What Does a Programming Tutor Do?

A programming tutor is someone who helps students learn various types of computer programming techniques. Computer programming is a highly technical field that presents unique academic challenges. Even those already employed in the computer programming industry may require additional one-on-one training or mentoring in general programming principles or a specific programming language.

A programming tutor, in general, employs the same strategies and principles for one-on-one study assistance that tutors in other academic or technical fields do. The best programming tutors know how to adapt instructional content to a student’s specific needs. They will combine this with a good technical knowledge of computer programming in general, or a specialized knowledge of one or more key programming languages including Visual Basic, the C suite, PERL, Python, PHP, or other commonly used coding languages.

A programming tutor will generally determine which key skills are most important for a particular tutoring course or program in order to serve the needs of a specific student. Often, the programming tutor will handle all aspects of scheduling to ensure that the student has convenient access to the course or program. This professional instructor may also offer homework, self-testing, or other activities that can be done outside of the actual programming instruction sessions to allow the student to complete more of the learning on their own time.

Employers typically hire programming tutors to reach out to potential students and set up financial arrangements. Some independent programming tutors work on their own and charge students directly for their services. In either case, presenting clear, actionable study sessions for one-on-one tutoring in a programming language or computer programming principles benefits these professionals.

Programming tutors might start with an introduction to syntax in a programming language like C+ or PHP in terms of the actual content they provide. They’ll frequently move on to providing lesson plans that include hands-on work with code modules and functional code. They will frequently include code error prevention tips as well as programming conventions specific to a small segment of the developer or programming industry. These will assist the student in completing important course work or excelling in a coding or programming-related job role.