Question: Hi, Micki. I have a chance to tutor a subject that is not an academic subject, but I'm not sure about taking the job.
You see, usually I tutor English, but I also play the guitar. Recently one of my English tutoring clients asked if it would be willing to tutor her in guitar, too. I'm really used to the English tutoring style (essays, grammar, etc.), but I have never tutored a non-academic subject. Should I go for it? Is there anything I need to know or do differently for music tutoring?
Thanks for the help - Tony P., English Tutor, from Mt. Pleasant, SC
Answer: Hi, Tony! First off, yes, I would definitely take the guitar tutoring gig if you feel comfortable enough with your skill set to pass along your knowledge. Tutoring, whether a nontraditional or academic subject, is all based off of the same principle - to help a tutee master a set of skills.
Tutoring music is a lot like tutoring any other subject. You will be helping your tutee learn skills (guitar chords, music reading, etc), that she can put into action. The only difference is that instead of turning in a paper, she'll be strumming a song.
I know a lot of music tutors who also tutor academic subjects, and they actually prefer the convenience of being able to tutor multiple subjects with a tutee they already familiar with - there are a lot of benefits with this arrangement: you already have a great working relationship with your tutee, you already know his/her learning style, you know the route to the tutoring location, you know how the tutoring session will go, etc..
Even better, some of these tutors have told me that tutoring something a little more fun, like music or sports, actually improved their academic tutoring sessions. One tutor I spoke with told me that tutoring clarinet once a week with his tutee improved their tutoring relationship, and made their math tutoring a lot more relaxed and effective.
So, the quick answer to your question is: Yes! I would go for it - Have fun branching out and tutoring something a bit outside of your norm!
Good luck, and happy tutoring!
1 comment:
I've been a music tutor for 8 years now (instruments and theory) and I totally agree with you. When I was in the reverse situation, tutored a little history on the side while tutoring music, I found out that my music tutoring had trained me to tutor other subjects, too. Definitely fun to venture outside your normal tutoring ground for something different. Keeps things exciting. :)
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