Finding the best for your child is every parent's desire, and if your kid is falling behind in math class, it's natural to look for excellent tutors in math. You'll want to talk to several people and inquire about their qualifications. Nearly always, the most effective tutors are also classroom teachers with experience. It's obviously important that a tutor has an excellent mastery of math, but teaching abilities are also of critical importance. It's rare for a child to have difficulty in math class for a single reason. Generally, it is several factors together causing the difficulty, and help with homework alone won't solve the problem.

In the past, it was routine to call upon older students to help younger ones in challenging subjects. Some instances were successful, but more often than not, things didn't turn out as planned. When an experienced math teacher tutors a student, they bring much more to the session than understanding how to solve math problems. It often requires diagnosing the missing areas of knowledge and re-teaching them in ways a student will understand. It may also involve coordinating with a child or teen's math teacher for added insight. The tutoring sessions need to be enriching. 

It's an excellent idea to inquire about tutoring experience and qualifications when interviewing prospective tutors. Also, consider their tone and personality versus your child's. Experienced teachers know how to get through to most kids, but an easy relationship and natural rapport never hurt. The goal needs to be to improve your child's performance (grades) and confidence in math. Strong math students are effective independent learners who can progress through increasingly complex topics with steady skill development. Good tutors also root out gaps in knowledge and make sure they are filled in.

If you're after a tutor for a high schooler studying more complex topics like trigonometry or calculus, the stakes are even higher. You need a tutor with significant math expertise and a firm grasp of teaching complicated mathematical topics. Being able to solve the problems isn't helpful unless a tutor can transfer knowledge (teach) in the process. Teenagers having difficulties in advanced math classes may need help with organization, time management, and study skills to begin improvement. Classroom lectures and problems assigned afterward happen every day in school.