ChrisB Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 What would I need to know to start tutoring middle school and lower level high school math? Right now I'm tossing the idea around in my mind and looking for information to help make the decision. Any tutoring wisdom is welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Flower Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 I tutored math in college. My best advice is never hand out an answer when you can ask a question. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Well, first off, you would need to know the math. ;) Even if it's something you don't use regularly, you should be able to refresh your memory with a very quick glance at the textbook. But assuming you're good on that front, here are a few things my tutoring students have needed me to be able to do: Explain a concept in multiple ways, multiple times. Take whichever explanation the student does catch on to and connect it back to the way their teacher explained it (assuming traditionally schooled students), so that the kid can recognize the concept when it's mentioned or built upon in class. Help the kid develop good questioning skills to take into class. Identify when the issues a kid is having with a problem in their current class actually stem from gaps in their prior knowledge - for example, lacking a clear understanding of how to multiply fractions or work with negative numbers. Help fill in those gaps while also helping them understand the new class material, because they will still have to take the test on factoring polynomials even if you're trying to work with them on adding and subtracting integers. I tend to be pretty relaxed and gentle in tutoring, patiently trying again and again, inserting plenty of humor. A friend of mine who tutors takes more of a drill sergeant approach (okay, that's an exaggeration ;), but she's very different than I am in her sessions). Some kids click really well with me, and some kids click really well with her. Figure out your style, and recognize that it will work for some students and not for others. In my area, math tutors' schedules are always filling up. I'm not tutoring currently (due to the small people that seem to follow me everywhere...), but I get calls every few months asking if I'm available. Connect with some other math tutors in your area and let them know that you're looking to start tutoring, and they will likely start referring people to you. Sorry for way too many words, but hopefully they are helpful! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Use a white board and give them a white board. Seriously. The kids I tutor ALWAYS do better with a white board. If you have time play math games; there are tons on Pintrest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Excellent, excellent! Thank you so much for this advice. I'm all :bigear: . This may be tutoring for homeschooled students, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kateingr Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 I just read "How to Homeschool Math" by Robin Padron. It has a chapter on tutoring that is a real gem. She has a lot of ideas about how to make the most of tutoring. It's written for parents looking at tutoring, but I found it very helpful as a tutor, too. It's only $4 on the kindle version, so well worth a read. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Be sure to think through the business end as well. I required payment up front with a discount if they paid for multiple sessions. As long as they cancelled at least two hours in advance by phone, I didn't charge them. Sad to say, people will take you for a ride if you aren't strict on your policies. In my area, I was able to charge a good price because there were very few tutors who could do high school math and calculus. I didn't tutor younger kids, so I don't know what the demand would be there. I went to the library or Starbucks in the evening for my sessions. In the end i found other work with better hours for me and the local tutoring market for math dried up with multiple tutoring centers in the area including a Mathnasium and Kumon Center. One of them has offered to hire me, but again, I'd rather not work in the evenings and on Saturday, and the pay isn't that great from my perspective ($15/hour with my graduate degrees). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Agreed. Make your payment expectations clear up front. Print something out for them to read and refer to if you offer discounts for multiple paid up front sessions for instance. Absolutely be understanding but also be firm about cancellations. I agree with G5052, if they called ahead by 2 hours or more, maybe not charge. No call or late call, charge. Even I get lazy sometimes and just don't feel like driving but the tutor shouldn't suffer for my laziness. My kids did better with tutoring sessions when they were located in a neutral place, so the library or some other location like that worked well. Our home did not. Maybe read up on problems like dyscalculia. If you have a Middle School or High School student that seems bright but struggles severely with basic computation, they may be facing something like dyscalculia. That opens up another can of worms. Even telling time may be a struggle. But they MIGHT do well conceptually. You might even read the book "My 13th Winter" by Samantha Abeel to see the perspective of a gifted student who struggled mightily with math. Its an eye opener. And look at Ronit Bird's materials. Some students may be missing basic subitization skills and have just been limping along because those were not solid in infancy and were never explicitly taught. Make sure you really know your math and can verbally explain in very clear terms what you are trying to teach. Be prepared with many different ways to approach material. Consider things like Hands On Equations to help them visualize. And realize that they may be trying harder than any other student in their grade level, it just doesn't look like it because the output seems so pathetic. Be supportive and flexible and understanding. Some kids may have never gotten the chance to do really great conceptual math because their computational math is weak. Some may do much better with computation math if they see purpose and may enjoy conceptual math a lot more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 How did you find customers, especially at the beginning? How long did it take before word-of-mouth referrals became common? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 How did you find customers, especially at the beginning? How long did it take before word-of-mouth referrals became common? I contacted the private schools and advertised on various homeschooling e-loops. If Kumon and Mathnasium hadn't come to the area, I'm sure that I would have had way more business than I could handle. I started because someone I knew offered me $45/hour to tutor calculus, which was actually less than they had been paying. They didn't like the tutor they had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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