Question: Hi, Micki. I have a tutee (I'll call him Harry) who I have been tutoring now for over a year. He's a great guy, pays attention during our calculus tutoring, and has just been a model tutee except for one thing...recently he has been late showing up for tutoring sessions.
At first, Harry was a minute or two late, but now he shows up for every tutoring session (2 per week) *at least* 15 minutes late. The problem is that I have another tutoring appointment right after his, and I don't want to be late because of Harry's tardiness.
What can I do? I probably should have done something earlier - it has been going on for about 3 months, and I'm kind of worried that it may be too late to fix things.
Thanks for your help!
Signed,
a slightly frustrated tutor in Rhode Island.
Answer: Hi, thanks for your question!
First of all, have no fear - it is never too late to fix a problem! Especially since it sounds like you two have a great tutor / tutee relationship; that should make it much easier to talk to "Harry" about how your tutoring sessions are going.
This kind of problem is all about communication. Sit down for a few minutes with Harry before the tutoring session starts, and figure out why he is always running late.
Has he been putting in extra hours at work? Maybe he is taking part in an activity that ends too close to your tutoring start time. Maybe he took a new job further from home, and has been getting stuck in traffic. The best way to figure out what's up is to ask Harry about his schedule.
I would avoid saying anything confrontational (why ruin a great tutoring relationship?), and focus on how you two can fix the scheduling issue.
Mention that you have another tutoring appointment, need to leave on time, and don't want to short change Harry on any of his calculus tutoring.
Also, keep in mind that it may be time to change things and rearrange when and where you two meet for tutoring.
If Harry is having trouble getting to the tutoring sessions because of work, or school, maybe you could reschedule to another day or time. If he is getting stuck in traffic, maybe you two could meet halfway someplace and work there - he'd be on time, and you could leave from the meeting place to make it to your next tutoring appointment on time.
Whatever the situation may be with Harry's schedule, you two should have no trouble working it out as long as you keep your dialogue open, friendly, and non-confrontational. Think of this like a calculus problem you may encounter during tutoring - if you two patiently work on this together, the solution will be easy to find!
Good luck, and as always, happy tutoring!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Ask Micki: Tutoring Website
Question: Hi, Micki. I have a question about advertising my tutoring via the web. I was thinking of setting up a website for my tutoring services, but am not sure how to get people to it. Any words of wisdom on how to get the word out about my (upcoming) tutoring site? Thanks!
~ Charlie, a tutor from Redlands, CA
Answer: Hi, Charlie - thanks for the great question!A lot of people, both tutors and other professionals, struggle with this. Here are 5 ways that you can make your tutoring website a success!
1. Get the word out the old fashioned way: business cards and word of mouth. Make sure that your tutoring site URL is listed on every piece of paper that leaves your hands (business cards, letterhead, etc). That way, when people need a tutor, they can look down at your card, and easily locate your site. Word of mouth is also a powerful way to get noticed. Tell *everyone* you know about your spiffy new site. Friends, family, and clients are great places to start - after all, you never know who those people may know!
2. Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and keywords. No, I don't mean using the words "tutor" and "tutoring" every other word. The trick to keywords is using them naturally in the text while still making sure that the words show up often. Also, keep in mind that there may be other variations on your chosen words, and you'll want to include them, too. For example, "tutors" and "tutoring" may also be listed as "learning specialist," or "homework helper." Use as many relevant keywords as you can related to tutors and tutees, and web crawlers will have no trouble finding your site!
3. Submit your tutor services site to places like Google. Submit your URL to a few search engines, and you will get noticed faster. You are trying to get your site noticed, so why not make it easier for people to search for you?
4. Start a tutoring blog. A tutoring or learning blog can be a great way to drive traffic to your tutor site. After all, you will be offering people valuable (and entertaining) information relevant to tutoring, and you will be including a lot of tutor relevant keywords, too! Plus, writing about what you do is great way to learn more about it - keep up the life long learning, and both you and your tutees will benefit!
5. Offer easy ways for others to spread the word. Include "tell a friend" buttons, offer promotional tutoring discounts for referrals, and think of ways to get other people excited about your site. Keeping people coming back, and having loyal customers talk about your site, is a great way to get repeat visits.
Good luck and, as always, happy tutoring!
~ Charlie, a tutor from Redlands, CA
Answer: Hi, Charlie - thanks for the great question!A lot of people, both tutors and other professionals, struggle with this. Here are 5 ways that you can make your tutoring website a success!
