If you are like most tutors, your main focus is probably on your tutoring sessions; communicating with your tutee, being able to present a problem in clear steps, and making sure that your tutee is able to improve in whatever subject he or she needs tutoring.
If these are the kinds of thoughts that are your main focus, congratulations! You are undoubtedly a great tutor.
But now I'd like to talk about another important, often overlooked, aspect of tutoring sessions - the time card.
I’ve always hated paperwork. It seems like a waste of time that could be spent on more worthwhile things. But a tutor’s time card is probably one of the more valuable parts of any tutoring business.
Besides lending an air of professionalism when working with tutees, a well designed time card can assist in billing, help with future appointments, and maintain good customer relations.
I like to use a time card that includes the following:
1) Date of session
2) Subject tutored
3) Tutee name
4) Start/stop times of the session
5) Tutee/parent initials
Date and start/stop times are pretty obvious. Both my tutees and I need this info for billing purposes. Subject helps me remember what I worked on with a particular tutee. In fact, I tutor a few tutees in more than one subject. In those cases, the subject info is especially useful to both of us. I like having session time so that my tutee and I can verify that the stop-start calculation was correct. Tutee/parent initials adds some proof that the tutoring actually occurred as logged.
Although I’ve never had a problem, I’ve had a few friends who have had issues with tutees regarding a particular tutoring session or the times. Including the initials on the time card helps to avoid any billing issues that may otherwise arise.
When it is time to bill my tutees I total up the session times, multiply by my hourly rate, and send a copy to the tutee.
One last thing. I only include one tutee per time card. Otherwise the billing scheme doesn ’t work. By doing these things, I have always had an easy time with billing, and with balancing the books. Keep track of everything that happens during a session, use the time card methods listed above, and soon you will be on your way to a well organized tutoring business.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Integrity and Ambition
Wow, what a strange day it has been.
I just received an email from someone who not only had a sour attitude towards the learning process, but surprisingly thought that ITA was going to provide him with a certificate...without any additional work on his part.
Apparently this gentleman, I will call him Eric* (name obviously changed) thought that he would pay a fee and receive an ITA certificate without any additional effort.
After a polite response to Eric*, I suddenly was hit with an epiphany. There are likely a lot of people out there who want to show that they earned a certificate even after they have put in no time or effort.
That is completely in opposition to the whole philosophy of tutoring.
Imagine telling your tutees that they don't need to do their homework, or put in the extra time learning concepts - they can simply write you a check and you can instantly produce a stack of A+ papers for them.
That would be cheating. It would be academic cheating, and you would be cheating your tutee out of the learning experience. Definitely not fair.
So, to Eric*, best of luck in your future endeavors.
To the rest of you ITA trainees - thank you!
Thank you for having the integrity, and the ambition, to stick with a program that may be a bit of work, but will show your tutees that you are dedicated to the tutoring profession.
I just received an email from someone who not only had a sour attitude towards the learning process, but surprisingly thought that ITA was going to provide him with a certificate...without any additional work on his part.
Apparently this gentleman, I will call him Eric* (name obviously changed) thought that he would pay a fee and receive an ITA certificate without any additional effort.
After a polite response to Eric*, I suddenly was hit with an epiphany. There are likely a lot of people out there who want to show that they earned a certificate even after they have put in no time or effort.
That is completely in opposition to the whole philosophy of tutoring.
Imagine telling your tutees that they don't need to do their homework, or put in the extra time learning concepts - they can simply write you a check and you can instantly produce a stack of A+ papers for them.
That would be cheating. It would be academic cheating, and you would be cheating your tutee out of the learning experience. Definitely not fair.
So, to Eric*, best of luck in your future endeavors.
To the rest of you ITA trainees - thank you!
Thank you for having the integrity, and the ambition, to stick with a program that may be a bit of work, but will show your tutees that you are dedicated to the tutoring profession.
Setting Tutoring Goals
Goal setting is an important part of the tutoring process. It is a practice that not only helps the tutee realize what he or she needs to accomplish, but it also helps you lay out your session time.
