What an English tutor should know. How can a tutor conduct his first English lesson?

Letters to the editor

Do you dream of working for yourself, but are hesitant to set out on your own just because you are not sure how you can be useful to the world? Start small: take a pen and a piece of paper and list all the skills you have. If proficiency in at least one foreign language is on this list, hooray, you have an excellent platform to start with.

Wait a minute, but all my life I worked as a manager selling household appliances, you say, and I only used the language from time to time to communicate with clients. You're wrong: there are a ton of benefits to be gained from this.

There are two ways to start making money from your knowledge of a foreign language as a freelancer:

1) start teaching it,

2) engage in translation activities.

In both cases, it is important that your level of knowledge of the language is really high. You can check this by passing an entrance test at any language school that prepares students to take exams to obtain an international certificate. Using the English language as an example: if the test shows that you are below the Advanced level, then it is better to start investing in your own training, and then only start transferring knowledge to others.

In the case of the second point, you need to immediately make a reservation: you are unlikely to get by without a specialized education. Translations, especially technical ones, require a truly excellent knowledge of the language and specific terminology. Of course, no one is stopping you from getting this education while you are already free.

With pedagogical activities in relation to language, the situation is simpler. Let's remember what distinguishes a good teacher from a bad one?

Firstly, the ability to explain and convey a thought to the student so that he not only understands, but also remembers.

Secondly, endurance and patience.

Third, ease of communication - no one likes “monsters with a pointer”; everyone enjoys gaining knowledge in a friendly and comfortable environment.

Fourthly, a certain knowledge base.

Fifthly, the ability to find an individual approach to each of their students.

At sixth, sincere interest in your business.

Seventh, confidence in the student and a burning desire to achieve results together with him.

Let's assume that you actually worked as a sales manager and used a foreign language. The client is the same student, only more capricious, wayward and often intractable. Therefore, if you managed to demonstrate good results or even lead an entire team under the banner of the company, rest assured that you possess the above skills and abilities to a certain extent. Another thing is important: to develop and strengthen them by setting out on a new path. Those whose activities were not associated with constant communication should not despair either. The main thing, as in any business, is your desire to succeed and knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses.

Where to begin?

So, you are determined to develop as a teacher. The main mistake you can make, provided that you do not have a teaching diploma, is to start advertising yourself as a licensed specialist. The presence of various kinds of diplomas and awards is easy to check, and if you are caught in dishonesty, your reputation will come to an end. You shouldn’t embellish, but you shouldn’t underestimate yourself in advance either. After all, the level of teaching skills is not always measured by the number (and availability) of diplomas and certificates. An important point: the level of language for teaching must be high.

Positioning yourself as a foreign language tutor, in this case, is the surest option. Here it’s worth remembering your career as a “sales person” (or someone else), and realizing that you are not just a tutor, you are a person who can offer a student knowledge not only of a general nature, but also “savvy” him in a specific area.

The next step is to explore your surroundings. Think (a piece of paper, a pen, a phone book and a list of friends on social networks will help you) which of your friends might need your help as a teacher, and unobtrusively offer your services.

People and money

Create a thematic page on the same social networks - this could be your personal profile as a teacher, or a thematic group. In your profile header, briefly and succinctly tell us about yourself and the services you offer. Make sure that the page is visible and don’t neglect it. The information that appears there must be strictly on topic and to the point - forget about pictures with kittens, there is nowhere to hide from them on the Internet. When you feel that the page is not enough, start a website. Of course, this can be done at the same time, but it will require more time and effort. At first, as a rule, competent work with the audience of social networks is enough.

When starting a tutoring activity, and without being a “pro,” do not inflate your prices. People are generally reluctant to part with money, and even more so, they are not ready to pay “some self-taught person.” Therefore, conduct a price analysis on the market, estimate your costs, and set a reasonable price that will not be extortionate either to the students or to you. It should be increased gradually, and not earlier than after a year of work, when you have gained not only experience, but also positive feedback from students.

