Ask Micki: Shy guy who wants to be a good tutor

© sxc.hu/nazreth

Question: Hi, Micki. I need some help getting started with my new tutoring career.  The thing is, I am a little bit shy.

Don't get me wrong, I'll go out with friends, and don't get really nervous being out in public or anything.  In fact, if I told my friends that I was shy, they'd never believe me. 

It's just that I have some trouble meeting new people, and I'm afraid that it will negatively affect my chances of being a good tutor.

Any advice for an enthusiastic person who wants to tutor, but isn't outgoing?

Thanks,
ShyGuy in CA

Answer: Hi, ShyGuy, thanks for your question! 

Here's the deal, and I say this to every newly budding tutor who is worried that he or she is too shy for this business - not being outgoing is okay!  In fact, it is great - I am fairly shy myself, and it has never held me back at all.  I have also had some great tutors who were pretty shy, and they were some of the best tutors I ever had.

Also, because I was a pretty shy student, having a shy tutor actually put me at ease!

Imagine a world where everyone was the exact same -outgoing- it would get exhausting and boring!  If being a bit shy is part of your personality, embrace it, and learn to work with it.  It doesn't sound like it is debilitating shyness, so it is, without a doubt, possible for you to get out there and tutor successfully.

That said, if you are feeling uncomfortable contacting and meeting tutees and clients for the first time, there are several things you can do to help yourself and your tutoring career. 

First of all, realize that you are not alone.  A lot of people can get a little nervous before meeting new people.  It's completely normal.  Remember that the friends you hang out with now were once strangers.  Imagine if you had never taken that chance to meet those new people, you wouldn't have the friends you do now!  Be bold.  Gear yourself up to take a chance.  Get excited about meeting someone new.

I can almost guarantee that once you meet your tutee for the first time, any nervousness you had about meeting will quickly disappear, and you will feel comfortable tutoring.  Trust me, I was the same way. 

Second, be prepared when meeting your tutee.  My most successful tutoring sessions, and the ones in which I feel the most comfortable, are the ones that I have prepared well for in advance.  When I go into a session with worksheets, ideas, plans, and knowledge of the subject, I feel confident, and my shyness takes a backseat to my enthusiasm. 

Third, try some stress reduction before you meet your tutee.  Do some deep breathing, strike a yoga pose or two, sketch, take a short stroll...whatever it is you need to do to de-stress, do it, and notice how much less nervous you are about your tutoring meeting.

Fourth, and most importantly, be yourself.  Just in case you missed that, I'll say it again louder :-)  

Be Yourself

It may sound corny, but it is true.  If you are being yourself, you will feel more at ease, you won't come across as fake, you won't be stressed out trying to keep up an impressive appearance, and you will make your tutee more comfortable.  Plus, by being yourself you have the opportunity to connect with your tutee over similar backgrounds, shared hobbies, or similar interests. 

Good luck, ShyGuy!

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Photo credit: © sxc.hu/nazreth

Ask Micki: My tutor is moving!

© lusi

Question: Hi, Micki. This question is a little bit different than your usual tutor question.  You see, I'm not a tutor, I'm a tutee, and I have a problem. 

I started tutoring with my current tutor when I was in the 6th grade.  She tutored me in junior high level math back then, and continues to tutor me in math now that I'm a Freshman in college.  Needless to say, she and I have become pretty good friends, and (besides learning a lot about math) we have a lot of fun together during tutoring sessions.

Well, I just found out that she has been offered a job on the East Coast (I live in OR), and will be moving at the end of next month. 

Help! I don't know what to do about this. She has been my only tutor for 8 years, and besides feeling like I'm losing a good friend, I'll be losing a great tutor.  Are there any options for how we could work together long distance? She said that she'll still be tutoring once she moves, and that she's open to the idea of long distance tutoring, but has no idea how to do it.

Thanks for your help!
Janie, a tutee from OR

Answer: Hey, Janie!  Sorry to hear about the impending move, but it is great that you and your tutor have such a great working relationship! Once you have a rapport with a tutor it is definitely something to keep going, and it sounds like you are both enthusiastic about the idea of long distance tutoring.

You know, back when I started tutoring, I would have said "no way."  Long distance tutoring, back in the olden days, was just not very possible, particularly with a visually learned subject like math.

Nowadays, though, long distance tutoring isn't just a possibility, it is a reality for a ton of tutors and tutees around the globe.  Tutees are getting tutoring from countries halfway around the world, so cross-country tutoring is definitely something that you two can do. 

Plus, you'll be in good company as you join the thousands of happy tutors and tutees who long distance tutor.  Long distance tutoring is typically loved by people who do it, partly because of the convenience and flexibility in schedule coordination, partly because of the convenience in tutoring location. 

So how do you two work together and have effective tutoring sessions while living at opposite ends of the country?

The key, as with in-person tutoring, is good communication.  It sounds like you two already have that mastered, so I'll move on to the technological aspects.

I have worked with tutees all around the world, and it has usually gone very well.  I tend to use video chat fairly frequently, partly because I can read the body language of my tutee, I can show my tutee concepts visually, and I can have my tutee show me the work that he or she has done so far. 

So far, video chat is my favorite method for long distance tutoring.  I also appreciate the fact that there is little to no specialized equipment for either of us to purchase, making it more affordable for my tutee and/or my tutee's family.  Most of my tutees have built in cameras on their computers, or have bought a small external camera for a few dollars at a local electronics store. 

For things like essays, or other written assignments, I will have my tutee email me the work a day or two in advance so that I can review it before our tutoring session.  This also works well when I need to send my tutee a document or assignment to review before our tutoring session.

I am also fond of using online document sharing sites so that my tutee and I can share work back and forth. 

How about the rest of you readers? Any long distance or online tutors out there who have tips or techniques to share?

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Photo Credit:
© sxc.hu/lusi
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/lusi

Good things are coming!

*** From Jess, Tech Support here at ITA ***

Hello, everyone!
Recently we've received quite a few emails from you asking about the possibility of adding some links on the ITA site that will take you to relevant products and services.  Places that ITA recommends and trusts to do business with our tutors.  Well, great news!

We are in the process of doing exactly that.  Over the next few weeks you will be seeing pre-screened, pre-evaluated products, services, companies, and advertisements from selected partners.  These will be companies and websites that ITA trusts with our business, so you can feel confident using their products and services, too. 

The companies, products, and services that will be offered through the ITA website are from partners that we have contracted with specifically to bring you the best, most relevant links possible.

What does all this mean for you?

It means that the next time you are looking for a respected, ITA trusted company that can provide you with a quality learning aid, software, or even a background check, you won't need to look any further than your own ITA website.

Stay tuned for these exciting changes, they will be happening soon!