Motivational Tools to Help Your Child do Homework and Study

There are a few good strategies that you can try out to help motivate your child or your students to do their homework or study (and with a little creativity, these tips can be applied to other things such as chores)! There are strategies both for the short term and the long term.

A long term strategy is a sticker board. For this, simply post a board or paper in your home and purchase some stickers from a dollar store. Every time your child completes a homework assignment and/or studies, he or she gets a sticker. Choose a number of stickers to be an appropriate goal for the student and once your child has accumulated that number of stickers, allow him to choose a reward such as a pizza party, a gift, or a special trip somewhere. This will give your child daily feedback on their work and help them visualize their progress towards their long term goal.

A short term strategy is an immediate reward. If a long term strategy doesn't work well with your child, you can try to incorporate a short term goal as well. In addition to earning a sticker for a sticker board, he could also receive a small piece of candy or some time to spend on the computer or watching television, whatever is appropriate to you. This method will help to motivate your child to work towards long term goals and, eventually, your child can be weened off of the short term rewards and focus more on the long term.

For older students, reward good grades as well as improved scores on report cards/midterms. If your child gets good grades, give him some extra cash, let him borrow the car, or anything that is appropriate for your situation. Look at poor grades from a positive perspective. Instead of being angry over a C in math, tell your child that if he works hard and improves his grade, he'll not only be better off academically but he also gets another opportunity to earn a reward.

These are just a few drops in the bucket as far as motivational tactics go. If you have any you'd like to share please do so in the comments!

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!