A key attribute that we look for when we personally interview our tutors their ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. This can tell us a lot about the style of their teaching and the potential rapport they will build with our students. Although academic excellence is a critical feature we pay great attention to, it is not the be all and end all. Having excellent academic records demonstrates the ability to think analytically, intellectually and perform well under exam conditions – all very important attributes, but equally important is the ability to truly understand how to translate this to their students to help them be able to develop the same skills and become more independent learners in the long run.
I recently went on a course to learn about NLP, neuro linguistic programming, which in short, is a system in which we can use language to accelerate performance and achieve desired results. The three most influential components in producing human experience are: neurology, language and programming. The neurological system regulates how our bodies function; language determines what we communicate and programming determines the kinds of models of the world we create. This was an insightful and fascinating concept that I have shared with some of our tutors and we realise that mastering and applying this theory in lessons can greatly enhance our students’ education experience. Simply altering the way in which we communicate can really change the addressee’s emotions. For example, instead of saying “You didn’t perform very well”, a better way to say this could be “you can perform better next time”. Instead of saying “that’s not the right way to do it”, a better way to say this could be “try doing it this way instead”. Whilst this seems like common sense, it is actually very common for many people to speak without choosing their words carefully. By consciously making these small tweaks in our conversation, it can really make a huge difference to the students’ feelings and thoroughly improve their confidence – something in which many of our students wish to attract more of. Similarly, simply altering our body language can also transform the way in which our students perceive what is communicated to them. It is important to us that our tutors are approachable, great listeners and can communicate effectively to our students.