Tutoring

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Ask around and see what other parents have to say about tutors. Due to the constant communication between parents and tutors, parents are usually the best source of information on who are the best tutors in town.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Not exactly an "inside secret," but I would say that one of the biggest keys to tutoring effectively is knowing how to develop rapport with students. A tutor can have plenty of knowledge yet be a poor tutor if she does not know how to establish rapport. I aim to make a comfortable connection with the student first and foremost. Once that has been achieved — once the student feels comfortable showing what s/he knows and does not know — then the real tutoring can begin.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. It is helpful for parents to get the child to actually agree to being tutored, for if the child is not open to being tutored, there will be friction at the start. Often, even if that is the case, the tutor can turn that around and help the child see that this will be a positive experience. In addition to helping the child "buy in" to the tutoring, it is helpful for parents to know the child's grades during the year, and to have a sense of how the child's teacher would characterize the problem. For example, sometimes the problem is that the child lacks vital skills and information from previous years; other times the main problem may be a poor attitude or poor study skills. The parent should ideally also be able to tell the tutor what the problem is from the parent's point of view. A good tutor will sift through all of this information, in addition to making his own assessment, and develop a comprehensive tutoring plan for the student.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. What is your rate, and how long do you work per session? Answers: I offer a sliding scale, and I work this out with each parent/guardian. I generally work for one hour at a time. Send inquiries to my email: josh@SingingTurtle.com

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. Well, I once was given the opportunity to homeschool a child through all of high school. He was in an extremely difficult position: his mother has died just a few months ago, his dad was not in the picture, and he was living on his own, though he was only 15 years old. It took three long and interesting years, but Chris finally got a private high school degree, and went on to college, where he earned a 4.0 average. He is now a successful businessman. Tutors don't usually get the honor of having such a profound impact on one child's life, but I did get this chance, and I will always treasure the experience.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Absolutely. I am a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and I am active in that organization. I have attended conferences and presented workshops at those conferences. I subscribe to the NCTM journals, and I am working on articles for their middle school publication. I also correspond with friends and colleagues who are tutors, and when we meet we often brainstorm how to handle challenging situations.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. Tutoring has changed a great deal in the last few years as a result of the technological revolution. For tutors this means that we can now do our work online. I have begun to tutor students online, using the SKYPE web conferencing software. There are students I have tutored through all of high school, and now that they are in college, I can tutor them there as well, thanks to SKYPE.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. The project I am working on now is a series of workbooks for students taking algebra. The tentative title of the workbook series is: Algebra Survival Workbooks, Topic by Topic. I cannot say anything more about this project due to proprietary issues with the publisher.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. My pricing system is not complicated. I utilize a straightforward sliding scale, with sales tax added on. Parents and guardians find my pricing structure easy to understand and easy to live with.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Prospective tutors would do well to first get teaching experience. There is nothing better than experience working in a classroom to prepare you for the job of tutoring. Through having had many years in the classroom, I gained an intimate understanding of the demands and requirements of classroom teachers. I put that understanding to use in my tutoring sessions, as it helps me help students learn how to get the best possible education.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. My question is this: What makes a tutor an outstanding tutor?

My answer is this: Knowledge, listening skills, and creativity. Knowledge of the subject matter is essential for tutoring in that subject. Listening skills allow the tutor to understand the student's confusion, the student's learning style, and the student's needs. Creativity allows the tutor to reach the tutor in a way that helps the student understand the topic more deeply than ever before.