Fifteen Reasons to Certify

There's no such thing as a brief explanation on how to tutor. The art and discipline of tutoring require exposure to the multiple aspects of teaching and learning, questioning and contemplating these theories, followed by application to the tutoring process that comes to fruition only through extensive experience.

1. Certification correlates to concrete proof that all tutors have had consistent, effective training.
2. Certification assures administration that their staff has been trained by professionals
3. Certification provides tutors with relevant, targeted tutoring skills
4. Certification stresses the importance of learning and implementing the code of ethics
5. Proper training lessens or prevents potential tutor / student conflict
6. Certification training provides a consistent established training program that covers all pertinent issues, rather than a hit or miss training that might be conducted by different people at different times and therefore not cover all necessary information.
7. Certification enhances the credibility of the tutoring program providing confidence for parents and faculty to know that your tutors are specifically trained to perform this function.
8. Certification training helps to prevent problems that can occur in the tutoring situation such as the tutor doing the student's homework, helping too much, violating the honor code/plagiarism, etc. These problems are avoided because the tutors are carefully trained in how to avoid these situations.
9. Trained tutors understand when a student's academic problems are beyond what they can help with - and they also are aware of how to refer the student to the proper place to get the help they need.
10. Training and certification foster a professional attitude in the tutors and they take their work more seriously.
11. Certification provides the tutor with a credible accomplishment that may be listed on their resume and therefore improves the tutor's overall ability to seek future employment.
12. Certification motivates the tutors to improve and do well because they want to accomplish the certification (especially if there is a rate increase attached to the completion - even if the rate increase is not significant).
13. Many coordinators report that their tutoring program only became truly effective and professional since the implementation of a mandatory tutor training course based on the principles embraced by the National Tutoring Association.
14. Certification ensures that the program and the tutors in it are in line with the current trends and standards of the profession.
15. Certification provides the standards by which work can be measured.