Open-Ended Tutoring

I make "small talk" with them to get a background of the schoolwork they are struggling with. We start with the easier problems the student is having issues with first. This is good to do so they will not be overwhelmed in the beginning. Next, we move on to the most difficult parts. They are more comfortable at this stage since the student I worked with did the simple parts. I work in this process to start at an easy pace and then work towards a harder level. Having them adapt with me in a quick manner is the goal. I do not want them to be intimidated by me because this would make my tutoring service impossible. I want them to think of me as a teacher they never had. My goal is not to force the student to understand everything the first time, it is to work at their pace until they can get their work done without assistance.

I have a degree in Teacher Preparation (Liberal Arts) while attending college. This is helpful because I have a wide background in every subject imaginable. Moreover, I even got a "Letter of Recommendation" from my Math teacher. From Math to English to Science, I am glad to have a broad understanding of these various parts of the school curriculum. The goal is to make others have an understanding of why learning these subjects matter. I also have a Masters in Communication, which I quickly got after my Bachelors. The reason I got a graduate degree in this field is because it helps me in a better way when I am in a social setting with students. I have worked with others of various backgrounds, so getting this degree helped. Furthermore, I continuously help out at elementary schools and the Boys & Girls Club. When helping out in these areas, tutoring was something I often did.

$20 - 30 hourly is what I charge for lessons. This is a fair range since those who need tutoring will not hesitate. I charge between these amounts to ensure that the individual who needs tutoring does not feel that they are overpriced. My goal is to have a fair price for the families I work with so whoever is being tutored can get the benefit they need. Often, I let the price be at $20 an hour since it is a reasonable enough amount. On average, much of what I help others with is schoolwork from elementary school. That is why it has to be between $20 - $30 since the work is not like college work. My services are more appropriate for this money range. Having it be higher than this is a disservice to families who need help. I never want others to feel that they will become penniless when asking for my services.

I got into the process during my time at a community college. I realized that being in school settings was an enjoyable outlet for me so I got a degree in Teacher Preparation (Liberal Arts). My thoughts are that every subject matters so when I graduate, my goal is to remember everything from my teachers. It becomes enjoyable to learn about various subjects. Moreover, picking a favorite subject becomes difficult. I love Math as much as English and the same can be said about the other subjects. I feel that the school culture has endless possibilities and there is always something new to learn. This is because the school curriculum changes every year. This needs to happen because there is always something new about learning that needs to be a part of various schools. I am glad I made the transition early in my life.

I have been around a variety of students. Most of the time I have worked with 4th and 5th grade kids. Every 4th and 5th grade classroom I was part of was always a different experience. There were even times that I helped out in settings with teenagers that were in 7th and 8th grade. It was worthwhile working with them and I persuaded them to not let puberty get in the way of making them learn. Moreover, I even did private tutoring with a 3rd grade child. This was enlightening because she was part of the Autism Spectrum. This was essential since I got more experience with a student that was not a neurotypical. I worked with children (and adults) of various backgrounds so I have the ability to be around any kind of student. The more variety of students I work with, the better.

What I am proud of is that I passed the CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills Test). I can see why it is a required test because educators have to make sure they are teaching others the right information. This makes me happy because the test is not as easy as expected. The Reading portion took more time and I am glad I got the minimum score to pass the whole exam altogether. Doing this exam was eye-opening since it shows that I excel the most with Math. My score on this part was much higher than the others. On the Writing portion I also did well and was my second favorite part of the test. What I like is that the two questions are easy to relate to. One of them is about social issues and the other is about a personal change. This is a relief since passing the CBEST makes more teaching (and tutoring) opportunities available to me.

I would say to make sure that who they hire has a strong background with various subjects. The average person would be surprised about a good amount of teachers not living up to expectations. There are many types of teachers but the sad reality is sometimes they have no experience with what they are teaching. This happens sometimes because they think it is their only outlet. It becomes a disservice because they are confused, which makes their students feel the same way. Teachers are looked upon as a genius so they need to be very knowledgeable. Teachers need to have a decent background with the curriculum since their goal is to help children with given schoolwork. It should come easily to them because they immersed themselves in the subjects for many years. Moreover, there should not even be a case when the student knows more than the teacher. What matters is that kids look up to people like us and we have to live up to our status.

They should keep in mind who exactly they want to ask for their needs. Sometimes teachers do not have the right method of working with certain students. There are many teachers but that does not mean they have an idea of what they are doing. Some of them are dense and constantly look through the teacher textbook for guidance. The students should get an idea of the given adult before they make their choice. They should realize some teachers are not a good fit for school. The goal is to talk with the type of teacher that will wholeheartedly give them a better understanding of their work. They are responsible for the success of a student. Furthermore, they should ask about other resources that are beneficial, like asking about local tutors who could possibly make work easier for them to understand. There are a variety of teachers, so some of them are better for certain students.