- Before meeting a student, it is very difficult to understand what level of knowledge he has, what teaching aids use, and so on. Therefore, it is important to ask as many questions as possible before class. If you have a lesson with a schoolchild, ask the parents how long the child has been studying English at school, what grades he has, whether he has any difficulties in doing homework, whether he has ever studied with a tutor before. Be sure to ask what textbooks your child uses at school, this will help you figure out which topics the student is currently studying at school and which ones have already been covered.
- If you are going to study English with an adult student, the most important thing is to find out the purpose of the study. Maybe a person has got or is going to get a job where English is required, perhaps even preparation for passing some kind of certificate is necessary. In this case, you will need to focus on grammar and writing. If a person just wants to improve his language a little for traveling, then the main time of the lessons should be devoted to conversational practice.
- When preparing for the first lesson, try to select as many diverse tasks as possible to test the student’s knowledge of various aspects. You can even create a short test with tasks for listening, reading, writing and grammar. Then you will have a better chance of understanding the student's level of knowledge.
- When you first meet a student, try to get in touch with him right away. Behave kindly and attentively with your child, ask what problems he has in learning English, look at his textbooks and notebooks to understand how the child studies at school. With an adult, you can start the lesson with a short interview, during which you can find out more about the person’s work, hobbies, and goals for his education. This will help you relax, and at the same time give you more information to prepare for further classes. If the student’s level of knowledge allows, it is better to speak English, at least partially.
- If your student is a preschooler or schoolchild junior classes, try to prepare the first lesson in such a way that it contains more interactive material: educational videos, songs, cards, games. Grammar assignments for students of this age should also be submitted to game form, explain the rules using cards, books with beautiful attractive pictures. This way the child will immediately develop an interest in English language.
- At the end of the lesson with your child, be sure to give him homework to the next lesson. Immediately explain to the student how important it is independent work, and that this way he will be able to achieve success in learning English much faster. Adults can print out a book to read, for example from the Cambridge English Readers series. Usually these are either detective stories or small exciting stories. At the next lesson, it will be possible to discuss the chapter read in the form of a retelling and questions about the text. This is excellent conversation practice and an opportunity to learn new words.
- A properly conducted first lesson will create a positive impression of you. Further in the learning process, the main thing is not to lower your bar, continuing to select interesting materials both for adults and young students.
- Does a tutor need a license?
- Cost of tutor services
Quality education is the most important basis for achieving success in almost any field. A student with good knowledge will be able to enter the university more easily, a student will be able to easily overcome exam sessions, and a young specialist with additional and necessary skills increases your chances of rapid career growth.
Since the demand for tutoring services is high, there are enough offers on the market from various schools and private teachers. Most often, students and schoolchildren use the services of tutors. Some of them want to close gaps in certain knowledge, while others want to study a specific area more thoroughly. Often adults turn to the services of tutors in order to learn a foreign language or take additional courses vocational education to learn a new profession.
However, the thought “I want to become a tutor” is not enough to be a professional in this field. Let's look at what is needed for this.
Firstly, a quality teacher must have considerable psychological skills. At the same time, the tutor should not be devoid of creativity. It is worth remembering that a teacher is first and foremost an assistant and colleague for his student. In this article we will take a closer look at how to become a good tutor.
What does it take to become a good tutor?
Few people understand that tutoring is a complex and responsible profession. There is a stereotype that tutoring is a side activity school teacher or a university teacher. In reality, true masters of their craft are neither first nor second.
Experience and higher education are the main requirements for a quality tutor. Skills in pedagogy or psychology will not be superfluous. In addition, practical skills are also important. It is worth understanding that what longer person busy in this field, the more experienced he becomes and the better he performs his work. Accordingly, its tariffs tend to increase over time.
In most cases, it is not easy to trace the duration of an experience. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to ask each of your students for recommendations. Reviews are a kind of confirmation of your competence in this field.
