Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tutor

Help me become a good LSAT tutor.

paradoxflow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:58:41 -0800

I recently applied for a position as a pro-bono LSAT tutor, unfortunately I wrote my LSAT three years ago and I have no tutoring experience. Help? About the only thing I have going for me is that I scored in the 97th percentile. Honestly, I remember very little of the test, most of it just came naturally to me, and the strategies that I applied to the analytical reasoning section are long forgotten.

How can I prepare so that I can help this person as much as possible, besides once again familiarizing myself with the test? What advice do you have for helping someone do better on the LSAT, with a focus on increasing overall speed, and strategies for the analytical reasoning section? What about being effective as a tutor in general?

I have access to limited resources, so I'd appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction in that regard as well.

Thanks.

Help me negotiate a simple salary

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:06:09 -0800

We are talking small beans here, but it's my beans, so please hear me out... I'm an ESL teacher/tutor with 3 undergrad degrees, certification through Oxford and 5 years experience. I have been offered a job in Shanghai. Included is a small apartment (in Puxi), free meals whenever I want them, transportation unless visiting outside the city, round trip airfare to the US every 10 months, high-speed internet, and a number of other similar perks.
I have been asked to 'name' a desired salary.
Going in I'm pretty sure what ever I ask for will be bartered down, only because that's the way the game is played in China.
I don't much care about the 'going rate' as I teach not only English, but history and science as well, and am in my 40's, well-travelled, and bring a lot more to the table than a teaching cert from Oxford.
However, I don't want to be so outlandish as to ask for an impossible amount.
I am thinking $1000 USD a month as a minimum.
When I last taught in China, I made about 400. That was in a village, and in pretty much third-word circumstances.
Any suggestions? Again, this amount, while very low, is a heck of a lot in China. And my only expenses out-of-pocket will be entertainment, necessities such as occasional clothing, toiletries, travel, and other incidentals.
Essentially, 75% of what I make will be more than I need to live an OK lifestyle.
But again...I'm tired of being the guy who always settles for less. Getting older. No savings to speak of. Own nothing much. And I'm OK with all that...
Sorry to ramble and make, I'm sure, numerous mistakes here, but the deadline is looming and I'm way over thinking this deal.
Honest advice from a stranger or two is what I need.
email fatbackncollards at gmail...
or, preferably, try to give yr two cents here :)

If you were a Martian teaching another Martian Spanish, how would you do it?

chara — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:51:31 -0800

Do you have any good resources/tips for a beginning free-lance Spanish tutor? I'm a native English speaker, but I started learning Spanish as a child and continued all throughout college. I'm planning on giving some Spanish lessons over the summer to earn some cash and keep my language skills sharp.

While some of my prospective students (all previous acquaintances) have at least some passing knowledge with the language, others have never learned a language before.

In the past, my tutoring was basically helping students with homework that had been assigned to them in other classes, but now I'm making my own curriculum.

Where's the best place to start? Alphabet? Numbers? Colors? Phrases?

Are there things that I might overlook or take for granted that may confuse a new language learner?

Piano tutor for the Mac

Dali Atomicus — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:58:05 -0800

I'm after interactive piano tutor software for OS X (Tiger, 10.4.11). My boyfriend is beginning to learn the piano and as he has no musical experience at all he is after some software that can help with the basics of learning sight-reading -- getting a better feeling for the relationship between dots on the page and keys on the keyboard.

We have an electric piano, a Macbook and have just ordered a MIDI-to-USB cable so should soon have them connected up - that shouldn't be a problem.

What he would like is software which is an equivalent for the piano of "Mavis Beacon"-style typing tutors: the notes are presented on the stave and when a piano key is pressed there is feedback as to whether it's correct or not. The feedback aspect is essential - he doesn't just want a sight-reading generator which can't feed back on accuracy.

The software needs to start at absolute beginner level. It doesn't matter if it's aimed at kids, he's not proud!

Happy to pay up to around £20 ($30) - though major bonus points if there's a free demo / trial before purchasing is necessary.

(I know that a computer program can't teach musicianship or technique, this really is just to get basic instinct for "this note = this key")

Tutoring Location

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:04:48 -0800

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.

Algebra tutor for placement test in the LA area

Kimberly — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:33:30 -0800

I have a friend who is looking for an algebra tutor in the Los Angeles area. Anyone have experience with one or know how to find one? She needs to know what to expect in terms of price and recommendations on how to find someone.

