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Does anyone here do tutoring for part-time work? Can I ask some questions?


HappyGrace
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I need to find part-time work around homeschooling and several people have mentioned this would be a good fit for me (I'm known as a good teacher at my homeschool co-op), and I do think I would like it. Also, it seems it would bring in more money per hour than working retail or whatever!

 

But how easy is it to break into tutoring without a teaching degree? How did you go about finding clients? How did you know HOW to tutor? In other words, are you basically just helping them with their homework, or what exactly are you doing? (I realize this may sound like a dumb question, sorry!) What do you charge? Have you been able to get a lot of work this way, and is it worth it? Any tips?

 

Would there be any demand for English, history, writing, etc, tutors? (I am not math/science oriented!)

 

Thanks for any information!!

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I do tutor. However, I don't drum up my own business. Instead, I work part-time for two different companies.

 

I tutor online through www.tutor.com, and I teach reading, study skills and exam prep for a national chain tutoring center. 

 

I have a degree in English, but no teaching degree. 

 

Both jobs offer me (significantly) less money than I would make striking out on my own. However, for the moment, I like that I don't have to run a business or seek out my own students. In both cases, I just show up and work with the students I'm assigned,

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I do tutor. However, I don't drum up my own business. Instead, I work part-time for two different companies.

 

I tutor online through www.tutor.com, and I teach reading, study skills and exam prep for a national chain tutoring center. 

 

I have a degree in English, but no teaching degree. 

 

Both jobs offer me (significantly) less money than I would make striking out on my own. However, for the moment, I like that I don't have to run a business or seek out my own students. In both cases, I just show up and work with the students I'm assigned,

Can you elaborate?  Do you have the same students for a certain length of time?  Are they receptive?  Do you see progress?  Are you using your own methods, ideas, or are lessons provided for you?  

 

I have thought about doing this, but I am afraid I'll be thinking about how to help ____ while I'm at home and not able to truly focus on my own kids.  That's what happens whenever I teach a class, which is why I stopped.

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I tutored for awhile, and did very well.  I tutored pre-calculus and calculus, and there was good money in that.

 

The biggie is working out the payment arrangements.  I required payment up front with a discount for paying for multiple sessions at once.

 

I also had strict cancellation policies.

 

For that subject, I told them to bring their book and their homework, and we worked from there.  I tutored and graded that subject in college, so I had a pretty good idea what the sticking points were.

 

For me at least, teaching paid classes on a regular schedule works far better all-around.

 

Frankly the logistics of juggling family responsibilities, other teaching gigs, and multiple kids that I was tutoring made me quit.  Most of the people wanted late afternoon or evening tutoring.  

 

A friend of mine is trying to hire me to tutor with one of the tutoring franchises, and I'm not really interested at this point, although it's a possibility down the road when I'm done homeschooling in two years.  The center is not far away, and she'd be very flexible with the hours.

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I've been tutoring here and there, and pondering starting to advertise and do more next year when my only remaining homeschooler will be a senior doing mostly outside classes - and hopefully be able to drive herself to them.

 

Right now it's just been word of mouth.  I've tutored Spanish (had a Skype student last year, but mostly in person), German, and I might soon have some students for English grammar.  It's very much depended on the student what we've done, some wanted to get through a particular book or curriculum, with others it's been more open-ended and I bring more to the table.  I'm hoping to use the current word-of-mouth people as references when I start advertising.

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Can you elaborate?  Do you have the same students for a certain length of time?  Are they receptive?  Do you see progress?  Are you using your own methods, ideas, or are lessons provided for you?  

 

I have thought about doing this, but I am afraid I'll be thinking about how to help ____ while I'm at home and not able to truly focus on my own kids.  That's what happens whenever I teach a class, which is why I stopped.

 

The two jobs are quite different, which is one of the reasons I keep them rather than looking for something full time.

 

The online tutoring is "on demand," which basically means I commit to logging on for a certain number of hours a week at certain times (which I can choose from what's available), and then I wait for students to request help in one of the subjects I tutor (currently English, essay writing, social studies and Microsoft Word). Students log on, post their questions and are connected with whatever tutor is on duty in that subject. An average session runs about 24 minutes, and every session is different. I respond on the fly to what that individual student needs help with that day. For example, in the four hours I worked yesterday, I completed nine sessions. I proofread papers for a few students, helped a middle school student brainstorm character names for a story she is writing, worked with a first-year college student for whom English is a second language to read and comprehend a section of her textbook, checked a student's answers to a series of multiple-choice questions about ancient civilizations and helped a couple of students revise thesis statements for their essays. 

 

Some students in the online environment are great, really engaged and focused and interested in learning. Others are not responsive, interested in having the tutor do the work for them and sometimes downright rude.

