AIBU to think this tutor has an attitude?

Is op the tutor!

Your son sounds like a complete numpty.

Unsurprisingly, “subject knowledge” is a crucial part of knowing about a subject. Does that even need to be said?! “Revision Skills” are the least of your problem. Your son doesn’t appear to actually know or understand a single thing about history and doesn’t seem to be hungry to learn at all. The acquisition of knowledge comes before revision of the knowledge. Thats the world’s most obvious point.

I can’t believe your post is actually real.

😂😂

fair point

Yes, this. Tutor is reasonable, you seem to be in denial.

It was patronizing to send mind map examples and the tutor will be best to just ignore you.

Agree. That would really have annoyed me. If you don't trust his ability, go elsewhere.

Baselining was to see what he already could do. He has been studying this course for over a year.

He doesn't need to learn how to revise properly. He needs to learn how to structure a historical essay.

It was patronizing to send mind map examples and the tutor will be best to just ignore you. If you want to engage a tutor to support your son, you need to trust them. The fact that you've apparently rejected two already is presumably a sign that you don't trust them. Is this one better than the last two? Because constantly changing is a waste of everyone's time.

Op you simply dont seem to understand what revision is?

Revision is about going back over content you have already learned

Your son hasnt done the bit of learning the content in the first place, because he does not make notes in class and cant even remember what topics he's covered let alone the content from them.

You can only complete a mind map when you know some stuff to put in it, your son doesn't?

I know you want to do the best for your DS but you are now on your third tutor, have detailed two instances of messing this one around in these posts alone and are coming across that you know best. You may keep asking for help with revision techniques but if the tutor can see such fundamental gaps in your DS’ ability he can’t just ignore them. Sending him an example mind map is probably pretty offensive - you’re basically telling him you know more about his job than he does. I’m not sure you’re going to get the result you want here.

This op.

If you want help preparing him for the mocks, then you need another tutor because this one isn't invested.

However, most tutors don't turn down work, so I suspect he really feels your DS is just not up to it.

A baseline assessment is normal.

The mind maps and flashcards are all very well in theory, but they supplement a base knowledge. You actually need to know what topic it is you are doing to begin to make a useful mind map of it. You can't make a mind map before you have looked at the material and then suddenly understand it because you have drawn a mind map. They are simply one way of representing or recalling the revision you have already done. the mind map doesn't somehow GIVE you the understanding.

I think you need to be listening to the tutor's advice op. I find it hard to believe DS is genuinely interested, as, sorry to say this, I actually nearly got the giggles reading your op because he seems really quite detached from the process. Sorry, you asked for brutal and this is. But it's ultimately kinder to face reality now than down the line.

But what is your DS going to use to make these revision aids if he has no notes? Are you expecting the tutor to spoon-feed your DS an entire GCSE course in a few hours?

He cannot even identify what history period he is studying to his tutor for them to get started.

I don't see this ending well unless you and your DS have a major change in thinking. What is it about history that your DS actually likes? If this is something he is so keen on - why is he so unmotivated that he cannot get up on time or charge his laptop the night before?

Lots of history to study with SA. Good choice of spending half term hands on.

OP, you can't focus on revision if you haven't done the 'vising' in the first place.

Your son needs to do a LOT of reading, both the materials set for his subject, and around them. This will help him evaluate sources, develop arguments and write essays. He can't rely on the teacher (who he thinks isn't very good) or tutors (who you think keep letting him down).

He has to do the work.

(A mind-map!!! I mean, yes, it's a tool... but the idea you only need the right mind-map to do well at a deeply-academic subject...)

I’m a tutor and I think you’re being so unreasonable that the tutor would be better not tutoring for you! You seem to want to second guess everything and have firm ideas about how you want him to be taught, but you aren’t grasping what the tutor is saying. Gaps in knowledge must be filled in first. It’s right for the tutor to prioritise this. Revising from scrappy, incomplete notes is a waste of time but you’re insistent on it. The tutor is being honest is telling you that your son isn’t a good fit for an a-level in the subject and you’re ignoring that too. Why pay for tuition and seek advice if you know best?