From my friend:

I'm looking for someone who can basically work with me for a couple of
days a week for few weeks to do a quick review of college algebra. I
was doing trig and calculus in high school, so it's not like I'm bad
with math -- it's just that high school was almost 15 years ago and
I'm really, really rusty.

Help me find a computer tutor in Toronto.

OlivesAndTurkishCoffee — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:49:50 -0800

Please help me find a tutor in the Toronto area who can teach me how to produce pictures like this using Autocad software and photoshop. I'm using lynda.com already, but need some more directed help.

How can I receive what's rightfully owed?

s01110011 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:39:39 -0800

How do I go about getting my paycheck from a company that has wrongfully withheld my pay, admitted to their mistake, and actively brushed me off, ignored me, lied<> to me for almost 3 months now? Details within. I'm located in Los Angeles, CA.
(in advance, sorry about the long-winded explanation)

I was hired a few months ago to a tutoring company that is funded by the No Child Left Behind Act, offering free tutoring services to students of K-12 schools that report below-average scores on standardized tests.

My hiring contract identified me as an independent contractor. The terms of my contract were such that I must complete a minimum number of tutoring hours per student (26, in my case) by the end of the academic school year. Any hours short of the required minimum, I would be required to reimburse the company for $27 per hour (given the company's government contract hinged upon completion of said hours, as was explained to me). I was assigned three students upon hiring.

The pay system is such that, at the end of every month, I would send in sign-in sheets to be filled out during each tutoring session, and I would receive a paycheck in the mail. It happens that I only worked one hour in April, and most the large majority of my hours were worked in May and June, the paperwork for which were to be turned in together (as the school year ended mid-June). So, I was set out to receive all my pay at once.

In a nutshell, the one of my students declined tutoring due to scheduling difficulties (this occurred right after I was hired, upon initial contact with the students parents by telephone). I followed all proper procedures in notifying the company, double checked that I was not being held accountable for that student's hours, and proceeded to tutor my other two students.

HEREs where the problem occurs: Come July, Im waiting for my paycheck and I get an email saying that I did not meet the required hours. Takes about a week or two of back and forth emails to clarify that my neglected hours were the 26 required hours for the student that had canceled already. I explain my situation to the company contact that I spoke with initially, she says that she will pass on my email, and that my case must be reviewed by the company's review panel. The panel finds me at fault. I'm flabbergasted, call and request to speak with a supervisor of some sort.

At this point its been maybe three weeks since I was initially contacted. I speak with the supervisor and explain my situation. I am told that she was the person who reviewed all the cases. She appears to be completely unfamiliar with my case, and upon viewing my file (she said) there was absolutely no mention of my email explaining my situation (the student's cancellation, etc). Says she needs to speak to a supervisor and will get back to me the next day.

Supervisor never gets back to me, I continue to call and am constantly put on hold indefinitely or sent to her voicemail box. After two or three voicemails, 6 attempts at calling, I finally plead with the receptionist/operator (who informs me that this supervisor is now head of the department, and there is no one above her who I can speak with regarding the matter) and get the previous supervisor back on the phone.

I state that "I'm such and such, I've been trying to get in touch with you for a while now". My response: "uh huh". (not even an apology, or hint of recognition? I'm blown away) I re-explain my problem. "Uh-huh. hold on." Puts me on hold about 10 minutes. "Your check will be in the mail on monday." *click*.

So.. Monday was 8/18. It's been more than two weeks now, I still have no word on the check.. could not reach he by phone again. Sent the supervisor a lengthy email (last tues) explaining that my deep frustration has finally worn down my patience, and my courtesy ends with that email. I clearly stated that should I not hear back from her by weeks end, I will take legal action (small claims court)

I'm not one to go back on my word. I am certainly fed up, and clearly their head of department has not shown the courtesy expected of any professional. But, I am thinking about showing up at their office and demanding to speak with said head of department personally and asking for a check on the spot. (is this even a good idea? By demand, I don't mean yell and be unreasonable, I mean I won't leave before I get to speak to someone who can resolve my problem)

Barring that. Can I ask for more damages than the $700 or so they owe me? (in small claims court)

Is there anything in California labor law that gives me some solid ground to stand on? The nature of the company being a mostly by-mail operation, I have very little in the way of paperwork to support my case. At the most, phone records to show I actually did speak with them, and possibly a written statement from the student's parents stating they declined the tutoring.

