New Students

When I get a new student, I explain to the parents that tutoring is done in my home. I also let them know that I am a certified teacher in the state, etc.

On the first day, I have the parent fill out the paperwork which consists of:

1. Contact Sheet
2. Sick/Policy
3. Payment Policy

I invite parents to sit in my living room during tutoring, but haven't had any takers on that one. They have things they need to do like most parents.

When I get the student in my office, we chat about school, what they like, and we play some games to get them warmed up. If they have homework, we do that or we do some things that I have printed out or ear marked for us to do.

One thing I can say about new students, is that occasionaly...parents forget to tell me about the fact that their child takes ADD medications and such. It doesn't take long to figure this out, but it is helpful to have this information so that you can give feedback to parents about their child's ability to focus when they are playing with doseage or taking them completely off.

Another thing you should explain to your students is that you are a tutor. You are here to tell them the truth about where they need help academically. You are here to work with them...not pal around and goof off. Although, the way we do the work can look like all fun. I often say to the student, "learning is your responsibility...not their teachers-not their parents-not mine- It's all yours." Some of my students say to me, "You sound like my Mom." I just smile.

For some of my students, I have to describe what a student in tutoring behaves like and we do a reward system for days that they show up and do those things. But for most, they are eager to please and excited to see what I have in store for them.

Feel free to use my new student paper work! Child Info. Sick Policy Payment

Managing the Tutoring Money

It took me a little bit of tinkering over the years to find a way to take care of money. What ultimately worked for me, may not work for you....but I will tell you how I do it.

I charge $15.00 per hour for tutoring. I tried doing higher in my area, but parents just couldn't swing it. It does add up fast. I also charge once a year a $25.00 supply fee to cover ink, paper, pencils, dry erase boards, and such.

I use manilla envelopes with a clasp on the back. On the front I write:

1. Students name

2. Day & time they come

3. Current Month

4. All the days that month they are coming

5. Total that is due

6. Day that it is deposited into my account

On a day that the student calls in sick or I am sick, I write down the day missed and add the credit to the next month. Having all of this recorded on the front of the manilla folder has helped me keep it all straight in my head.

Some parents request at the end of a fiscal year for a document that states how much they have spent on tutoring during the year for their taxes. With this system, I have found it more useful than trying to make time to have it in a computer document at all times. For some parents, a copy of the front of the folder does just fine. For others, I type up an invoice.
Taxes get a little tricky. Don't quote me on anything...but you do not have to claim your income if it is below $400. My first year of tutoring I didn't hit that in a fiscal year, but the next I did. In my savings, I plan to set aside about 25% of my tutoring money for taxes. I keep all of my money in a savings account for now. My business isn't large enough for it's own business account.

I know it may not pay much, but being able to help kids, have fun, and be at home...It's Priceless.

10 Things I Can't Tutor Without

Right now I tutor mostly math students. I love tutoring math. I will be honest, tutoring reading is a time consuming thing to do. I actually charge a little more for a reading student than a math student. I spend lots of time selecting reading for the child and finding the right games and work to do with the child.
10 Things I Can't Tutor Without:
1. Deck of Cards ( I use card games to strengthen mental math skills)
2. Dice
3. Whiteboards and Dry Erase Markers
4. Math books by Danica McKellar (Math Doesn't Suck)
5. Old Math books (You can buy them used for $5)
6. Sticky Notes (To mark ideas in books for each student)
7. Calculator ( I love watching kids finally realize their brain is faster than punching numbers)
8. Flip the Chip Game (see post)
9. Contact Lists of teachers/parents
10. A clear plan for helping each child succeed in school!

Tutoring as a Business

I have been tutoring for the past 5 years in my home. It took about a full school year to get my name out there and fill up with students. I love tutoring because....

1. I do it from home.

2. Keeps my brain from turning to mush.

3. Provides a little extra money

4. Most of all...It's FUN! I get to teach in a truly unique way for each student.

If you are interested in starting a tutoring business, I highly recommend it. I started it when my oldest was about 2 and I've had two other children since then. All of them have figured out that when mom has students...leave her alone!

It's a great way to provide extra income and have a flexible schedule. I like that I get to know each student on a deeper level than teachers can in a larger classroom setting.

You don't need much to get started. Even starting at the kitchen table can be a great place to tutor. For me, I am blessed to have an extra room. I am super frugal and spent only $30 to create my tutoring space. I used an old door as my table top so that I would have plenty of space to spread out. A file cabinet holds up one end and I attatched braces to the wall on the other end to hold it up. Shelves for storage, baskets too.

Before beginning your business, I would recommend reading, "Tutoring as a Successful Business" by Eileen Shapiro. She gives some great time saving tips and know how to keep the business running smoothly.

In a few more posts, I will show you how I keep track of money, what materials I use, and links to documents I use to set up a new student.

Get a CUE!

Once upon a time, about 10 years ago...I went to Rodizio's grill with my husband. At each table, we had these sticks called "cues" with one end that had red and one that had green. The waiter explained that when you are ready to eat all of the tasty meat turn the cue to green. When you are ready for a rest, turn the cue to red. Similar to a traffic light.

Well, my teacher brain thought, "Wouldn't it be awesome if you had some of these in the classroom when you are teaching a new concept and you are getting some blank stares or crickets in the room? This way each student could signal you-GREEN says, "Yes, I understand what you are teaching and I would like more." RED says, "Whoa-run that by me again. That makes no sense!"

Then I thought there could be a yellow stripe in the middle. The student could lay the cue on it's side to signal that they think they are getting it.

You could also use this when the students are working at their desks or for group work time. This would work best in a middle or high school setting. Some students really get embarrassed about raising their hands and saying, "I don't get it!" If other students can see that there are others that don't get it either, they may just try a little harder to let you know that too.

To see how to make your own cue in the classroom check out this video I made.