I did A Level History. For context, I got one A and C or above in all other subjects. Guess what I got in history… an E. I’m reasonably academic and studious but history A level is hard. Facts alone won’t get your son through. You need to be good at making arguments and have sociopolitical knowledge of the time period. It’s not just who did what when. I was more focused on my other subjects and History is one that needs full attention and effort with lots of reading. Your son would have to completely change his attitude to hard work, listen to his teachers and tutors, and go all in. Or pick a different A level.

Mind maps are great for a subject like English but not as useful for history. If you do want to do them, your friend has already explained it and they are fairly easy for you to implement yourself with your son. It probably would be best to just let the tutor get on with it.

Revision is what happens after you have the basic knowledge.

If there is no basic knowledge, then really the "revision" is actually learning from scratch.

I feel that if there are basic gaps in knowledge, all the mind maps and revision tools in the world in the world are not really going to help here.

History has a lot of content, I'd definitely take the tutor's advice here in getting the key information into your ds's head first, even if you switch tutor.

The kid might get 100% right because he pays attention or the tutor in that subject is spot on. Who knows? OP might know but most likely not choose to answer.

Not being funny, OP, and I haven't RTFT yet, but seriously, do not let him do it for A Level.

I got an A in my history GCSE. (I now also have a BA and an MA in a similar essay based humanities subject, so very good at essays, etc.). I loved history at GCSE. It was a topic and period of time I was interested in. Hence, the A grade. However, I stupidly assumed that meant I was passionate about all of history. I took it for A Level and got an E!

Did you hear that? I went from an A at GCSE to an E at A Level. It was ten times harder, and a time period I found incredibly boring.

So if he's struggling now, do not let him do it for A Level.

The tutor is right.

You can't revise what you don't know. So the tutor is right to make sure the subject knowledge is learnt in the first place to be able to revise it. In the gentlest way possible that is what revision means. I'm sorry to say I agree with the tutor.

So if I’m clear, 3 tutors and the teacher are wrong in their approaches, but you, with no History or teaching experience are right?

I bite

how is "South Africa" relevant in this tale?

here, very. likely

Sadly people like the OP actually exists in real life. But teachers can't sack them and have to put up with them, and it's much worst in private school because "they want what they pay for"

Poor kids..and poor teachers.

I think you are going about this in the wrong way OP. Surely your emphasis should be on getting the coursework learnt at school and the tutor supplementing that learning? What does his teacher say? Is it worth having a tutor? You mentioned in your first post he was advised by the school not to do history and yet he still chose it.
I would speak to the teacher to understand whether your DS is understanding the coursework first before querying the tutor on his revision technique. There's no point in 'revising' if the knowledge isn't there in the first place.

If the kid is as terrible at writing essays as the OP has claimed, since essay writing is the backbone of a degree in History, how is he going to pass Philosophy or Ethics?! I mean, 1/2 of Philosophy is studying history of thinkers, and the time periods they lived in that formed these concepts!

Revision is for stuff you have already learned. But it sounds as though the problem is that your DS has not learned these things, so the tutor is having to teach him from scratch. And you absolutely need to listen to his advice about A-level. Fortunately, history is one of those things it’s easy to keep being interested in without studying it.

Look at it this way. He's received input from his class teacher, Tutor 1, Tutor 2 and now Tutor 3, and it has not made a jot of difference to his progress in this subject.

Maybe history is not his strong point, and is never likely to be, no matter how many tutors you throw at it.

It's a good few decades since I took A Level history and schools were very different then, but I do remember history was notable for the amount of content you had to recall. My main focus when revising for all my A Levels was to get a good sense of all the details. Mind maps etc help recall, they don't tell you what you don't know or understand. GCSE won't be as complex or as wide ranging, of course, so if he struggles to manage at this level, then I can't see A Level being likely. I loved, and continue to love history - your son doesn't seem to be all that interested in it. Plus essay writing is key..... I also loved writing...... One of my daughters enjoyed history but writing was not her forte and so she didn't select history as a GCSE option.