Learning is both intellectual and profoundly human. Students are more willing to reveal uncertainty, attempt difficult
questions and learn from mistakes when they feel respected by their educator. A tutor must be able to establish authority
without intimidation and warmth without allowing lessons to lose their purpose.
Princeps summarises this philosophy neatly: when students engage with the teacher, they are more likely to engage with what is
being taught. Its tutors are therefore selected for communication, good humour and their capacity to build rapport as well as
for academic expertise.
Tutor matching should also be responsive. Princeps chooses an educator for the individual learner and offers to find another
if the relationship is not right. This matters because there is no universally perfect tutor. A student who needs energetic
encouragement may require a different teaching personality from a highly independent learner preparing for the most demanding
examination questions.