Could they legally withhold my pay for such a long period of time? Even given that I did receive some 2 paychecks (for the total - the deducted $700ish), they were still received in mid-late August (well after I reasonably expected to receive my pay - their stated turnover time is 2 weeks from receipt of paperwork to mailing the check)

I have no legal experience, am a poor student, and desperately frustrated and unsure about what my next path forward should be.

Any of your input is greatly appreciated, thanks for taking the time to read this.

How do I start tutoring for reals?

Precision — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:33:58 -0800

How do I, a soon-to-be high school senior, go about tutoring math as a part-time job? I've been working a retail position (cashier at Target) for the past 18 months. Since I turned 16, or shortly after. Throughout my junior year I pulled 20-25 hours a week, topping 30 most of November/December, and working 37+ immediately prior to Christmas. I get a halfway-decent hourly rate, $7.70. Decent for a part-time high school job.

Now, however, I want to quit. Why? No reason, really. Most of my friends in school all graduated this year (I've been roughly a yeah ahead of my grade since freshman year. So I've taken nearly all my classes with the year ahead of me. I'm only taking 4 classes this year as a result.) and I feel the need to make some close(r) friends in my year. Thirty hour weeks cashiering is not how to do this.

My girlfriend currently tutors a 13-year old (soon to be 8th grader, I think) in math and english. She's Korean, and her (very) Asian mother set the job up for her, with the boy's (very) Asian mother. She gets $15 an hour for it, and I think she's been getting 6 hours a week during the summer, not sure how many she gets during the school year. She's also moving to Wisconsin September 1st. So, when we're done crying, I might steal her client.

Anyway, beyond this, what is a good way for a high-schooler to break into this? Ideally, I want to make $100 a week during the school year. Any rate from $10 to $15 per hour is fine with me.

I certainly know the subjects that I'd think about tutoring in (Math and English). I scored perfect 36's on both of those subjects on my ACT test. I'm ranked in the top 2% in my class. I have practice tutoring on the "amateur" level, or whatever. Meaning, I've spent countless hours helping people ranging from 5th graders trying to find the area of triangles to our class valedictorian's troubles with physics. I know how to explain things with clarity and I'm quite patient.

So how should I go about finding a couple of clients? Put an ad in the local paper? Our school district doesn't have any sort of tutor-student matchmaking game going on, so giving my name to middle school counselors will be pretty much worthless.

Ideally, I'd like to tutor students from 7th-10th grades. I feel quite comfortable tutoring maths from about seventh grade math to Geometry (generally 10th grade). I could tutor through high school trig, but I'd probably have to actively review/relearn some stuff as I go... so way too much work for me. English I figure I could competently tutor at very nearly any level.

Tutor for Highschool testing in NYC

pmaxwell — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:55:54 -0800

TutorFilter: I'm looking for recommendations for a tutor for the ISEE and Specialized test (SHSAT) in NYC. Either a private tutor or classroom approach. Thanks!

Can I be a freelance SAT tutor?

Muffpub — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:54:50 -0800

I'm a college student with high test scores but no previous teaching experience. Is freelance SAT tutoring (or things of that nature) a lucrative idea or an exercise in frustration? I'm a college student looking to make extra money this summer and I keep coming back time and time again to the idea of tutoring. My SAT and ACT scores are pretty high, and I went to a well-known prestigious high school in the area. (I did well on several AP exams too, but I'm pretty sure I already missed the boat on those.)

So does anyone have an idea of how easy would it be for me to find a few clients to tutor a few hours a week for the June or October SATs if I have no previous teaching experience? I already read this, and I just don't understand why someone would go through all the formal training of Kaplan/Princeton Review/etc just to get paid less than half of what you could get freelance.

So I guess my questions are -
1. Do new, freelance tutors actually get any work? Would you trust your kid to one?
2. What, besides the SAT, could I theoretically do hourly sessions for? My math and english scores are pretty high and I never really stood out in one academic subject in high school above the others. My college major - political science - probably wouldn't have much bearing on middle/high school students.

Any ideas/experiences/input would be very helpful.

GMAT tutor? Sure, why not.

klangklangston — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:29:31 -0800

GMAT tutor in Los Angeles? OK, so I was drunkenly and ironically bragging in this bar on Friday night that I was 28 and the only thing I was good at was standardized tests (based mostly on an SAT and ACT taken in, what, '96?).

Anyway, this guy from the bar got all excited (he seemed like an excitable guy) and started talking about paying me $40 to $60 an hour to tutor him for this GMAT thing. I tried to demure, being all like, "Uh… I met a guy at a party once who did that…" (true), but hell, I don't even know what the GMAT is until my girlfriend tells me on the way back to the car.