In fact, tutoring can be done by anyone who has higher education and a desire to teach. However, it is worth understanding that this type activity is not suitable for everyone. In addition to knowledge, you need to have certain personal qualities which are characteristic of a good teacher. These include the following:
- Responsibility. It is this quality that will allow you to plan effective lessons and maintain academic discipline during classes;
- Interest in the subject of teaching. Good tutor always improves and supplements his knowledge, as well as improves teaching methods;
- The ability to present material in an accessible and understandable manner. Despite the fact that many of us understand a particular issue well, it can be difficult to explain it to another person. A quality tutor should be able to easily cope with this task.
- Punctuality makes it possible to start and finish classes on time;
- Ability to establish rapport with students. Personal charm and competence in your subject are the basis for building a trusting relationship with your mentee;
- Patience and loyalty to student mistakes.
If you have the above qualities, you need to immediately start looking for students, and as a practice and to gain some experience, you can start with lessons with the children of your friends.
What a newbie tutor needs to know
How can a tutor find students?
Today there are resources on the Internet where you can post your profile, which indicates the city in which you plan to work, the area where it will be convenient for you to travel to classes, tariffs, your education, work experience and other useful data.
If you want to cut out the middlemen, you might consider advertising online or in the press. It wouldn’t hurt to post notices near schools and universities. Original and very effective solution There will be a website created for conducting classes via Skype.
Does a tutor need a license?
Tutoring is a form of individual pedagogical activity that is not subject to licensing. Qualification is confirmed by a corresponding diploma. It is important that the teacher can easily find contact with his students. Skills in the field of pedagogy, psychology, as well as experience in an educational institution will help you with this.
You need to understand what tutoring is entrepreneurial activity. Therefore, it is necessary to issue an IP certificate. Naturally, this format of work means that you will have to pay taxes, thereby sharing your income with the state. However, this solution also has a number of advantages, including increased profits if you host students at home.
There is also another option. If a tutor has an entrepreneurial spirit, he can organize his own training center. It must be taken into account that non-payment of taxes legal entity, which is similar educational institution, is punishable by a fine in the amount of 20 to 50 thousand rubles. In this case, the organization needs a license that allows it to conduct teaching activities.
Cost of tutor services
It is worth talking separately about the issue of tariffs for tutoring services. You don't want to make them very low because you won't be motivated to do a good job. Moreover, potential clients may have doubts about the quality of your services. If you do your job well, be sure to demand decent pay for it. Lack of experience may be a reason to reduce your tariffs to a level slightly below average, but you should not overdo it in this matter.
There are no uniform methods for calculating the cost of tutoring services. There are the following factors that influence the price:
- Profile education of a teacher;
- Experience;
- Region of residence;
- Location of lessons;
- Study intensity;
- Guarantees provided by the tutor;
- The uniqueness of the subject taught.
For example, services physics tutor in Samara will cost less than similar lessons in Moscow. At the same time, since this area is less widespread in comparison with English language, the cost of lessons will be slightly higher than the rates of a foreign teacher.
If at the end of the lesson your student does not remember about the payment, you can remind him of the fee. You can ask how it is more convenient for the client to pay - for ten lessons or separately for each, and then clarify that the second option is preferable for you.
When asking yourself the question of how to become a successful tutor, you need to understand that hard work in this direction will allow you to achieve considerable heights in this area. You must have a good understanding of the subject, have considerable work experience, make the lesson interesting and effective, and constantly update your knowledge.
In addition, you must have a desire to enrich your student with new knowledge. Become a mentor and friend to your mentee. Practice the principle that there are no hopeless students.
To understand what does it take to become a tutor, use the following tips:
- Choose one narrow area and become a quality tutor in it;
- Practice individual approach to every student;
- During the first lesson, try to assess the student’s level of knowledge, the goals being pursued, and the load that he can withstand;
- The main goal of the teacher is to make the subject interesting for the student, without forcing him to study anything;
- During classes, the student should be given the opportunity to express his opinion and be allowed to talk more often about the subject being studied;
- Make the student respect you, as this is the basis for building effective business relations. If this is not possible, you can safely refuse to work with the student. Remember that you can always find more effective and productive use of your skills and abilities.
