How to Make Money Tutoring as a College Student

Being broke is part of the college experience but it does get old. Here is how I started making money tutoring while I was in school without having to invest any money out of pocket.

1. Pick a subject you'd like to specialize in. Your major is the best choice. If you have other subjects you're good in that you do on the side (such as writing or playing an instrument) those may also be good choices to include. Advertise a maximum of three subjects that you can tutor in. This will help attract clients because you will appear to be more knowledgeable than someone who lists every subject they can think of.

2. Advertise your services! Craigslist is a great place to start. I still advertise there and it is also where I get the majority of my clients. Another useful resource is UniversityTutor.com which is an online tutor directory. You can create a profile and they allow you three free connections before they ask you to become a paid member. UPDATE (1/6/2011) I just took another look at UniversityTutor and you can be listed for free now; the paid version helps you get to the top of search results. Flyers are also an option. Print some at your campus computer lab and post them locally where you can (libraries and Topps are good spots in Rochester).

3. Base your hourly rate on your experience tutoring. Your education and qualifications are also important factors and should be included in your advertising. If you have limited tutoring experience I'd recommend starting at $15 and hour. As you develop your skills tutoring (or if you discover that you have a natural talent for it) then begin to raise your rates. You should also begin to raise your rates if you're getting more clients than you can handle. As the demand for you increases, so should your hourly rate!

4. Be easy to contact. I make my cell phone number (with the note "Call or text anytime!"), email address, Facebook profile, and LinkedIn profile obviously available in my advertisements and on my websites. I recommend you do the same. Your clients will have different modes of communication that they prefer and you want to be as easy to contact as possible.

5. Specify where you can tutor. I didn't have a car when I lived on campus at school so I suggested that clients meet me at the campus library so we had a quiet room and access to all of the libraries resources if needed. If you have a car, let clients know that you can travel to meet them at their home or a public location of their choice. Depending on the distance you have to travel you should consider charging for travel.

6. Be prepared for anything! You will encounter students that are completely unprepared. This is why you should always have paper, writing utensils, any relevant books you own (or have checked out from the library), and your schedule with you. Bring your college textbooks to refer to pictures or the glossary or check out books from the library that could also be useful. You'll impress the parents and it can enhance your tutoring sessions. Your schedule is important so that you can schedule the next session(s) on the spot.

I'm more than happy to answer any questions or comments you may have. Best of luck to you!

Acronyms as Memorization Tools

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. This is a variation of a popularized acronym, PEMDAS, that students are taught in order to memorize the mathematic order of operations (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, then Addition/Subtraction). Another example is Kings Play Chess On Fine Glass Surfaces (KPCOFGS) which is an acronym for the taxonomy order (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species).

You and your child or students can create your own acronyms for any information that needs to be memorized. Often, funny or ridiculous acronyms work best because they are easier to remember and students sometimes even share them with friends. 

The benefit of using acronyms is that by using a simple phrase you know what letter each of the things you needed to memorize began with. Having the first letter as a hint helps to avoid those frustrating scenarios where you can remember everything except the last couple that always seem to be on the tip of your tongue.

If you come up with any acronyms that you'd like to share, please do so in the comments!

There is a place for rap in the classroom.

There are students out there that can barely read, yet they have memorized all of the lyrics to their favorite rap songs. It's very disappointing to hear, but regardless of who is at fault for problems like these, the important idea to take away is the powerful influence that music can have on students. A company called Rhythm, Rhyme, Results LLC took this concept and created Educational Rap which is a cool, modern Schoolhouse Rock. Check out one of their songs below; it's about the States and their capitals.

They have a lot of songs for a variety of courses and I think it's a pretty awesome product.

Additionally, rap and hip-hop songs are poetry. Even popular rap songs can be studied for their inherent poetic nature. In February of next year I'm teaching a poetry class using excerpts from various songs to teach the basic literary elements. I'll make a post on how that goes and upload my lesson plans to the site after I give the lesson. Please share your thoughts on the role of rap in the classroom in the comments!

Changing Educational Paradigms

This video is totally worth taking the 12 minutes to watch. It's by Sir Ken Robinson and it discusses the current state of education in America and makes suggestions areas where it can be improved.

One of the most interesting things in the video is the notion that grouping students by their age is a mistake and that instead we should put kids in various settings based upon what's best for them. Students of varying ages may be at the same skill level in a particular subject for a variety of reasons. Some students work better in small groups, some in large groups, and some independently. We should build classes to accommodate those differences in skill levels and learning environment preferences. It seems so obvious now because that's what we do at Mary Cariola. We adapt the classrooms to the students rather than hoping the students adapt to our classrooms (like virtually all other schools do) and after watching this video I see no reason that indicates this strategy would not be successful for all students.

There are a lot of points made in this video that are worth discussing. Please share your thoughts in the comments!

5 Reasons your child may need a tutor

Tutors can provide essential assistance to struggling students as well as the competitive edge that an A student needs to get ahead of the pack. However, not all students benefit equally from tutoring. Here are some points to consider when deciding whether or not your child may benefit from tutoring:

1. The student's grades are consistently low or are beginning to slowly start declining. 
2. The student is lying or making excuses about school work regarding low test scores, missing work, late work, etc..
3. Disruptive behavior is being exhibited at school and the attitude of the student is becoming negative. This type of behavior can be a sign that the student is struggling.
4. There have been missed classes due to illness, skipping, or is adjusting to a new class after a move.
5. An important test is coming up: midterms, final exams, SATs, ACTs, etc.. A tutor can help with studying, making sure that the student knows the materially thoroughly and correctly, and teaching test-taking strategies and skills.

If you're still unsure as to whether or not your child may need tutoring don't hesitate to get in touch with me, whether it be email, phone, or the comments. I'll respond quickly. RocTutor offers free consultations and we'll do whatever we can to help you find the tutor you need even if it isn't with us.