Longer story shorter: he wants to trade Dodgers tickets or pay someone to be his GMAT tutor for the aforementioned rate. I told him I'd ask around, and (not wanting to be someone who backs out of a drunken bar promise), I have been. What the hell, I'm also asking here.

Do any of you have recommendations for private tutors? Or maybe ten tips that I can parcel out to him?

Help me find a better appointment scheduler

jplank — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:37:03 -0800

Help me find a way for my students to schedule appointments with me online! I run a tutoring business. My students need to be able to schedule appointments with me. In previous years, I used Google Calendar to show when I was available. Students would email with the time they wanted to see me and I'd manually add them to the calendar. Things became busier and I started using AppointmentQuest. Although it works well, I'd prefer using an alternative that I could host on my own site (if such options exist). Basically, I'd need something where students could log in, see what times are available for tutoring and click on the time they'd like to meet. I'd prefer if it also supported recurring appointments (where the student has the ability to schedule a weekly appointment for Tuesdays at 3pm, for example).

teach your children well (legally?)

cloudgazer — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:56:40 -0800

If I were a private tutor for children, what laws would pertain to me? What credentials would I need? I'm in California, have a Masters in Ed, and a preliminary teaching credential (meaning, i still haven't gotten my full credential because i haven't taught in the classroom long enough, and probably won't).

If I want to become a private tutor, one that supplements school:
-does the California Education Code apply to my work? (I can't seem to find this info on the Cal Ed website, which seems to focus more on homeschooling which takes the place of school.)
-do I need to have an active teaching credential?
-what is the line of being an academic instructor vs. someone that supports a child's social-emotional well being? can i incorporate both? or, does that get into counseling too much? (i'm not talking major issues that need a professional's help, just basic stuff)

Help a first-time tutor get started!

anonymoose — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:49:32 -0800

FirstTimeTutorFilter: I'm plan to start tutoring Math, Chemistry, Physics and possibly ESL in January. Only problem is, I have *no idea what I'm doing*. Anyone have any textbooks, general teaching books, online certification courses, etc to recommend? "No idea what I'm doing" is a bit of an exaggeration; I graduated top of my class at a major research university with a Mechanical Engineering degree, and I'm living in Austria, where being a native speaker of English is considered qualification enough to teach that subject.

I've spoken with some parents, and they're rabid for tutors - Austria is obsessed with education, but the teachers have no interest in spending one-on-one time with students, so there is certainly a big market for private tutoring.

I know the only way to really learn to teach is to do it, but are there any good resources for first-timers? Also could definitely use some good math, physics, chem and english grammar textbooks.

Help me find a tutor/teacher/therapist for a high-functioning autistic child.

Mr. Justice — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:08:26 -0800

Help me find a tutor/teacher/therapist for a high-functioning autistic child. (This question posted for a friend.)

We are looking to hire someone who can provide tutoring and therapy for our high-functioning autistic son, who is nearly 5 years old and was recently diagnosed. Our son has many strengths, but his difficulty in relating to people and his failure in understanding the rules and conventions of social interaction is causing him significant anxiety. We are looking for someone with strong credentials and references who might want to move near Little Rock, Arkansas for a part or full-time job working one-on-one with a little boy from a very financially stable family. We are willing to make a good offer if we can find the right person. We and our friends find our son delightful, and there is research suggesting that early intervention of this kind is very effective.

Surely there is some kind of listserv or other electronic bulletin board that we could post this on? Craigslist just doesn’t seem to be the right way to go (perhaps I am wrong about this). We obviously are looking for someone with education, experience, and/or empathy for special needs kids.

Please note that I am not actually posting this in an attempt to hire you, the reader (although if you're interested, let me know). Rather, I am posting this in an attempt to figure out how I most efficiently publicize that I am hiring for a quite specialized job.

Princeton Review screening exam

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:23:56 -0800

Please come in if you have applied online to teach for Princeton Review. I would like to apply for a part-time job teaching standardized test prep. The introduction to the online application form for the Princeton Review mentions that a "screening exam" is included, and I'm wondering what that entails.

I'm not looking for the actual questions/answers/whatever...I'm really just wondering if this is something timed for which I need to be in a quiet space and focused - I've never filled out an application that I couldn't pause and come back to. Thanks for any advice!

¿Cómo se dice tutor en español?