 

My work at the tutoring center is quite different. Although I do sometimes get scheduled "in the zone," where I supervise two to four students working independently, I most often work with individual students for two-hour sessions. I often see the same student one or two times a week for weeks at a stretch. Most are receptive, and I do absolutely see progress. For the most part, especially with the younger ones, I follow the curriculum plan laid out for each student by the center directors. Each student has a "program" that consists of a list of curriculum materials and the number of units the student is expected to complete each day, and it's my job to walk through that program with the student, helping as necessary, grading completed work, keeping records and communicating any issues or suggestions to the center directors.

 

I have more involvement in choosing materials when I am working with exam prep students. In that case, we have a curriculum that we follow. However, there is a certain amount of time built into the program for extra work and review, and I have to decide what a given student needs and what materials to use for practice. 

 

And occasionally we have a student who doesn't fit neatly into one of the typical program plans. Often these are high school or adult learners who need help in specific areas. With those students, I sometimes get a list of skills or topics the student needs to review and the number of hours I have available to work with him or her. I then need to choose from among the many resources we have on the shelves and come up with appropriate materials.

 

I no longer have kids that I am homeschooling, since my youngest is in college. However, I am an introvert, and I sometimes find the sheer number of hours of people contact -- the amount of time on some days that I have to be focused on and engaged with other human beings -- to be demanding. Also, the scheduling can be stressful. In order to get as many hours as I can, I have my availability at the center set for open to close four days a week, and during busy times I am often scheduled for two or three shifts spread out through the day. Then I schedule online tutoring during whatever other hours are available. For example, last week, I worked at the center one day from 10:00 - 3:00, then again from 6:00 - 8:00, then came home and logged on to tutor from 9:00 - 11:00. Another day, I worked at the center from 11:00 - 1:00 and then 4:00 - 8:00 before coming home to tutor online from 9:00 - midnight. My schedule is not consistent from week to week, and I don't have a lot of control over it.

 

Of course, I'm interested in scheduling as many hours as I can right now, because my paychecks more or less pay the portion of my son's tuition that is not covered by scholarships and grants. I could make things less crazy if I weren't trying to work as many hours.

 

As someone else mentioned, though, do remember that the prime tutoring hours tend to be after school and evenings. So, think carefully about whether that kind of schedule works for your family.

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I no longer have kids that I am homeschooling, since my youngest is in college. However, I am an introvert, and I sometimes find the sheer number of hours of people contact -- the amount of time on some days that I have to be focused on and engaged with other human beings -- to be demanding. Also, the scheduling can be stressful. In order to get as many hours as I can, I have my availability at the center set for open to close four days a week, and during busy times I am often scheduled for two or three shifts spread out through the day. Then I schedule online tutoring during whatever other hours are available. For example, last week, I worked at the center one day from 10:00 - 3:00, then again from 6:00 - 8:00, then came home and logged on to tutor from 9:00 - 11:00. Another day, I worked at the center from 11:00 - 1:00 and then 4:00 - 8:00 before coming home to tutor online from 9:00 - midnight. My schedule is not consistent from week to week, and I don't have a lot of control over it.

 

Of course, I'm interested in scheduling as many hours as I can right now, because my paychecks more or less pay the portion of my son's tuition that is not covered by scholarships and grants. I could make things less crazy if I weren't trying to work as many hours.

 

As someone else mentioned, though, do remember that the prime tutoring hours tend to be after school and evenings. So, think carefully about whether that kind of schedule works for your family.

Thank you for such a detailed answer!  I think if I tutor it will have to wait until my own 2 kids are done high school.  I know I would suffer from the hours and energy spent on others as you describe and I'm already going quite a bit of that with the extracurriculars both kids are in.  Your post solidifies my decision to wait.  I had a close friend (who did a lot of tutoring) tell me not to do it while I still have kids in high school if I can help it, so we'll just keep pinching pennies.

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You know, even one student a couple times a week for an hour could yield you a good supplemental income. I charge $30 a session for that class--two hours. That was because they are friends.

 

I just volunteer tutored to do SOTW once a week with a second grader. They sold a home they'd been renting, and at the end of the year, gave me a nice lump sum. It was not quite what I would have made, but it was significant.

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Wow, these posts are so helpful to making a decision! Lots of good detail. I guess if I could find the right situation...

 

What is the going rate per hour for tutors in your area? Maybe if I just did a couple students a week, like Chris said...

 

thanks so much!