It's not enough to know how to become a tutor. Remember that reputation is the basis of a successful career for any teacher. You need to understand that one negative review about your services will cost you more than three positive recommendations. This is especially true for teachers who have a day job and attract students for additional training on a specific subject.
These tips will help you overcome a lot of difficulties on the way to building your own business. By following them, you can quickly achieve a good level of income and gain an excellent reputation in your field.
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Pauline
Russian language tutor
“I was studying with a student, and everything seemed to be fine, but one day I came, her brother opened the door, with the words “Come in, but Masha is not at home.” I pass by and see their mother, who is trying to find Masha. After half an hour and about a dozen unanswered calls, an SMS arrives: “So today is it really? Tomorrow?” What amazes me most about stories like this is the students themselves. Each time I ask them to write down the class time in their notebooks and set a notification on their phone. How do they manage to survive until grades 9–11 with such irresponsibility? We worked with her for a short time. The last straw was the situation when I arrived at her class, as usual, and she opened the door in a dressing gown: “Didn’t your mother call you? I'm sick." It’s not entirely clear why she herself was unable to call or write.”
Irina
English tutor
“There was a not very adequate woman who wanted me to work with her five-year-old child. At the same time, she taught me how to conduct a lesson, she was going to attend the lesson and bring the children of her friends to it - that is, it was no longer an individual lesson, but a group. The most fun thing about this was the payment: 350 rubles for half an hour, despite the fact that they had to study at their home, which was still a bus ride from the metro. In general, I refused under the pretext of a busy schedule.”
Susanna
Italian language tutor
“I studied with two sisters: the eldest was 20 years old, the youngest was 12. Initially, it was agreed that I would teach only the eldest, and then I was confronted with the fact that both would study. There is a significant age difference between them, and here you need absolutely different approach, but no one began to listen to me. Since I was just starting, I didn’t dare refuse. They were strange, in class, like first-graders, they laughed at in Italian words. And once a class was canceled five minutes before the start - considering that it took an hour and a half to get to them (by metro, then by tram and then on foot), and it was quite late in the evening.”
Not every person who knows English can teach it to other people. But if you have set yourself the goal of becoming a tutor, then this can be achieved if you follow some rules and put in some effort.
A tutor is significantly different from a university teacher or school teacher. His teaching method is based on the skills and knowledge of the student he has taken on at the moment. Since all students are different, this leads to a lot of nuances in the work. Therefore, today we will try to understand them and answer the question of how to become an English tutor.
At the beginning of your journey, you shouldn’t offer a bunch of programs for everyone. Novice tutors can usually perform well in working with school students. But if you like working with adults, then start working only with them.
Cost of education: From 80 rub/hour
Discounts: Bonuses, seasonal discounts
Training mode: Online
Free lesson: Provided
Online testing: Not provided
Literature: -
Address: -
Linguatrip
Cost of education: From $35/lesson
Discounts: Not provided
Training mode: Online/Skype
Free lesson: Not provided
Teaching method: Determined by the teacher
Online testing: Provided
Customer Feedback: (4.4/5)
Literature: Determined by the teacher
Address: Mountain View, California
Each age category requires an individual approach. Children, for example, cannot concentrate on learning for very long. And adults really don’t like being corrected, criticized, or pointed out when mistakes are made. And almost everyone hopes for quick results. This is one of the main problems.
business man in start - racing position
You need to use all the techniques. By the way, the word of mouth method works like a charm. Post the news on your social media page. network that you are recruiting students. Offer the first free lesson, organize promotions, etc.
People are inert by nature, so they are unlikely to write to you asking you to teach them English. But literally every one of your friends or their friends dreamed of learning English at least once. If you want to learn how to become an English tutor, you first need to learn how to advertise your own services.