YoBananaBoy — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:05:43 -0800

Anyone in the Seattle know of a good adult Spanish tutor? I had studied with one teacher I found in Seattle, and I was left very unsatisfied.

I had a high level of fluency after living in Latin American, and now I'm a medium level with the disintegration of my skills without any daily usage in the PNW.

Any references out there for the best Spanish tutor in Seattle?

Lrn2Pastry

redshifter — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:27:30 -0800

I just had a last-minute flash of inspiration for an Xmas gift for my fiancée: she is interested in making pastries and candies and has an innate knack for it. I'd like to get her some lessons from a pro. Possible? I've read about corporate group-building classes where everyone gets together and learns to cook, and I've found some more professional-grade courses from cooking schools, but does anyone know of such a class for the interested amateur?

We are in the Bay Area, so local suggestions would be appreciated, but for the sake of everyone, please post any and all recommendations.

How to escape a college tutor's blackmail?

TreeHugger — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:16:18 -0800

How would one handle extortion/blackmail by a college "tutor" hired to do homework? My friend hired a guy from Craigslist to do her online course assignments -- Now he is threatening to email her teacher and spill the beans, unless she pays him an unreasonable sum. Admittedly, the girl shouldn't have paid someone else to do her homework. But she's asked for my help in handling this situation. She paid a guy to complete her online assignments and email her the results, then she'd post them on the college site. At some point she inadvertently forwarded him a message containing her teacher's email address, and now he's attempting extortion. He'll tell the teacher she was cheating on assignments, unless she pays an additional amount.

Tips for a new standardized test tutor?

electric_counterpoint — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 13:42:44 -0800

So I'm applying for a standardized test (LSAT) tutoring position, right? I've got an "audition" next week, where I need to prove that I can teach. The material isn't as important as the ability to understand and react to the needs of the individual student. Any tips for one-on-one teaching like this? I'm not really looking for LSAT-specific tips (if I get the job, I'll learn my employer's method). Instead, I'm just interested in finding knock-em-dead ideas to communicate the material to a student. I'd say some level of tutoring comes naturally to me (I've been teaching a few people informally before this), but I want to have a well-rehearsed lesson prepared so that I'm not too nervous when my "student" is a potential boss.

(For what it's worth, LSAT veterans, I'm teaching a logical reasoning section -- AKA arguments)

Thanks!

Scheduling Software

jplank — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:45:54 -0800

I tutor mathematics at university and often my students forget about their appointments. Is there some kind of software (preferably that could sync with my Axim) that could email out reminders to the students? I use linux and windows.

You'll take your "(E) - all of the above" and like it!

metaculpa — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 15:37:14 -0800

Best place to work as a GRE/SAT tutor? Advice, horror stories, experiences, and varia requested. I'm thinking of being a GRE/SAT tutor for the fun of it - I like teaching, and I could also use the money. I'm fairly sure I'm qualified to get these jobs, but I have a feeling that they're bit of a scam.

So - have you worked for Kaplan/ Princeton/ Powerscore/ Testmasters/ Whatever? Were you treated well? Could you refrain from killing the students? What were you paid? Most of all, did you like it?

Or should I just tutor freelance?

How to compile C code for a Motorola 68K ECB using TUTOR?

onalark — Fri, 28 Jan 2005 17:00:36 -0800

How do I compile C code into code to be run on a Motorola 68K ECB unit using its native TUTOR program? [MI] This is definitely a bit esoteric, but I'm almost certain it can be done, I just lack the know-how. For one of my ECE classes we've got these ECB-compatible boxes kicking around, and I think it would be wicked sweet if I could actually write C code that would compile into some form of executable for one of these guys. I know what a cross-compiler is and how they work, but I don't know how to cross-compile to the MC68KECB/TUTOR environment. Assume once the code is assembled I can figure out how to get it on the machine. Suggestions and advice greatly appreciated!

Resources for Dyslexic Students

chr1sb0y — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 04:50:39 -0800

I tutor a 6th grader (at an inner city homework help center, once a week, not paid) who was just diagnosed with dyslexia. I'm kind of relieved, because I knew there was some sort of larger problem than just being a little behind. He's pretty distraught, as he's going to have to switch schools for the rest of 6th grade, so he can get into a small special ed class. He feels like a 'dummy', since his teacher did a crappy job of informing him - including telling him first about the test results, instead of talking to his mom first. I know I can search out simple stuff like lists of celebs/successful folks who overcame dyslexia, but I'd love to hear any advice or book/resource recommendations from people who might have some experience with dyslexia.