Having goals that you and your tutee agree upon can mean the difference between aimless wandering through a subject, and a clear path towards an achievable accomplishment. Trust me, sessions always go more smoothly, and more successfully, if there are goals established ahead of time.
So how do you get started? And how do you keep the momentum going once the goals have been met?
Here are 5 easy steps towards creating, meeting, and maintaining goals during tutoring sessions.
Step 1) Define the goals.
During your first tutoring session together, list 2-5 goals that both of you agree can be accomplished in a set amount of time. This may be 5 goals to meet by the end of the semester, or 2 goals that can be met in one month's time.
The trick to this is to make sure that the goals are realistic and achievable. You don't want to set goals that are impossible to reach - this will leave your tutee feeling frustrated and will make your sessions a lot less enjoyable.
An example of a goal list may look a little something like this:
a) Learn how to add and subtract fractions by the end of the semester.
b) Get a B+ or better on my next test (test will be in 5 weeks).
c) Raise my class grade.
Step 2) Put together a quick list of how each goal will be met.
Will your tutee put in an extra 20 minutes of homework time every night? Will your tutee form a study group at school, or do a few extra exercises from the book? The trick to step 2 is to make your tutee accountable outside of your tutoring sessions together. Make sure that he or she knows that tutoring is just one part of the puzzle, and that a bit of extra work (besides the tutoring) might be needed to raise his or her grades.
3) Assess your tutee's goal progress every few weeks.
I have found that by looking over my tutee's goals every 2 weeks, I can get a good idea of whether or not things are moving in the right direction. If my tutee is on the right path towards grade improvement, and is putting in the extra effort, then I offer praise and encourage my tutee to keep up the great work.
If I notice that my tutee is struggling a bit with the extra work, or that he or she doesn't seem to be taking the goals seriously, I still offer support and encouragement. I make sure that my tutee knows that every small step will eventually lead to success even though the goal may seem far away at the time.
4) Sometimes a tutor needs to redefine and make some changes.
If a goal winds up being a little out of reach for my tutee, sometimes I will reassess the situation, and my tutee and I will redefine the goal. For example, my tutee may want an A in his or her class, but I realize that an A is just not possible by the end of the semester. Sometimes the points just do not add up, and earning an A on the final may only be enough to move the tutee up to a B+.
In this case, I encourage my tutee to work hard and strive for the A on the final. Earning a B+ is still a great improvement on the original grade for the class, and this has now become a much more achievable goal.
5) Remember to encourage.
Whether or not goals are met, encouragement and support are important elements in any tutoring session. Your tutee needs to know that his or her work is not going unnoticed, and that there are benefits to the extra effort. A quick, "Great job on that last test," or a "Don't worry about it, we'll do some extra work on fractions and your next test will be even better," can go a long way in making a tutee feel like continuing his or her learning efforts.
Goal setting, and goal meeting, are key aspects of the tutoring session. Goals benefit both tutors and tutees and can make sessions go from tolerable to enjoyable. Give these steps a try and watch your tutee take on the new tutoring challenges with pride. For even more information about goal setting, check out your ITA textbook!
Having goals that you and your tutee agree upon can mean the difference between aimless wandering through a subject, and a clear path towards an achievable accomplishment. Trust me, sessions always go more smoothly, and more successfully, if there are goals established ahead of time.
So how do you get started? And how do you keep the momentum going once the goals have been met?
Here are 5 easy steps towards creating, meeting, and maintaining goals during tutoring sessions.
Step 1) Define the goals.
During your first tutoring session together, list 2-5 goals that both of you agree can be accomplished in a set amount of time. This may be 5 goals to meet by the end of the semester, or 2 goals that can be met in one month's time.
The trick to this is to make sure that the goals are realistic and achievable. You don't want to set goals that are impossible to reach - this will leave your tutee feeling frustrated and will make your sessions a lot less enjoyable.
