Best Practices: Your Guide to Awesome Sessions

Want to rock your Yo! sessions and keep those yosers coming back? We've got some cool tips and tricks based on what often makes sessions super successful. Think of these as friendly advice to help you shine and make every session a blast. They're totally optional, but many tutors find them super helpful!

1. Making Sessions Engaging & Fun

• Flexibility is Key! You don't always need to stick rigidly to a session structure. This really depends on what your yoser prefers and how your relationship with them evolves. Once you have regular learners, your sessions might feel more like hanging out with an old friend. Feel free to follow our recommendations, but also leave room for spontaneity!

• Yoser Talk Time > Tutor Talk Time! This is our golden rule! Our main goal is for yosers to speak as much as possible. Don't get carried away talking too much yourself, even if they're curious about you. Encourage them to talk more by asking open-ended questions that get them chatting. We want yosers to feel stimulated and engaged, especially during those 25-minute sessions, so they get the absolute most out of their time.

• Time Management Magic: There’s a handy timer in the Yo! Zone showing how much time is left. Keep an eye on it! The session officially lasts 25 or 50 minutes, but, in order for you to wrap the session as smoothly as possible, we offer an extra 2 minutes of grace period (check Session Recordings & Exiting the Yo! Zone: Your Guide to Smooth Endings policy for more details). Make sure you leave enough time to briefly review what was covered and give feedback (if the yoser opted for it). Do it naturally, though – no sudden, abrupt recaps!

• Graceful Goodbyes: Just like recaps, ending the session should be smooth. Always say goodbye to your yoser! Remember, our yosers are our awesome customers, and they're what makes Yo! possible. Showing a customer-focused attitude is super important.

• Engaging the Unresponsive: If a yoser seems quiet or unresponsive during a session, try different ways to engage them as much as possible. If this becomes a regular thing with a specific yoser, it might be a good idea to let our Tutor Support team know, so we can see if there's anything we can do to help.

2. Teaching Other Languages (It's Your Call!)

• If a yoser asks you to teach them a language other than English, it’s totally up to you! You're not obliged to teach anything but English. yosers are aware of this, and we can't guarantee their satisfaction in such cases.

• But hey, if you speak another language really well and feel confident teaching some useful phrases and words, go for it! We won't stop you! Sometimes yosers even mention this in their booking requests, so you might get a heads-up to prepare.

• If you decide not to teach another language, it's perfectly fine to politely tell the yoser that you prefer to stick to English. You can even update your profile info to reflect this if you want.

3. Strategies for Beginner Yosers (and Others!)

• Speaking Speed: If your yoser is a beginner and you're having trouble understanding each other, politely ask them to speak more slowly.

• Chatbox Power: Use the chatbox if you notice they don't understand a word or sentence, and encourage them to use it too!

• Visual Aids: Send images in the chat to clarify what you're saying. A picture's worth a thousand words, right?

• Material Suggestions: If they're unsure what to do, feel free to suggest one of our beginner materials from the library.

• Encourage & Correct: Compliment their progress and efforts – they probably need that encouragement! But don't forget to gently correct them from time to time to help them learn and grow.

• Have Fun!: And most importantly, try to have some fun and make sure your yoser has a fun experience too!

4. Rocking Your First Session (and Trial Sessions!)

• They Chose YOU!: If a yoser booked with you for the first time (especially a trial session), remember they probably already liked your profile and want to get to know you better. This is your time to shine! But always ask them questions about themselves too – remember, they should be talking more than you!

• Trial Session Chat: In trial sessions, after introductions, always ask the potential yoser if they want to hear more about Yo! and how our sessions work. Only if they agree, feel free to share our mission and how we can help them practice their English skills. (You can check our Best Practices: Acing Your Trial Sessions article for more info on what to say!)

• Understanding Their Goals: Make sure to ask why they're practicing English. Knowing their goals helps you tailor the session to their needs!

• Comfort Zone: Create a super pleasant environment – smile and show a great attitude. A little small talk about everyday topics (yes, even the weather! 😄) in the first few minutes can really help them relax.

• Material Suggestions: If a new yoser prefers materials over free talk, or seems a bit lost, we suggest our newest Daily News articles (matched to their level). They're interesting, have vocabulary explanations, and usually spark great conversations.

• Show Your Best!: Showcase your communication skills, charisma, and professionalism. This is why yosers love Yo! and stick with their favorite tutors, so aim to get those regular learners!

• Build Confidence: Encourage them to speak more, and praise their English skills, especially if they're not super confident. They'll be even more motivated to speak, even if it means making a few mistakes.

• New Words, New Progress: Try to teach at least a few new words or expressions during the first/trial session. This gives the yoser a great impression that they're already making progress!

• Corrections: If the yoser wants to be corrected (check their request!), then absolutely do so. Pay attention to what they're saying so you can give them helpful feedback.

• The Power of Regular Practice: Occasionally, gently remind yosers how important it is to have someone they can talk to regularly to really improve their language skills.

• Stay Flexible: If a new learner is in a hurry and just wants to jump straight into materials, don't take it personally! Do what they want, and if you finish the material with time to spare, you can always use those last few minutes to get to know each other better.

• Secret Notes: It can be tough to remember every yoser! It's totally fine to discreetly take notes during sessions. This helps you remember important details for their next booking and really builds that yoser/tutor relationship.

• Sell Yo! (Subtly!): Giving yosers a positive experience with Yo! will definitely encourage them to book again! Don't be afraid to subtly "sell" the company and yourself, especially in a trial session. Just remember, we don't want to be pushy or make anyone uncomfortable.

Important:

• Don't forget to occasionally, and thoroughly, read through all the supporting articles in the Help Center – they're packed with good info!