The safest way to ask about ongoing arrangements is to write open questions that do not assume the answer. After the paid trial, schedule, fees and support are confirmed directly between you and the teacher, so your job is to ask clearly and record what you hear.
Start from your own constraints, such as your free blocks from the realistic revision planner. Then turn each constraint into a question.
Why avoid assuming how things work?
If you say “I’ll just come twice a week, right?”, you have assumed a schedule, and the teacher may answer the question you asked rather than the one you needed. You might also hear a yes that is about something else.
Open questions invite the actual answer. They are also easier for a teacher to respond to, because they do not need correcting first.
How do I prepare the questions?
- List your constraints. Free blocks, exam dates, what you cannot do (such as late-night lessons) and the topics you care about most.
- Sort them into themes: schedule, cost, what happens in and between lessons, and changes or stopping.
- Write each as an open question starting with “what”, “how”, “is it possible” or “could you tell me”.
- Put the three most important questions first. You may not reach the rest in one conversation.
- Leave a space next to each question to write the answer and the date.
Worked example
Arjun has a trial lesson on chemistry. His constraints from his planner are: free on Wednesdays 5:00 to 6:00 pm and Saturdays 9:00 to 11:00 am, a mock exam in six weeks, and a tight budget set by his parents.
His filled question sheet:
| Theme | Question | Answer and date |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | What lesson times could work with my Wednesday and Saturday blocks, and how is a time changed if school events clash? | |
| Schedule | How often do you suggest we meet before my mock, and what would the lessons focus on? | |
| Cost | What is the fee for a regular lesson, and how and when is it paid? | |
| Cost | Is there anything else I should budget for besides the lesson fee? | |
| In lessons | How do you usually decide what to cover each time? | |
| Between lessons | Is there any support between lessons, and if so how does it work? | |
| Changes | What happens if I need to cancel or move a lesson? | |
| Stopping | How would I tell you if I wanted to pause or stop? |
Every question is open, none states a policy, and each matches something Arjun actually needs to plan. After the conversation he fills in the last column and keeps the sheet.
What is a common mistake?
The common slip is to state a belief as if it were a fact.
Mistaken question: “The lessons are recorded and there is homework marked every week, so I don’t need to take notes, right?”
This assumes two policies the student has no evidence for. If the answer is “no” to either, he has planned around something that does not exist.
The correction is to ask what happens and adjust: “Is there a recording or anything I can revisit? If not, how would you suggest I keep notes?” and “What kind of practice do you suggest between lessons, and is there a way to get feedback on it?”
Check yourself
Rewrite each assuming question as an open one.
1. “I can pay monthly, right?”
Show answer
“How is the fee paid, and how often?” The rewrite removes the assumed monthly pattern and lets the teacher describe what is actually arranged.
2. “You’ll help me with my school homework too, won’t you?”
Show answer
“Could you tell me how you would work with the topics my school is teaching at the moment?” This asks how the teacher works rather than assuming a service that may not be part of the arrangement.
3. “Lessons can be any time I want, can’t they?”
Show answer
“Here are the times I am free. Which of them could work for you, and how flexible is the timetable if my school schedule changes?” It gives the teacher real options to respond to.
What should I do with the answers?
Write them down on the same day. Compare them with your constraints, and check one thing at a time: does the schedule fit, is the cost manageable, and do I know what happens if something changes. If you are unsure, say so and take a day before deciding.
It is worth checking your load first with identifying overload before adding lessons. You can also read how to build a revision plan from available blocks, and see the students’ guide.
The paid trial is one taught hour at the assigned teacher’s confirmed rate, starting from RM80, and the conversation above follows it. If you want to start from a subject, see how online one-to-one tuition works.