An example of a goal list may look a little something like this:
a) Learn how to add and subtract fractions by the end of the semester.
b) Get a B+ or better on my next test (test will be in 5 weeks).
c) Raise my class grade.
Step 2) Put together a quick list of how each goal will be met.
Will your tutee put in an extra 20 minutes of homework time every night? Will your tutee form a study group at school, or do a few extra exercises from the book? The trick to step 2 is to make your tutee accountable outside of your tutoring sessions together. Make sure that he or she knows that tutoring is just one part of the puzzle, and that a bit of extra work (besides the tutoring) might be needed to raise his or her grades.
3) Assess your tutee's goal progress every few weeks.
I have found that by looking over my tutee's goals every 2 weeks, I can get a good idea of whether or not things are moving in the right direction. If my tutee is on the right path towards grade improvement, and is putting in the extra effort, then I offer praise and encourage my tutee to keep up the great work.
If I notice that my tutee is struggling a bit with the extra work, or that he or she doesn't seem to be taking the goals seriously, I still offer support and encouragement. I make sure that my tutee knows that every small step will eventually lead to success even though the goal may seem far away at the time.
4) Sometimes a tutor needs to redefine and make some changes.
If a goal winds up being a little out of reach for my tutee, sometimes I will reassess the situation, and my tutee and I will redefine the goal. For example, my tutee may want an A in his or her class, but I realize that an A is just not possible by the end of the semester. Sometimes the points just do not add up, and earning an A on the final may only be enough to move the tutee up to a B+.
In this case, I encourage my tutee to work hard and strive for the A on the final. Earning a B+ is still a great improvement on the original grade for the class, and this has now become a much more achievable goal.
5) Remember to encourage.
Whether or not goals are met, encouragement and support are important elements in any tutoring session. Your tutee needs to know that his or her work is not going unnoticed, and that there are benefits to the extra effort. A quick, "Great job on that last test," or a "Don't worry about it, we'll do some extra work on fractions and your next test will be even better," can go a long way in making a tutee feel like continuing his or her learning efforts.
Goal setting, and goal meeting, are key aspects of the tutoring session. Goals benefit both tutors and tutees and can make sessions go from tolerable to enjoyable. Give these steps a try and watch your tutee take on the new tutoring challenges with pride. For even more information about goal setting, check out your ITA textbook!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Why Tutoring?
"Why Tutoring?" I have been asked this on more than one occasion by friends and family.
Some of them are curious, others are just making conversation, and still others are telling me that I should have chosen a more traditionally defined "high powered career." You see, I do not work a traditional 40 hour week job. Since I freelance, I work varying hours (anywhere from 5-45 per week), from varying locations.
Every time I am asked, my answer to all of these people is always the same - I chose tutoring as a career so I can do what I love and help others. Simple as that.
A lot of children dream of being doctors, firefighters, or veterinarians, but I cannot remember a time when I didn't want to be a tutor. I would help classmates out during lunch period, tutor my brothers with their math, and help my best friend with his book reports. Whoever needed tutoring help, I was thrilled to provide what knowledge I could in the subject.
Interestingly, I never wanted to be a teacher; I preferred the one-to-one interaction with my tutees that tutoring offered me. I am also addicted to the rewarding feeling that I get when someone understands a new concept for the first time.
After college, when I made a conscious decision to make freelance math tutoring my career, I knew I was making a decision that would allow me to do the kind of work I was passionate about, even after I hit retirement age.
It may not be a traditional 40 hour per week career path, but it is a path that I am enthusiastic about and very proud of - every day is a new chance to help someone succeed in the educational world. That, combined with working for myself, makes tutoring a dream career!
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For the last 12 years, Brian has been a freelance math tutor who specializes in helping tutees grapple with the basics of elementary math concepts. He has recently completed ITA training and can be reached at BL@itatutor.org.
Some of them are curious, others are just making conversation, and still others are telling me that I should have chosen a more traditionally defined "high powered career." You see, I do not work a traditional 40 hour week job. Since I freelance, I work varying hours (anywhere from 5-45 per week), from varying locations.
