Languages & Tests Exams Tutor

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. I usually come in at the last moment when it seems all is lost and troubleshoot by helping my client get their confidence back and turning their bad habits into positive attributes to do well in the exam. Nothing is lost but many times, clients feel that all is doomed and gloomy and that there is no hope. I try to come in, boost moral and make the tutoring a pleasurable and educational experience not something torturous. If it is a young student, I try to make sure that the parents see the positive steps the student is making and make them be proud of their child. I tailor to each client according to needs, age, background and study habits. I want each of my students to feel as though all has been tailored around their needs. For older students, college level or adult, I don't look down on them but respect the way they learn and work around their personality while giving them positive tools to be successful to the test or exam or subject matter they want help in.

Q. Describe three recent jobs you've completed.

A. Actually I remember recently helping three children from the same family, one in high school(SAT and Spanish) an older brother in college(Spanish) and an older sister in college(French) tutoring all three at the same time. I was able to respect each of their personalities, study habits both good and bad and tailored the tutoring around each of their own needs. I kept their individualism and was able to make each of the three feel unique and special and not being compared with the other siblings.

I have also tutored many adults who look to change careers after years in one field. These adults want to get their GED or GRE or LSAT according to their goals. I find these students to be courageous and I do everything to help balance the past, the present and the future goals they aim for. I do not believe in treating adults as children but as adults going in a new direction.

That is exciting to see

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

A. The best advice I can give to people looking for a tutor is to explain in detail what they want. More information means more detailed and tailored tutoring for the client. Think about how much time you want to consecrate to tutoring, how many times a week, how long each session and where you would feel comfortable to learn. Make this your plan a, then offer a plan b, it might actually be the best with a compromise between the two plans that would work for you. Ask questions and give suggestions on how you want the tutoring to take place. Remember, you are paying for a service and we should try to honor that the best possible. More info you give, better we can help you.

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

A. I would offer the secret that just because someone offers you a service that is expensive, does not mean that you will get that special service because of price per hour.
I would also try to find tutors who are not far from me and who might actually take the time to help me outside the allocated time since I would help without a problem, a neighbor who I tutor. Look for someone who will answer your texts or emails quickly so that you don't continue being in the dark or maintaining bad habits.
Also, tutors are people with private lives, if you can see that, you will go far in getting a tutor that fits your needs.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. I always suggest to ask for his or her resume and a cover letter so that you can get a feel of their personal, educational and professional background. Not only will you see information about tutoring but also things that might interest you and that would help make the tutoring a pleasure for everyone, common activities, hobbies. A good tutor should be someone with a well balanced resume and life. You want someone to understand you and help you, not just a number is the tutor's book.

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

A. First, how dedicated they are to doing the tutoring and the effort needed to get to your goal. There is nothing more frustrating for a tutor and a person who thought it "would be fun" to learn this or study that but didn't have the commitment to follow up.

Also, if you hire someone, try to get local or if not, get someone who can travel and tutor you and mostly you. I don't mind traveling far if that student will be my sole student and I can concentrate on his or her needs.

Don't forget tutors have private lives and things do happen, that is why we are humans.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. After having taught master classes of more than 200 students in the classroom, I now want to focus on the one to one work that can be done in private tutoring. Not only am I getting to know how good or bad your skills are, I am getting to know how you study, what you like, what you don't like. I get a thrill watching one student make progress each week, each hour, even if sometimes it looks like nothing is happening, there is because from the outside I can see what you have learned and the progress you have made. With one on one tutoring, I treat each person as an individual and not a mass production of a class.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love the one on one teaching-learning experience. I feel as if I am tending to a special plant, water, nutrients, soil, care and I get to see the student grow as a student taking a test for school reasons or career reasons but also get to see the person grow as a human being who is being nurtured and helped out because or spite of, the good traits and the bad habits that make us who we are. There should be a special relation that takes place between the student and the goal and to try to get both hooked together. I tutor for languages, tests, exams and so on but I tutor someone who is human and can grow in different ways and improve their lives. That is my reward because at the end of the day, I am the one who is learning about you and from you as well.