Speaking of reviews, don’t be shy about asking a student to write a review of your work. If you approach your work in good faith, then you won’t have to worry about negative opinions. Constructive criticism is only beneficial.

Place and time. Or maybe online?

The main advantage of a tutor is that he is not a language school that you want to go to, you don’t want to, but you have to go to classes. A tutor is essentially a mobile version of a teacher. The degree of mobility is determined by him himself.

There are four options for organizing classes:

At the student's home

At the teacher's home

On neutral territory (cafe, library, coworking….)

Online format (Skype, Facetime….)

Practice shows that the majority - both students and teachers - choose the last two learning formats. Homeschooling, whatever one may say, is an invasion of personal space. In any case, the first meeting with a student should be held on neutral territory, in a quiet place where you can study calmly. Choosing a home learning format is only possible if you both feel comfortable, and no one has to overcome cosmic distances in order to get to your destination. The online format, despite its convenience, is still a good addition or periodic replacement for face-to-face classes. The monitor screen significantly interferes with the oral perception of language, especially at the initial stages. On the other hand, online lessons allow you to maintain contact with students even during your absence from the city/country, and, after some time, free you from being tied to a specific place.

It is clear about the unclear

The best format of classes, especially at first, is individual. In this case, it will be easier for both you and your student: for you to understand what kind of person is in front of you, how he or she learns the material, and where he or she is noticeably “limping”; for the student - to overcome the inevitable nervousness, overcome the language barrier and not feel stupid in case of mistakes.

During the introductory lesson, it is imperative to find out what goals and objectives the person has come to you with, and to adequately assess the situation. Don't bother if you're asked to cover three months of material in three days before an important exam or interview. Remember that you are not God, and disciples can also be careless. Unfortunately, your desire to help in such a case will not lead to success, but will only harm your reputation.

The main components of your success:

Find a way to explain so that the person understands;

Check to see if he really understood;

Repeat in different modes until he understands;

Create a friendly atmosphere;

Make your lessons varied. First ask the student about what he does, what he is interested in, what he is interested in - and then you will definitely be able to “hit the bull’s eye”;

Don’t forget to focus on the student’s level and needs;

PRAISE, even for small achievements;

Motivate;

Raise your level and expand your horizons: read, study, purchase manuals and textbooks, regularly check your level of knowledge.

And finally, praise yourself, because now you are doing what is really necessary - helping people become better, be more successful, and climb higher. That feeling when a grateful student wholeheartedly says “Thank you!” - it will stay with you for the rest of your life, and will illuminate it better than any shining career prospects in a large corporation. Good luck in this difficult, but such a bright teaching field!

This is an experienced teacher, a tutor of 2 foreign languages (English and Spanish), a girl who has gone from student to teacher, one of my best students. I am impressed by Irochka’s careful, always thoughtful approach to any planned task. After all, a professional strives for success in everything. Ira will tell you how to become an English tutor and when to start learning English.

— Irochka, how many years have you been tutoring? How did it all begin?

— I have been working as a tutor for 10 years. My first student is a 10-year-old boy whom I helped with his English homework. During my first year of study at a pedagogical university, this experience became very useful for me. I quickly gained the authority of my student, he was happy to get acquainted with his school curriculum.

At that time, I had not yet completed a course on methods of teaching a foreign language, and because of this, I tried to present too much material to my student in one lesson. This is not a fatal mistake, but it is important to understand that one can clearly find a middle ground in learning, taking into account the age, level of knowledge and abilities of the student regarding the set goals and the desired result.

— What difficulties were there at the beginning of your teaching career?

— The main difficulty is anxiety, because when you do something for the first time, it seems to you that perhaps you are doing something wrong. I am always aware that the work of a tutor is a huge responsibility, because it is very important to be able to interest the student, motivate him to learn such a difficult and incomprehensible language, and not frighten him with a large number of tenses, irregular verbs, etc. Therefore, the difficulties were very soon left behind - only a rational approach to each lesson.

—Irochka, how do you maintain a high level of language, how do you work on yourself?

