Any tips on tutoring?

[partygirluk]

I am considering offering my services as an Economics and Maths tutor. However, I have little experience with tutoring, except explaining stuff to my friends, and a few hours volunteering at a local school. My plan is to join up with a few agencies, advertise in a few shop windows and see what comes. I'd like to talk to the student beforehand, so I can prepare a lesson plan. Not exactly sure how to make a lesson plan, figure I'll just make up a few problems and work them through with the student. Plan on charging about £15-20.

As you can see, I don't have much of a clue what I am doing, any advice is appreciated.

[Michael Davis]

Your rates are way too low if you're good.

-Michael

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Don't get all upset at my first point, because I do mean it 100% and I do have experience tutoring math from pre-algebra up through college calculus and diff eq. Drop the condescension. Don't be the godly-smart stiff who can't relate to the student. Other than that, it's basically your job to know the math inside and out well enough that you can approach it from a different perspective and explain it to the student in a way that he/she is going to relate to and understand. Know what they understand already, work from there, and if you can explain new concepts by relating them to things they know, then that's a good way to start. Make them figure it out - give them help along the way, but your job is not to give the answers - it's to guide them to finding the answers themselves. Also, you should know what and how the prof is teaching so that you know what you're up 'against' (not that you're working against the teacher, but... well, sometimes you are if he's terrible).

[BeerMoney]

Tutoring is a great experience. I have found tutoring to be very rewarding.

Michaels comments about rates is not necessarily true. Rates vary from region to region. Where I live you can't get much more than $20-$30. However, in NY, NJ, tutors get $75- $100.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
Your rates are way too low if you're good.

-Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

Wages are generally lower in the UK than the U.S. And I have no experience. Hopefully I can build up a reputation, see how good I am, and crank up the prices.