A Guide to Tutoring Your Sibling
The seemingly burdensome and at times, disturbing responsibilities of having a younger sibling include tutoring them, which can sometimes lead to intense family dramas like the ones you see on Zee Bangla. Here are bits and pieces of advice on how to avoid such situations.
Firstly, and most importantly, wrap your head around the fact that tutoring your sibling is no different than tutoring a student for which you are being paid (except you are not being paid here but let's not be selfish). You need to start respecting your sibling like you would respect your student when you take up the role as his/her tutor. Belittling them for their weaknesses, laughing at their mistakes, and abusing them verbally are absolute no-nos (let's not even talk about physical abuse because that is WRONG on a whole new level). Think about it this way, had you not been his/her sibling, would you have done any of those to your student? If your answer's 'yes', you are probably not suitable to tutor anybody or anything.
An efficient way to avoid a lot of misunderstandings and hurt feelings is to set a routine. Sort out a particular time slot each day when you are both free and make sure you follow this routine to a tee. Refrain from procrastinating and wasting this time chit-chatting about your new crushes. You can always do that later.
You probably know what your sibling's strengths and weaknesses are and if you don't, you can always find out so that you can focus more on the subjects they find difficult instead of the ones that they can manage on their own. If you went to the same school or followed the same curriculum as your sibling, saving your notes always comes handy. Make sure you don't just donate them to someone else when you have a sibling who might need it. Charity begins at home, remember?
If you have exams or are really caught up with your own work, it's vital to let your sibling know beforehand in order to avoid turning them down when they need help. Your sibling might be having exams as well at the same time, which is quite usual. In that case, have a friend who has experience in teaching come over and help your sibling out. Remember to express your gratitude to your friend by treating them at CP Fried Chicken.
If your sibling is having trouble understanding or coping with your style of teaching, try to alter your methods in such a way that it is convenient for both of you. Do a background check from their previous tutors or even better, their school teachers, and get to know how they teach each subject at school since your sibling will probably be well-habituated with their teaching methods.
If done right and with co-operation from both sides, tutoring a younger sibling can actually be quite enjoyable and helpful for both the tutor and the student.