— Yes, learning a language is a constant work on yourself. I always try to make the most of all the opportunities that new knowledge and language practice give me. Tutoring itself gives a lot, because by studying with students in different programs, you yourself learn a lot of new things. To teach someone, you must not only have a good command of the language, but also have a fundamental theoretical basis on teaching methods. If you are thinking about how to become an English tutor, it is important to develop yourself in this direction so that the lessons are interesting and run as efficiently and dynamically as possible.

I regularly watch news, interesting scientific programs, documentaries and feature films in English. I often visit educational sites with interactive lessons, new approaches to language teaching, and do oral and written translations that touch on various areas of life. I gladly take advantage of the opportunity to correspond with native speakers. It's always stimulating.

—Who are your real students? What age?

— Now my students are children who study in grades 9, 10 and 11. Interesting personalities who are trying to decide which path they should take after graduating from school. They know one thing for sure - it will never be superfluous for them, no matter what profession they choose.

Over 10 years of tutoring, I have worked with students of different ages - from 5 to 50. I am sure that it is never too late and never too early to start learning a language. I value each of my students - they are all successful, they all work hard to become better. And the success of each of them is obvious - they discover a new world in which they feel comfortable.

— How do you motivate students?

— The best motivation is the understanding that education makes you smarter and more interesting. Each student's personal motivation is individual - some need English for travel, some want to change their place of residence, for others it is important to know the language in order to be an active and educated person and feel comfortable in modern society.

— Why do some people study a language for years and cannot learn it?

— I think that everything here is very individual. Indeed, there are people for whom learning a language is a Herculean effort. The ability to quickly and easily learn a foreign language is a great gift that not everyone is given. The main reasons for the difficulties of learning a language are irregularity, lack of a competent systematic approach, as well as laziness and the search for excuses why I cannot understand or do something. Therefore, in order to, be patient and activate your willpower ;-). The result will not take long to arrive. I also recommend trying to learn English via Skype at an online school - the disadvantages of such training greatly outweigh the disadvantages.

— How to become a good English tutor?

— In order to become a good tutor, you need to learn to understand your students. A good tutor is, first of all, a loyal friend who will not only rejoice in the successes of his students, but will also be loyal to their weaknesses. In addition to the necessary professional qualities, the tutor must be a kind and caring person who values each of his students and will always understand and give him a helping hand.

There may be other answers to the question “How to become an English tutor?”, but I believe that the work of a teacher is a great gift, blessed by God. Being a good tutor means loving your profession and doing everything you can to be the best at what you do.

In contact with

Does a tutor need a license?
Cost of tutor services

Quality education is the most important basis for achieving success in almost any field. A student with good knowledge will be able to enter the university more easily, a student will be able to easily overcome exam sessions, and a young specialist with additional and necessary skills increases your chances of rapid career growth.

Since the demand for tutoring services is high, there are enough offers on the market from various schools and private teachers. Most often, students and schoolchildren use the services of tutors. Some of them want to close gaps in certain knowledge, while others want to study a specific area more thoroughly. Often adults turn to the services of tutors in order to learn a foreign language or take additional professional education courses to learn a new profession.

However, the thought “I want to become a tutor” is not enough to be a professional in this field. Let's look at what is needed for this.

Firstly, a quality teacher must have considerable psychological skills. At the same time, the tutor should not be devoid of creativity. It is worth remembering that a teacher is first and foremost an assistant and colleague for his student. In this article we will take a closer look at how to become a good tutor.

What does it take to become a good tutor?

Few people understand that tutoring is a complex and responsible profession. There is a stereotype that tutoring is a side activity of a school teacher or university professor. In reality, true masters of their craft are neither first nor second.

Experience and higher education are the main requirements for a quality tutor. Skills in pedagogy or psychology will not be superfluous. In addition, practical skills are also important. It is worth understanding that the longer a person is engaged in this field, the more experienced he becomes and the better quality of his work he does. Accordingly, its tariffs tend to increase over time.

