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.
Showing posts with label tutor training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tutor training. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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.
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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