You can send messages to your friends like: “Hi. I started giving English lessons. I will be happy to become your tutor! The first lesson is free =) Also, maybe you know some of your friends who would like to learn English?
Ask your acquaintances, relatives, friends, advertise in the newspaper and on your social media page. networks. And if you plan to work via Skype, then you have a lot of opportunities for advertising yourself on the Internet.
As practice shows, almost no one is interested in your diplomas and titles. Even many years of experience does not inspire such confidence as simple recommendation friend. If you know how to present the material, then there is often no need for a diploma.
But it is worth considering that a diploma is a confirmation of your knowledge. If you are preparing people for an international exam, but have never taken it yourself, then most likely your students will be disappointed in you. Therefore, to teach complex English courses, certain papers will still be needed. Well, a diploma will always be a definite plus for your authority in the eyes of your students.
PuzzleEnglish
Discounts: 7 days free
Training mode: Online
Free lesson: Provided
Teaching method: Selfeducation
Online testing: Provided
Customer Feedback: (5/5)
Literature: -
Address: -
Cost of education: From 590 rub/hour
Discounts: Purchasing activity packages, inviting friends
Training mode: Online
Free lesson: Provided
Online testing: Provided
Literature: -
Address: -
Tutorials
The good old “Bonk” from 2001 is simply a wonderful textbook for all times. But often (especially adult students) they are indignant: “Why do I come to you and pay money, but they teach me according to the old curriculum, just like in a regular school?” It is worth noting that such claims do exist.
A tutor differs from a teacher in that he must introduce variety and original ideas V educational process so that the student really sees that he is buying quality services. For some, “Bonk” is quite enough, but for others it will be much more interesting to study according to Murphy, Upstream and others.
No one is immune from mistakes. Beginning specialists - even more so. But in some professions: engineer, doctor, teacher and others, mistakes can be costly. This article is an attempt to give some tips that may help you avoid these mistakes.
1. Lack of self-confidence
As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Coming to a lesson for the first time, any tutor should make a positive impression, and a beginner - threefold. Excessive anxiety of a novice tutor (shaking hands and voice, obsessive movements) can make a strange impression, which he still has nothing to smooth out, in contrast to a teacher with experience, to some of whose features one can, in principle, turn a blind eye.
Self-doubt and fear of not being liked by the student can force the tutor to build an incorrect line of behavior with him - with “flirting” and erasing the necessary distance in the relationship, which, in turn, will weaken his authority and allow the student to work half-heartedly. You cannot go to the other extreme, putting on the mask of an evil teacher, prohibiting and threatening. The mask will sooner or later come off, revealing your true face, and this will allow the student to behave with you without any respect. Before going to class, do a little exercise, take a deep breath, raise your head and smile at your reflection in the mirror. You have enough knowledge to convey it to others, charm to please people, and confidence to remain yourself when people try to confuse you.
Don’t be late for class, but if you feel that you still won’t make it on time, be sure to call: no one will kill you for the very fact of being late, and by calling you you will leave the impression of at least a polite person. Don’t take on all the offers in a row: while your rate is low, traveling from one end of the city to the other you will spend half of the money you earn on transport, the time during which you could teach another lesson, and the energy that you, of course, still have will be needed.
2. Unsystematic classes, lack of expressed requirements
Even before the start of classes, you must form a certain set of rules that are common to everyone, and later supplement it with points that are constant for a particular student. For example, I strongly recommend that many students have several notebooks at the very first lesson: for recording various kinds theory, for verification work and for homework. Moreover, if you start them, you and the student should teach them at every lesson, and not when you accidentally remember about it. The student also needs to be taught order: he should always know where his notebooks and books are, prepare them in advance and not lose them. Losing an assignment, from the point of view of a careless student, is very good reason its failure to comply. Therefore, if you study not from textbooks, but from various handouts, recommend that the student create a special folder for them. Get yourself a diary or some kind of journal: it will be convenient to write down the material covered, homework and mistakes of each student, which, in your opinion, should be worked on next time, since you will keep all this information in your head, especially when You will have a lot of students, it’s not that easy.
