Warning sign 1: no week-by-week plan after month 1
By the end of month 1, your tutor should be able to tell you what you're working on this week, next week, and in 8 weeks. If asked, they should describe the 9-month spine: 'we're building toward DELE B1 in May; right now we're laying subjunctive foundation; next quarter is essay structure.' Tutors who can't articulate this are improvising lesson-by-lesson — fine for occasional sessions, bad for sustained progress.
Warning sign 2: recycled lesson plans
Lessons that repeat the same exercises week after week with minor tweaks. The same vocabulary list with one new word added. The same scenario practiced 4 weeks in a row without expansion. Some repetition is necessary (spaced repetition); excessive repetition signals the tutor isn't preparing fresh material.
Warning sign 3: no homework or homework that's never reviewed
Adult learners often resist homework; good tutors push back. If your tutor has stopped assigning homework — or assigns it but never reviews it — they're treating you as a paying conversation partner, not a student. The relationship is fine; the learning has stalled.
Warning sign 4: only positive feedback
If you've made the same error 4 weeks in a row and your tutor has never circled back to it, they're under-correcting. Adult learners need honest feedback to improve; tutors who only validate are pleasant but ineffective. Ask: 'what's the most common error I'm making?' A good tutor names 2-3 specific patterns. A lazy tutor says 'you're doing great!'
Warning sign 5: scheduling-side chaos
Cancelling lessons within 24 hours more than once a month. Forgetting which day you're supposed to meet. Showing up without lesson prep. One-offs happen; pattern is a sign that this tutor has overcommitted + your account is the one being deprioritized.
Warning sign 6: no measurable progress in 8 weeks
Some plateaus are real (especially A2→B1 and B1→B2 transitions). But 8 weeks of zero measurable progress on ANY axis (vocab count, pronunciation accuracy, reading comprehension, writing samples) is a sign of a coasting tutor. Demand specific evidence of progress + have the conversation if there isn't any.
Not-a-warning-sign 1: one bad lesson
Every tutor has off days. Headache, family emergency, didn't sleep. One bad lesson means nothing; wait 2 weeks before reading anything into it.
Not-a-warning-sign 2: not all lessons are equally exciting
Some weeks the lesson is going to be 'we're drilling subjunctive triggers because you keep missing them.' This is BORING but PRODUCTIVE. Don't confuse the drudge work that drives progress with laziness.
Not-a-warning-sign 3: your kid not wanting to go
Kids resist activities they're not good at. This is often a sign the tutor is pushing the kid past the comfortable plateau — which is what good teaching looks like. Talk to the tutor; usually they'll have a plan.