Any advice on helping K (22) set up a tutoring biz?

[dirty ethel rackham]

K, my transgender daughter, who is 22 years old, who has had a ton of mental health issues, has experienced a relatively long period of stability.  But the gaps in work history have been made it difficult to get a job other than seasonal work.  Meanwhile, I have been taking physics at the community college 30+ years after graduating college with a BS in math and I am finding that I remember nothing.  I have been reduced to tears trying to do the homework.  So, I started asking K to help me.  Well, it turns out that she is really good at tutoring.  She is able to sit with me, ask me pertinent questions to either assess what I already understand or don't understand, or to lead me to a better understanding of an issue.  She doesn't solve any of the problems for me, but leads me to figuring it out.  Sometimes, I need way more hand-holding and she has been very patient.  But you know the best part?  She seems to enjoy this and it has been a bonding experience for us.  She seems to have a spark and interest.  Dd just came home for a long weekend and asked K for help with Calculus.  K sat with her for over an hour helping her with her homework.  Something that would have taken her 3-4  hours without someone helping lead her to how to solve the problem.  I have been taking advantage of the free tutoring at the community college when K is not available, but it has been hit or miss on how helpful they are in me learning the material (not just getting the homework assignment done.)  

So, K and I have talked about her doing some tutoring for pay.  She did not graduate college .  Before she went away to college, she had completed most of the first year of Physics for majors, Chemistry for majors, and a full year of Calculus.  When she went away to college, she was able to complete a couple more classes in her major before her mental illness spun out of control and she had to leave. Her lack of a degree may make it harder for her to get hired by a tutoring agency.  So, I think she needs to just get a few private clients.  She can meet clients at our local library.  Lots of tutors do so.  What are some good tips to help her get started and to help present her in a good light?  We live in an area that has high academic expectations and parents pay for tutors.  

She does need my help to do this. While her executive function skills are improving, she really does needs scaffoldiing to make this happen. Until she can take over and handle the business portion of this, she needs me to help manage that side while she just does the actual tutoring.    

[Harriet Vane]

I'm glad to hear K is interested in tutoring. It's tremendously rewarding to feel you can help people.

No real advice, just some pitfalls to be aware of:

--My dd has found that there are lots and lots of "clients" who want you to cheat for them. Most asked her outright to do their homework or write papers for them. She was horrified. The pressure is real.

--We had a negative experience with a Spanish tutor who used tutoring time to quiz my ds and then berate him for not studying enough when ds struggled to answer the questions. There was no actual instruction, just quizzing. It was horrible. From your description, I doubt K would ever do that. But it is something to think through in terms of teaching models--as a teacher, moving the student through the process to understand in a positive manner.

And a positive:

--A good tutor is worth her weight in gold. My dd has had a few amazing tutors who helped her through various Econ classes. And I remember fondly my roommate, without whose help I would never have passed my one required math class in college. If K has that magic combination of smarts, empathy, and ability to explain and lead through step by tiny step, K will be a blessing and K will find clients who are grateful for the kind help.

[Dmmetler]

If K has any connections with sports gyms or dance studios (and likes helping teens with math), it’s worth it to check there and see if the owner would let her tutor there and parents pay her. I’ve been tutoring at a cheer gym for the last year or so which has an online reservation and payment system for private and small group lessons-they just added me for academics for the nights I’m there. Their standard lesson rates are higher than I would have ever expected to charge, but parents pay it without flinching. It’s an advertising point for them to be able to have that service on-site. They handle a lot of the business side for me, which is nice.