have made it possible for students who live around the country to stay on track. Virtual tutoring has allowed people to offer their time and skills to help kids who need it the most.
While tutoring online is more accessible than ever, it also comes with some new challenges. Without the in-person interaction that traditional tutoring offers, it can be difficult to keep students engaged and motivated. Luckily there are a number of tools that can make connecting and working with students much easier. At Learn To Be, we’ve been tutoring students around the country virtually for years. Through our experience, we have found a few of the best online tutoring tools that can help level up your tutoring sessions.
Math Resource: The Math Learning Center
The Math Learning Center provides a collection of learning tools to help tutors teach math by offering a variety of apps and lessons for a variety of grade levels. Some of the resources offered include:
Strategies to help students develop problem-solving skills
Activities and worksheets for each grade level to practice math problems
Illustrated stories that visually explain elementary math concepts
Reading Resource: Funbrain
Funbrain features a variety of interactive books, games, and videos that help children K-8 develop and improve their reading skills. It is a great tool to use with students who enjoy an interactive learning experience. On Funbrain you can find:
A wide selection of interactive books covering different genres and reading levels
A variety of games and activities designed to improve reading skills, including spelling games and word puzzles
Printable worksheets for tutors to use for practice during a session
Writing Resources: Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors is an online education platform that offers personalized learning for students of all ages. Their English Teacher resource is designed specifically to help students improve their writing skills. Some great features of their English Teacher resource include:
A comprehensive writing curriculum that covers a range of topics, from basic grammar and sentence structure to advanced writing techniques
Engaging and interactive writing exercises and activities that are designed to help students develop and practice their writing skills
Tools such as writing tips and strategies, writing prompts, and sample essays
Worksheets: Education.com
Education.com is an educational website that provides a wide range of resources for students and tutors. The website provides a wide range of educational resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, games, and activities that are designed to engage students and promote learning. Our favorite features of the website include:
A collection of over 30,000 lesson plans and worksheets
Fun games and activities for students K-8
Printable worksheets for math, science, language arts, social studies, and more!
Quizzes: Quizlet
Quizlet is the go-to website for digital flashcards. The website gives you access to a wide variety of pre-made decks covering nearly every subject while also allowing you to create cards just for your students. On Quizlet you can:
Create custom flashcard decks with images
Use various study modes to learn concepts with matching games
Monitor students’ progress and identify areas where they need additional support using Quizlet’s built-in analytics and tracking tools
Teaching Materials: Canva
Canva is an essential tool for creating fun presentations, worksheets, handouts, and more. Easily design documents and materials to aid in your online teaching sessions. With a free Canva account, you can:
Choose from hundreds of different templates
Customize materials by changing text, images, and colors
Share materials in a link, present during a session, or shared as a PDF
Send an edit link to students so they can play with posters, graphics, and worksheets that you choose
Virtual Whiteboard: Ziteboard
Ziteboard is a virtual whiteboard you can use to draw ideas and display notes during a lesson with your student. With Ziteboard you can:
Draw out or note important concepts of a lesson
Collaborate with a student and have them draw on the board
Share whiteboard notes with students after the tutoring session
Prep whiteboards for a tutoring session even when you don’t have WiFi with their offline whiteboards
First Session Checklist: Learn To Be
The first tutoring session with a new student can sometimes be a little nerve-wracking. If you don’t know where to start, what to do, or what to ask in the first session, check out our First Session Checklist. In this Learn To Be resource you’ll find a list of the most important topics to cover including:
How to connect with your student’s parent or guardian
Strategies to understand your student’s goals and objectives
Icebreaker questions and activities to get to know your student
A team agreement that sets expectations for your tutoring sessions
As the world continues to shift towards a more digital future, online tutoring is likely to become an even more important profession. By utilizing these resources, you can create more engaging and effective lessons, connect more meaningfully with your students, and track progress more accurately. Our tutors can tell you that having the right tools and resources to succeed is essential. So, take advantage of these tools and elevate your online teaching game to set your students up for success.
Looking for new online tutoring opportunities? Apply to join our team of Learn To Be tutors!