1. Get the word out the old fashioned way: business cards and word of mouth. Make sure that your tutoring site URL is listed on every piece of paper that leaves your hands (business cards, letterhead, etc). That way, when people need a tutor, they can look down at your card, and easily locate your site. Word of mouth is also a powerful way to get noticed. Tell *everyone* you know about your spiffy new site. Friends, family, and clients are great places to start - after all, you never know who those people may know!
2. Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and keywords. No, I don't mean using the words "tutor" and "tutoring" every other word. The trick to keywords is using them naturally in the text while still making sure that the words show up often. Also, keep in mind that there may be other variations on your chosen words, and you'll want to include them, too. For example, "tutors" and "tutoring" may also be listed as "learning specialist," or "homework helper." Use as many relevant keywords as you can related to tutors and tutees, and web crawlers will have no trouble finding your site!
3. Submit your tutor services site to places like Google. Submit your URL to a few search engines, and you will get noticed faster. You are trying to get your site noticed, so why not make it easier for people to search for you?
4. Start a tutoring blog. A tutoring or learning blog can be a great way to drive traffic to your tutor site. After all, you will be offering people valuable (and entertaining) information relevant to tutoring, and you will be including a lot of tutor relevant keywords, too! Plus, writing about what you do is great way to learn more about it - keep up the life long learning, and both you and your tutees will benefit!
5. Offer easy ways for others to spread the word. Include "tell a friend" buttons, offer promotional tutoring discounts for referrals, and think of ways to get other people excited about your site. Keeping people coming back, and having loyal customers talk about your site, is a great way to get repeat visits.
Good luck and, as always, happy tutoring!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Ask Micki: Do tutoring/learning contracts work?
Question: Hi, Micki. I am pretty new to the world of math and science tutoring and was wondering whether I should bother with a learning contract. Do they work, or is it a waste of time?
Thanks!
Joe, a math and science tutor from Northern California.
Answer: Hi, Joe - thanks for the great question! I've been hearing quite a bit about learning and tutoring contracts lately, and I happen to think that they can be a great tool for your tutoring sessions.
A tutoring or learning contract is basically an informal document that the tutor and tutee (and/or tutee's parents) sign. It is a written promise that the tutor will provide stellar tutoring, and that the tutee will put in his or her best effort, do all of the tutoring assignments, be at the tutoring sessions on time, participate in the tutoring sessions, etc.
Essentially, it helps keep the tutee accountable for learning the material, taking an active role in the tutoring sesisons, and giving 100% at each tutoring session. It also (from the tutee's point of view) keeps the tutor accountable for providing the best tutoring possible.
Some people also choose to incorporate the business contract (i.e. pay rate, when the tutor will be paid, etc.) into the learning contract, but I choose not to do this.
In my opinion, it is a better idea to keep the business contract separate from the learning contract. The tutoring/learning contract should be all about learning, not clouded by business details.
It is also a great idea to make a copy of the contract so that you, your tutee, and (if needed) your tutee's parents all have the document to reference at a later date.
There are some great learning contracts available in the ITA Resource Bank, so take a look around, and try using one of these great tools out at your next tutoring session!
Good luck and, as always, happy tutoring!
Thanks!
Joe, a math and science tutor from Northern California.
Answer: Hi, Joe - thanks for the great question! I've been hearing quite a bit about learning and tutoring contracts lately, and I happen to think that they can be a great tool for your tutoring sessions.
A tutoring or learning contract is basically an informal document that the tutor and tutee (and/or tutee's parents) sign. It is a written promise that the tutor will provide stellar tutoring, and that the tutee will put in his or her best effort, do all of the tutoring assignments, be at the tutoring sessions on time, participate in the tutoring sessions, etc.
Essentially, it helps keep the tutee accountable for learning the material, taking an active role in the tutoring sesisons, and giving 100% at each tutoring session. It also (from the tutee's point of view) keeps the tutor accountable for providing the best tutoring possible.
Some people also choose to incorporate the business contract (i.e. pay rate, when the tutor will be paid, etc.) into the learning contract, but I choose not to do this.
In my opinion, it is a better idea to keep the business contract separate from the learning contract. The tutoring/learning contract should be all about learning, not clouded by business details.
It is also a great idea to make a copy of the contract so that you, your tutee, and (if needed) your tutee's parents all have the document to reference at a later date.
There are some great learning contracts available in the ITA Resource Bank, so take a look around, and try using one of these great tools out at your next tutoring session!
Good luck and, as always, happy tutoring!
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