Every time I am asked, my answer to all of these people is always the same - I chose tutoring as a career so I can do what I love and help others. Simple as that.
A lot of children dream of being doctors, firefighters, or veterinarians, but I cannot remember a time when I didn't want to be a tutor. I would help classmates out during lunch period, tutor my brothers with their math, and help my best friend with his book reports. Whoever needed tutoring help, I was thrilled to provide what knowledge I could in the subject.
Interestingly, I never wanted to be a teacher; I preferred the one-to-one interaction with my tutees that tutoring offered me. I am also addicted to the rewarding feeling that I get when someone understands a new concept for the first time.
After college, when I made a conscious decision to make freelance math tutoring my career, I knew I was making a decision that would allow me to do the kind of work I was passionate about, even after I hit retirement age.
It may not be a traditional 40 hour per week career path, but it is a path that I am enthusiastic about and very proud of - every day is a new chance to help someone succeed in the educational world. That, combined with working for myself, makes tutoring a dream career!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the last 12 years, Brian has been a freelance math tutor who specializes in helping tutees grapple with the basics of elementary math concepts. He has recently completed ITA training and can be reached at BL@itatutor.org.
Resources for Writing Tutors
As a writing tutor, I’m always looking for ways to liven up my tutoring sessions. Let’s face it, when it comes to writing, there are a lot of rules and exceptions to learn. Pretty dry stuff!
I often use colorful handouts. They are visually more exciting than hand written notes, plus my tutees can keep them for future reference. But even my handouts get stale over time. It really doesn’t matter how cool they look. Ultimately, they are just more material for my tutees to read and memorize. There is nothing engaging about a paper handout.
Enter technology. Except for word processing software on computers, I’ve never been a big fan of technology. I generally find myself spending more time trying to figure out how to use it rather than actually using it. I’d rather do things the old fashion way and save myself the frustration. Well that all changed, at least as far as my tutoring goes, a couple of months ago.
I was talking with another writing tutor about her views on handouts. I was hoping for some fresh ideas and she gave me a great one: Grammar Bytes. It is a website that covers tons of writing topics.
Examples and explanations are presented along with interactive practice questions. For some reason my tutees prefer the web over paper handouts. In fact, I now regularly use this site to motivate tutees to familiarize themselves with a topic before we meet! It is a lot more productive.
Grammar Bytes can be found at: http://www.chompchomp.com/exercises.htm.
I’m now on the lookout for more of these kinds of resources!
~ Katie M.
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Katie is a certified tutor and has been tutoring writing for over 10 years. Her work load spans generations, from elementary school students to elderly ESL tutees. Thanks, Katie, for this fantastic contribution to the ITA blog!
I often use colorful handouts. They are visually more exciting than hand written notes, plus my tutees can keep them for future reference. But even my handouts get stale over time. It really doesn’t matter how cool they look. Ultimately, they are just more material for my tutees to read and memorize. There is nothing engaging about a paper handout.
Enter technology. Except for word processing software on computers, I’ve never been a big fan of technology. I generally find myself spending more time trying to figure out how to use it rather than actually using it. I’d rather do things the old fashion way and save myself the frustration. Well that all changed, at least as far as my tutoring goes, a couple of months ago.
I was talking with another writing tutor about her views on handouts. I was hoping for some fresh ideas and she gave me a great one: Grammar Bytes. It is a website that covers tons of writing topics.
Examples and explanations are presented along with interactive practice questions. For some reason my tutees prefer the web over paper handouts. In fact, I now regularly use this site to motivate tutees to familiarize themselves with a topic before we meet! It is a lot more productive.
Grammar Bytes can be found at: http://www.chompchomp.com/exercises.htm.
I’m now on the lookout for more of these kinds of resources!
