Many parents helped me a while ago with hints about how to start a tutoring business on the side. I’ve just met the first paying student I’m going to tutor in math, and I’m very excited. Nice kid too.
I had to go part-time at my current job, and I’m going to be an empty-nester soon, so I’m going to ramp up my efforts to find clients. In the meantime, I could use more hints. If you’ve ever hired a math tutor for your kids, can you help me with hints? What did you like and not like about the tutor (besides, you know, obvious things like knowing the subject well and being on time)? Do you normally pay for every meeting or get an invoice at the end of the month? Did you find you tutor by word of mouth or in another way? Are the tutor’s personality and general interaction style important for you and your kid?
I hired a math tutor for my daughter. They met at the county library. One tutor was a teacher at school and the other one we found through a tutoring website. I paid the website and they paid the tutor.
The tutor helped review homework, gave study tips, helped prep for tests. She needed things broken down step by step explaining concepts. Sometimes it was a piece missing from years ago.
She did better with one on one attention than a classroom setting. She never became a math prodigy but she made it through all the high school math. She also got tutors to help her in college when office hours weren’t enough.
I hired a few tutors for D and paid them in cash at each visit. Generally we met at public library. Have seen many tutors meet their students there. My relative who tutors a lot sometimes has kids come to her house and sometimes tutors them at her office in the private school her students attend. I have read of some tutors who come to student’s home, particularly for chronically ill kids.
We had a math tutor for one of our sons and for him, the interaction/personality fit was key. My other kid didn’t need any math tutoring, but he’s also the type that doesn’t care if the personality fits (he had to see a specialist doc once and the doc was a complete jerk; son said he didn’t care if doc was a jerk as long as he was the top surgeon for the issue.)
Every tutor or music instructor we’ve used has wanted cash at the end of each session which I completely understand but is a total PITA for parents. Paying tutors is the only reason I’ve had to carry cash at all in the past few years and I hate having to get it, make sure I have correct change, etc. I’m about to propose to my son’s music instructor that he get Venmo, Apple Pay or something so I can pay him at the end of each lesson but not have to carry cash.