Becoming a Tutor

[JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'm a second semester nursing student, I've got a good balance of work/school/personal going.

When I was taking A&P2 my professor approached me with becoming a staff tutor at the tutor lab.

At the time, I didn't have the time ability to commit to it. It's always been in the back of my mind.

My class would always gather there to study and I wound continuously find myself up on the white board explaining concepts and everyone genuinely thanked me for explaining concepts.

I think I am a really good teacher.

I also have six years combined sales & management experience and have been to management classes that have taught me communication techniques and learning styles.

Anyway.. I just emailed that professor asking what he thought about it still.

And I'm thinking of putting together a way to market myself as an independent tutor.

I made A's in A&P 1 & 2 lab + lecture, Micro of human pathogens, biology and several other related subjects.

And above all, I really really reaaaaally like helping people. No joke, it's very rewarding to me. And also, this can help me keep the material fresh. Making a little extra money certainly will help to!

Anyone out there do this? Any suggestions?

I'm thinking I need to figure out a time schedule, how much to charge, and get letters of recommendation from my professors that endorse my ability to help students. I also thought about having my official transcript available for people to see I actually earned those grades.

Insight?

[JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN]

Bump!

Anyone want to comment?

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think you should talk to the tutoring service at your school and follow their recommendations. Work through their system, follow their directions, etc. I'd recommend working through the school's system as much as possible in case their are legal issues, tax issues, etc. and to get whatever support or guidance they have to offer.

Personally, if I were a student, I would not want to pay much for a tutor who was only 1 step ahead of me in school. I would only pay for a tutor who was not only expert in the subject matter, but also knowledgable about teaching methods, and skilled in teaching techniques. But if there is a market on your campus for the service you want to offer ... go for it.

[elkpark]

I think you should talk to the tutoring service at your school and follow their recommendations. Work through their system, follow their directions, etc. I'd recommend working through the school's system as much as possible in case their are legal issues, tax issues, etc. and to get whatever support or guidance they have to offer.

Personally, if I were a student, I would not want to pay much for a tutor who was only 1 step ahead of me in school. I would only pay for a tutor who was not only expert in the subject matter, but also knowledgable about teaching methods, and skilled in teaching techniques. But if there is a market on your campus for the service you want to offer ... go for it.

As usual , I completely agree with llg.

I tutored organic chem, A&P, and micro when I was in nursing school (long ago), but did it through the school's tutoring service. I was paid a small amount per hour (roughly minimum wage) for the time I spent tutoring, and there was no charge to the students who requested tutoring. It would never have occurred to me to present myself to the general public as an "expert" on any of those subjects, which is what people reasonably expect, I think, if one is just marketing onself independently as a tutor. Frankly, I, personally, would never take seriously anyone advertising as a "tutor" who didn't actually have at least a baccalaureate degree in the topic s/he is offering to tutor.

I really enjoyed doing the tutoring, so much so that I continued doing it after I graduated and started working (because the school had so much trouble finding students able to tutor in chemistry, in particular) until I moved away from the area -- but I still did it through the school.

Why don't you try doing the tutoring through the school's tutoring lab, and see how that goes, before starting up an independent business while you're also in nursing school?? Best wishes.

[cmw6v8]

Well, although I may be a bit skeptical about the amount of business you'd be able to drum up tutoring independently, there is probably very little risk in trying. You need to advertise what you can do for your students--let them know exactly what they will be paying for. Like...customized study plans, test-taking techniques, major concepts explained more thoroughly, hints about what to expect on tests from your personal experience in the same classes, etc. Then as you get some experience with students who have really improved after having you as a tutor, you can use them as testimonials and spread the word that you can help. Good luck. :)

[su9032]

Just Keep Smiling,

Hey girl, I used to work for a private tutoring company and charged $30 an hour and had to stop because I was too busy with nursing school. You absolutely do NOT need a Bachelors degree to be a good high demand tutor with this company. They screen the tutors and do background checks and connect the students with the tutors. I personally had actual teaching experience, but many of the tutors were college students along with teachers and retired teachers. The college students did very well because they could relate to the students. You do have a strong science background so let me know if you want the name of the company. Their clients included college, high school, and elementary school kids--basically whoever could afford the services--usually from Catholic or private school. I will email you the info if u want it.