~ Katie M.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katie is a certified tutor and has been tutoring writing for over 10 years. Her work load spans generations, from elementary school students to elderly ESL tutees. Thanks, Katie, for this fantastic contribution to the ITA blog!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tutoring Does Not Equal "Homework Service."
A common misconception about tutoring is that it is a way to “get your work done” by a tutor. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth when dealing with a well-trained tutor.
Simply put, active learning is learning by doing. The job of any tutor is to focus the responsibility of learning on the tutee. Ideas, concepts, relationships, and processes are stressed over individual problems.
The ultimate goal is to turn the tutee into an independent learner by developing their general problem solving and study skills.
Although specific example problems are often used by tutors, working through a tutee’s actual homework assignment is not good tutoring.
Typically, a well trained tutor will address the skills and process needed to solve the types of problems in the homework, using similar problems. On occasion, the tutor may even allow the tutee to tackle one of their homework problems while they sit back and observe. In this way, the tutor can assess the tutee’s progress and determine if they are prepared to succeed on their homework.
To sum up, tutees are responsible for their own homework. Tutoring is simply a way for students to get the skills necessary to ultimately succeed on their own. If a tutee starts pressuring you into doing his or her homework, it's time to put the pencils down and talk about tutoring session goals (i.e. not being a homework service)!
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The International Tutoring Association (ITA) stresses “active learning” as part of its web-based Training and Tutor Certification program. Become a stellar tutor today with ITA.
The International Tutoring Association (ITA) stresses “active learning” as part of its web-based Training and Tutor Certification program. Become a stellar tutor today with ITA.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Welcome to the ITA Blog!
Well, we finally did it!
We put together our blog.
And it is all thanks to you!
We put together our blog.
And it is all thanks to you!
Months ago you may remember us asking for submissions. Well, we received an unbelievable number of great tutoring stories (horror stories and success stories), resource materials, tips, and techniques. Without you, this blog wouldn't be possible. So thanks to you all, and remember to keep those submissions coming!
Obviously, since this is our first post, our blog isn't very full yet. However, over the next few months, we will be adding loads of great tutoring information, including some of our best essays.
With the training, evaluations, and everything else that goes with running ITA we are really crunched for time, however, we promise to do our absolute best to update regularly, so make sure to check back often!
Send all submissions to info@itatutor.org and remember to use the subject heading: SUBMISSION FOR BLOG
This will also be the place to come when you want to know what's new with ITA!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Archived Entries
ARCHIVED
"What's New at ITA" from the old ITA site
August 10, 2006
Exciting changes are in store for ITA!
We are currently in the process of adding a host of resources for you to use during your tutoring sessions (i.e. activities resources with learning activities). Most of what we have collected so far has been activities for K-6 grade tutees.
So, we're putting a call out to all of you! If you have a particular study technique or activity that you use during your sessions, send it over to us!
If we use it, we'll make sure to post your name (unless you'd prefer to remain anonymous) on the resources page along with a copy of the activity/technique...In other words, your brilliance will go down in tutoring history!
April 30, 2006
The conferences were a success!
We attended and presented at both ACTLA and NTA conferences and we were a hit! Good news for us and good news for you...Why? Because the more well known we are in the tutoring world, the more recognized and respected your certification will be in the real world!
February 26 , 2006
We have added a new link on the navigation bar, to make it easier for tutees to submit evaluations online.
January 28, 2006
Due to popular request, you will now be able to see a breakdown of how each test was graded. What this means is that after you take each test, you will see your overall score, as well as how many of the four possible points you earned on each question.
January 27, 2006
We have been invited to, and will be presenting at, the NTA (National Tutor Association) conference in Costa Mesa. Our presentation will be about web-based tutor training and ITA. We will again have an informational vendor booth, so if you're in the area, feel free to stop by!
January 11, 2006
This coming April holds exciting things for ITA!
We have been invited to, and will be presenting at, the ACTLA (Association of Colleges for Tutoring and Learning Assistance) conference in San Francisco. In addition to the presentation, we will also be hosting an informational vendor booth so that we can continue to spread the word about ITA!
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