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Keep in mind that there is a difference between teaching and tutoring. Some people can do both; often people are better at one than the other. In teaching, one plans lessons to engage a whole class.  There is typically  not a diagnostic element unless a big chunk of the class is failing to "get" something. On the other hand, tutoring almost always needs to be diagnostic, because you are getting students who have not responded well to typical teaching methods. Good tutoring evaluates what they know, what they don't know, what the obstacles are, and which instructional methods will work for that student. Using the same methods 1:1 may help if the student just happened to miss something, but not do anything for the student for whom the typical teaching methods aren't effective. (Obviously, if you're  simply teaching a subject 1:1 that the homeschool parent does not want to teach, that does not apply.) The need for diagnostics will frequently apply, however,  if the student is resistant to instruction and the parent thinks they will "do better with someone else." Maybe; maybe not. Often a resistant student will begin to be resistant with the tutor after the first session or two, so you need to be able to figure out what is motivating to the student (the diagnostic part) have a bag of tricks for that.

 

I have extensive training and experience in reading remediation and charge $40 per session, with a discount if they do two sessions per week, which is best for optimal progress.  Of the subjects the OP listed, writing instruction is most likely to be something that people are looking for.

 

 

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I tutor as a literacy volunteer, but know others who do exactly what I do for pay. You can find business by giving out reading grade level tests and offering to work on bringing up students to grade level once you find a few students who are behind. The going rate is $25 to $50 per hour depending on COL. An OG certified tutor starts at $50 per hour even in low COL areas. I work through the things on my how to tutor page. I now work with my students until they are a grade level or two above. Now that I use Webster's Speller, I used to only be able to get them at grade level with an occasional student one grade level above. If they are coming from the public schools, you will have to do a lot of work with nonsense words and other techniques to break their guessing habit and get them sounding out every word from left to right.

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Can you teach a class to start? I offer classes in my home and at different locations which lead to tutoring jobs. 

You can start by offering a semester long class or even an eight week class for writing a paper - maybe a compare and contrast paper, or a basic research paper. Ask your library or church for meeting space, if you do not have space in your home. It will take time to build up clients, but they will come. I have been too busy to tutor often this year that I have thrown my son the math tutoring, and he is easily making $100 a week with four - six clients. 

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I have tutored -- mostly math, some science -- for many years.  My B.S. is in Mechanical Engineering, but I haven't worked in that field in over 20 years, since before I began homeschooling my sons. Because most of my students are homeschoolers, I tend to charge much less than I know I probably should. I am sensitive to the fact that many homeschoolers are from single-income families for whom tutoring can be a huge expense. I am often surprised to find that the check I'm handed exceeds the minimum I've asked for, though. There have been a few over the years whose parents don't get that they are getting a huge bargain, and actually try to talk down the price. I've learned to tell them to find someone else. 

 

I love the flexibility of setting up which hours I am available. I teach two full days at a homeschool co-op, and usually schedule tutoring sessions other days, mostly in the evenings. The biggest problem is finding a place to meet. My house doesn't work for several reasons, and I've found that many others' houses don't work well, either. I can use a study room in my county's library branches without issue, but many of my students live in the next county over, where they won't let me do that. In that case, we just meet at one of the tables out in the open, unless the student is too distracted by that. I have also tutored at Panera over breakfast.

 

I find, however, that I make the best money when I teach small classes, such as SAT or ACT Math Prep, Study Skills, or Math for Chemistry or Physics, or conduct a small Summer Science Camp. I have been able to find churches that will allow me to hold such classes. I send out information over a homeschool email loop, but the classes are open to anyone. 

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My husband tutors math and the physical sciences as well as SAT and ACT math; those students are homeschoolers, public and private schooled students, and college students.  In addition, he teaches homeschoolers in classroom settings.  We live in a fairly low income area, and he charges $18.00 per hour.  (He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry.)  All of his students now come from word of mouth recommendations.  When he first started tutoring (in 2003 or so), he tried generating business through ads (in the local newspaper, yellow pages, and on bulletin boards at local schools and the community college).  It took a number of years before his reputation was well established.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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I'm a part-time tutor. I started with tutoring my neighbor's kids. But found it too difficult to keep up with all the different approaches of the different teachers (even in the same school district and same school). I eventually discovered SAT tutoring which was a good match for me. One set curriculum to learn and teach. And working with older kids suits me better.

 

And, as others have said, specializing in a specific thing usually means you can charge a higher rate.

 

I don't work afterschool, nights, or weekends -that's family time for us - so I needed to time-shift my students. So use skype and tutor online to students on east coast (I'm on the west coast) and kids all over the world. I work primarily in the afternoons while my daughter is at school and some mornings with homeschoolers.

 

I think the best source of business is referrals from happy clients - business will pick up over time.

 

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I'm a part-time tutor. I started with tutoring my neighbor's kids. But found it too difficult to keep up with all the different approaches of the different teachers (even in the same school district and same school). I eventually discovered SAT tutoring which was a good match for me. One set curriculum to learn and teach. And working with older kids suits me better.

 

And, as others have said, specializing in a specific thing usually means you can charge a higher rate.

 

I don't work afterschool, nights, or weekends -that's family time for us - so I needed to time-shift my students. So use skype and tutor online to students on east coast (I'm on the west coast) and kids all over the world. I work primarily in the afternoons while my daughter is at school and some mornings with homeschoolers.