You must clearly and clearly inform the parents of the students about the cost of classes, the days and times that suit you, the requirements for the child, your position on the cancellation and postponement of classes, and subsequently promptly inform parents about the children’s bad behavior or failure to complete their homework, do not allow they have to ride on themselves and say goodbye to them without regret when this starts to happen.
3. Lack of lesson plan
It is a mistake to think that good knowledge of the subject allows you to not prepare for the lesson. Especially if you are still at the very beginning of your journey. It is necessary to draw up a plan in which you indicate exactly what you will do during the lesson and how long it will take you to complete each item. But the plan cannot be treated formally. No matter how simple the material may seem to you, you need to study it very carefully, noting to yourself the ways to explain it (the more, the better: one is never enough), possible difficulties students and ways to overcome them, possible responses of students to oral and written assignments. In addition, you should always be prepared for the fact that a student's homework may not be completed or completed incompletely, so instead of quickly checking it and starting new topic, you'll have to do something else. Thus, the plan should provide for several options for developing the lesson. The time to complete the plan items must be calculated in advance and distributed evenly, without delving into any one task to the detriment of others. It is completely unacceptable to interrupt a student in the midst of completing a task simply because you yourself did not calculate how much time it would take him.
4. A unified approach to different students
If you are a beginning teacher, then most likely you have not yet developed an extensive methodological library, and now it is important for you not to be afraid to learn new things. Different students have different problems and different goals, so you should use different textbooks, and not just one or two that are best known to you. Spend time searching for and pre-evaluating materials so that you don’t waste time later on something that the student doesn’t need at all. Subsequently, to make searching easier the required material on a particular topic, it will be possible to compile a catalog of available resources.
5. Unwillingness to answer questions
Active, interested students are a real gift for any tutor, but a headache for a beginner. Surprises await you at every turn: for example, if you are teaching a foreign language and, while studying the topic “Professions,” you ask a student what their parents do, then please do not expect that everyone will turn out to be teachers, engineers or doctors. Teacher foreign language may encounter the problem of the student’s specific interests that lie outside his linguistic competence, and therefore experience difficulties in translating a particular term (aircraft parts, dance figures). In this case, it won’t hurt you to familiarize yourself with this or that category of vocabulary, but let the student know that you cannot know everything and push him to make independent discoveries. In turn, in a physics lesson, a student may have his own alternative view of the cause of some natural phenomena, and you must put yourself in his place in order to understand his point of view and clarify any questions.
6. Lack of restraint with slow students
On the other hand, students who do not think so quickly require great self-control from the tutor, because you should never yell at them, even if you really, really want to. Screaming and swearing frighten children, block their thought processes and give rise to complexes. Even if you have to explain the material in twenty-five different ways, before the student understands what they want from him, try to treat it positively. You are a super teacher if you know twenty-five ways to explain one topic, and Indian yogis would envy your patience! Besides, in the end, you will still achieve your goal, and the gratitude of such a student will be much higher.
A novice teacher, student or yesterday's student may be in some euphoria from receiving new professional knowledge or a new status and sincerely want to teach the student everything at once. With such generosity, he can do harm rather than good, disrupt the student’s picture of the world and make him doubt the teaching system used in this subject at this stage, especially if we are talking about primary school. A second-grader, like his name, learns that one cannot divide by zero, but if the tutor casually informs him that this is not entirely true, then a misunderstanding with the school teacher and a decrease in grades are guaranteed. The other extreme is to generally avoid any complexity and terminology, even that which the student should obviously know (“addendum”, “adverb”, “diffusion”, “catalyst”), and use instead descriptive phrases so as not to overload his brain. It is necessary to firmly know the program of each class and adhere to it, making allowances for the depth of knowledge and abilities of each individual student.