Tutoring Location

April 15, 2009 7:04 PM

Where is a good place to tutor a high school student that is not the student's house? Or is a student's house a fine enough place? I would like to meet in a library or quiet cafe but a) I don't know the area very well, b) I've called the libraries in the area and they don't have "study rooms" and otherwise don't seem to be all that conducive to studying.

Typically I'd have the student come to our study center, but she lives more than an hour away and so we are meeting closer to her house. Tutoring in the student's house is a possibility, but I don't want it to be a distracting atmosphere, not to mention I'd like to work in a public space because of the older male tutor/young female tutoree dynamic. Obviously if I tutor at the house, I would do it in a common area (not bedroom) where the parents are in seeing/hearing distance. Also, this is going to be one of my first tutoring sessions and I'm a bit apprehensive having the parents around the entire time. Perhaps I'm worrying for nothing.

Tutors: where have you found the best tutoring locations? Should I try to find a cafe? Should I just do it in the middle of the library? Should I not worry about doing it at home? Thanks for your help and advice.

posted by anonymous to education (17 comments total)

What about at her school? There might be a place open after school for students to study in.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 7:16 PM on April 15

I missed a bunch of days of high school (MRSA, bad news!) and had a tutor for a while. He came to my house, and we worked at the dining room table. Parents were around but not on top of us. Not awkward at all, and not a distracting environment, either: it was, after all, where I did most of my homework.

I totally had a crush on him, though. So dreamy.
posted by charmcityblues at 7:16 PM on April 15

I've done it at the student's school before and that seemed to work best.
posted by tomcochrane at 7:16 PM on April 15

Have you considered her school's library? Sometimes they're open after school hours. Failing that, maybe there's some kind of space at her school?

If you end up tutoring at her house, you might want to make up a one-page document describing "ground rules", such as:

- parents must be out of the room to avoid any distraction or self consciousness (but you might specify that within earshot is OK, so they don't freak out with "OMG why is he making us leave him alone with our daughter);

- no interruptions for the full duration of the session;

- no noise at all including from chores/emptying the dishwasher/the microwave/doors closing (this might encourage the parents to go somewhere else);

- no phone calls - take a message and/or turn off phones (including the student's);

- if someone comes to the door, do not answer it unless it is clearly an emergency;

- study session can never be delayed as punishment or while some other task is being completed; student should be ready to work on schoolwork 5 minutes before scheduled start time.

If you're smart, you'll spell out payment policies, too.
posted by amtho at 7:17 PM on April 15

Here in NJ it is common to use the Library for tutoring students as well as adult's that are learning to read or speak english. While only a few may have "study rooms", most have tables and places that you would be able to work. There are sometimes tables that are reserved for students use after school has let out.
I have found that the staff at most libraries go out of their way to help tutor's find a quiet space to work, however it is better to stop by in person rather than to try to set this up over the phone.
Good luck with your search.
posted by blast at 7:29 PM on April 15

I don't know what kind of libraries you called or if you already tried every one in town or what, so forgive me if this is useless advice:

My public library has study rooms (as do many of them), and we count quite a few regular teacher/student groups among our study room regulars. We also do test proctoring for online and nontraditional students, reserve our larger meeting space for adult-literacy and kid foreign-language classes, etc. If there's a public library in town, stop in and describe what you need, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

And if there's a college or university library, any college or university library, nearby, it almost certainly has study rooms (these may not be open to non-affiliated folks, but it doesn't hurt to ask).
posted by box at 7:55 PM on April 15

If there is a university with a good sized library and/or student union, that might be a good spot.
posted by Good Brain at 7:59 PM on April 15

I had a few test-prep tutoring sessions at home back in the day. It was fine. One amusing moment came when a very cute female tutor let out this shocked "Oh!" and then carried on as though nothing had happened. Five minutes later, I let out the same shocked exclamation... because I felt her leg rubbing up against mine!

Turns out it was the damn cat, and we both had had the same reaction. Pretty funny.

_{She was really cute, though.}
posted by DavidNYC at 8:07 PM on April 15

My sister had a tutor for awhile back in high school, and he always came to our house.

You could try the high school's library, but it be weird for the student, given that she might not want her friends/other people to know she's receiving tutoring, etc. Plus with high schools being what they are these days, you might not even be allowed on the property (I'm assuming you're not also a high school student.)

I would say either her house or the public library.
posted by gchucky at 8:10 PM on April 15

I've tutored at students' houses (living room) and at Starbucks/local coffeeshops. One of my students said she felt grown-up meeting and studying over coffee. See if there is one near your student, as long as you buy something they won't bother you and they tend to be quiet enough but not so quiet that you talking is a bad thing.
posted by rmless at 8:12 PM on April 15

I almost always tutor at students' houses, and find that the dining room is almost perfect. If the parents are paying they are usually very helpful in keeping the atmosphere quiet. I actually like that they can hear what I am saying. Keep in mind that you are the expert, and they will be thrilled to have you helping out. If not the dining room, then a quiet place at the student's school is also good. If you do this, please contact the school to see if you need a criminal record check.
posted by ms.v. at 8:38 PM on April 15

I wouldn't mind tutoring at the student's house if I met the parents and felt safe there. I have met with students at coffee shops and college libraries as well (there are usually places to talk there since everyone is studying). Some cities have community/recreation centers where you can use a room to study or find a relatively quiet corner.
posted by Piscean at 9:18 PM on April 15

I tutor frequently at students' homes, which is generally fine. Sometimes there are distractions, and sometimes parents hover a bit too closely, but mostly it's ok. Much like rmless, though, I've had the best student response when I meet them at a local coffee shop. Their parents have also told me the kids feel very grown-up about meeting in that setting, and parents generally seem to feel comfortable with it as well.
posted by katie at 9:28 PM on April 15

McDonald's. I'm serious. I used to set up tutoring sessions for middle school and high school students and McD's was always a convenient location. The hours are good, there's a bathroom and cheap food/drinks when you need a break. They don't care if you hang out there. Outside of the rush hours, they're quieter than you'd think. And silence isn't a requirement for studying. Even a mall food court can work. Also check out the local Barnes and Noble. Those have cafes where hanging out isn't a problem.
posted by wheat at 11:32 PM on April 15

I see tutors & students all the time at our public library. They usually pick a table near an area that's non-quiet anyway, like the reference desk or the front door. Our library has a designated quiet room for those who need Actual Quiet, so the rest of the building is pretty tolerant of a little noise.
posted by shiny blue object at 4:49 AM on April 16

Almost any public place is great, to be honest. Heck I've taught in parks just to get out of a 'classroom' environment and back to a more natural one. I've heard of teachers who teach while walking with their student around a track or some path. Unless you need to have lots of materials at hand, give it a try!

If that isn't kosher with their parents, libraries almost always have some isolated area in the stacks (that the shelves of books to the rest of you mere mortals) where you can talk and not disturb anyone, since there's no one else around within earshot.
posted by chrisinseoul at 6:35 AM on April 16

You should try to do the tutoring at a library. Until I was in university, I only saw libraries as somewhere you go to read and borrow books. It never occurred to me that you could study there. So tutoring at the library would give your tutoree a heads-up on one of the best places to study.

Otherwise, a coffee shop or fast food place is also a good idea. I think the tutoree's house may hold too many distractions.
posted by Simon Barclay at 7:16 AM on April 16