 

I think the best source of business is referrals from happy clients - business will pick up over time.

 

Me, too, almost exactly. (Except I *do* work 1 of the weekend days and 1 day / week after school.)

 

I also have "distance clients" who send me written work, which I score, and then phone-conference for revisions, etc.

 

I often say that I wish I didn't need to have a job, but since I do, this is most certainly the job for me.

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I tutor ESL students in my home. I almost exclusively service members of our faith and cultural community, so advertising is by word of mouth. My students range from grade 2 to high school, mainly one on one. Most of the high school students come for homework help, conversation and a bit of grammar review. At the elementary level, I assign homework and create my own lessons. I charge $20/hr, which is a little low, but these families can't afford much more, and I'd rather get paid a

little less than to have no clients.

 

I mainly tutor between 5-7pm weekdays (not every day) and about 3 hours a day on both Sat. and Sun. Between homeschooling and tutoring, I never get a full day off, but with no commute, no boss, no co-workers, etc., its a pretty sweet deal.

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Me, too, almost exactly. (Except I *do* work 1 of the weekend days and 1 day / week after school.)

 

I also have "distance clients" who send me written work, which I score, and then phone-conference for revisions, etc.

 

I often say that I wish I didn't need to have a job, but since I do, this is most certainly the job for me.

 

:-) I love my students! I adore teaching and am incredibly blessed to get paid for doing work that I love!

 

I prefer working for myself and am going through all the ups and downs of owning my own business. 

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I tutor a small group of highschoolers in physics, maths, and chem. It's very informal, but we are also very efficient, and get through a lot of work. These are highly motivated students at a crappy school, in an area known for its social problems. The kids bring hot chips to share, and take it in turns to play with my 5yo. We all really enjoy it. I'd love to eventually use my tutoring skills to generate some income, but for now I'm just running a love job and getting some practice.

 

I help the kids stay a little ahead of their curricula, so that they don't miss anything important in class while they're puzzled by prior misinformation and poor understanding of the basics. We plug the holes and move on ASAP to keep them ahead. I set homework for practice (often just printable sheets for math drill, or exercises from textbooks I've found online) and recommend that they bring their problem problems next time they visit. We sometimes work through AoPS questions together on the board, and if there is a hold up because someone needs to text someone about homework, or the chips are running late and they're all to famished to get started, we watch a Vi Hart or numberphile video, to get us all in the mood for some maths. :)

 

The students I work with are currently in their second last year of school. Next year we'll probably formalise these arrangements, and I'll charge them just enough to cover childcare, so that they can really make the most of their time with me, without distractions.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm not the original poster, but I'd love to talk with you more! I'm considering math tutoring, and our backgrounds are very similar. I, too, have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, but I haven't worked in the field in 20 years. However, math was always my favorite, and I use to joke that I should've become a math teacher instead. Instead of hijacking this thread, would you mind if I pm'd you with some questions about getting started with tutoring and what resources you use?

 

I have tutored -- mostly math, some science -- for many years. My B.S. is in Mechanical Engineering, but I haven't worked in that field in over 20 years, since before I began homeschooling my sons. Because most of my students are homeschoolers, I tend to charge much less than I know I probably should. I am sensitive to the fact that many homeschoolers are from single-income families for whom tutoring can be a huge expense. I am often surprised to find that the check I'm handed exceeds the minimum I've asked for, though. There have been a few over the years whose parents don't get that they are getting a huge bargain, and actually try to talk down the price. I've learned to tell them to find someone else.

 

I love the flexibility of setting up which hours I am available. I teach two full days at a homeschool co-op, and usually schedule tutoring sessions other days, mostly in the evenings. The biggest problem is finding a place to meet. My house doesn't work for several reasons, and I've found that many others' houses don't work well, either. I can use a study room in my county's library branches without issue, but many of my students live in the next county over, where they won't let me do that. In that case, we just meet at one of the tables out in the open, unless the student is too distracted by that. I have also tutored at Panera over breakfast.

 

I find, however, that I make the best money when I teach small classes, such as SAT or ACT Math Prep, Study Skills, or Math for Chemistry or Physics, or conduct a small Summer Science Camp. I have been able to find churches that will allow me to hold such classes. I send out information over a homeschool email loop, but the classes are open to anyone.

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I'm not the original poster, but I'd love to talk with you more! I'm considering math tutoring, and our backgrounds are very similar. I, too, have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, but I haven't worked in the field in 20 years. However, math was always my favorite, and I use to joke that I should've become a math teacher instead. Instead of hijacking this thread, would you mind if I pm'd you with some questions about getting started with tutoring and what resources you use?

 

 

That's fine. When life gets hectic, I don't always remember to come here and check for messages, though. 

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