In most cases, it is not easy to trace the duration of an experience. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to ask each of your students for recommendations. Reviews are a kind of confirmation of your competence in this field.

In fact, any person who has a higher education and a desire to teach can engage in tutoring. However, it is worth understanding that this type of activity is not suitable for everyone. In addition to knowledge, you need to have certain personal qualities that are characteristic of a good teacher. These include the following:

Responsibility. It is this quality that will allow you to plan effective lessons and maintain academic discipline during classes;
Interest in the subject of teaching. A good tutor always improves and supplements his knowledge, and also improves his teaching methods;
The ability to present material in an accessible and understandable manner. Despite the fact that many of us understand a particular issue well, it can be difficult to explain it to another person. A quality tutor should be able to easily cope with this task.
Punctuality makes it possible to start and finish classes on time;
Ability to establish rapport with students. Personal charm and competence in your subject are the basis for building a trusting relationship with your mentee;
Patience and loyalty to student mistakes.

If you have the above qualities, you need to immediately start looking for students, and as a practice and to gain some experience, you can start with lessons with the children of your friends.

What a newbie tutor needs to know

How can a tutor find students?

Today there are resources on the Internet where you can post your profile, which indicates the city in which you plan to work, the area where it will be convenient for you to travel to classes, tariffs, your education, work experience and other useful data.

If you want to cut out the middlemen, you might consider advertising online or in the press. It wouldn’t hurt to post notices near schools and universities. An original and very effective solution would be to create a website for conducting classes via Skype.

Does a tutor need a license?

Tutoring is a form of individual pedagogical activity that is not subject to licensing. Qualification is confirmed by a corresponding diploma. It is important that the teacher can easily find contact with his students. Skills in the field of pedagogy, psychology, as well as experience in an educational institution will help you with this.

You need to understand that tutoring is a business activity. Therefore, it is necessary to issue an IP certificate. Naturally, this format of work means that you will have to pay taxes, thereby sharing your income with the state. However, this solution also has a number of advantages, including increased profits if you host students at home.

There is also another option. If a tutor has an entrepreneurial spirit, he can organize his own training center. It must be taken into account that failure to pay taxes by a legal entity, which is such an educational institution, is punishable by a fine in the amount of 20 to 50 thousand rubles. In this case, the organization needs a license that allows it to conduct teaching activities.

Cost of tutor services

It is worth talking separately about the issue of tariffs for tutoring services. You don't want to make them very low because you won't be motivated to do a good job. Moreover, potential clients may have doubts about the quality of your services. If you do your job well, be sure to demand decent pay for it. Lack of experience may be a reason to reduce your tariffs to a level slightly below average, but you should not overdo it in this matter.

There are no uniform methods for calculating the cost of tutoring services. There are the following factors that influence the price:

Profile education of a teacher;
Experience;
Region of residence;
Location of lessons;
Study intensity;
Guarantees provided by the tutor;
The uniqueness of the subject taught.

For example, services physics tutor in Samara will cost less than similar lessons in Moscow. At the same time, since this area is less widespread in comparison with English language, the cost of lessons will be slightly higher than the rates of a foreign teacher.

If at the end of the lesson your student does not remember about the payment, you can remind him of the fee. You can ask how it is more convenient for the client to pay - for ten lessons or separately for each, and then clarify that the second option is preferable for you.

When asking yourself the question of how to become a successful tutor, you need to understand that hard work in this direction will allow you to achieve considerable heights in this area. You must have a good understanding of the subject, have considerable work experience, make the lesson interesting and effective, and constantly update your knowledge.

In addition, you must have a desire to enrich your student with new knowledge. Become a mentor and friend to your mentee. Practice the principle that there are no hopeless students.

To understand what does it take to become a tutor, use the following tips:

Choose one narrow area and become a quality tutor in it;
Practice an individual approach to each student;
During the first lesson, try to assess the student’s level of knowledge, the goals being pursued, and the load that he can withstand;
The main goal of the teacher is to make the subject interesting for the student, without forcing him to study anything;
During classes, the student should be given the opportunity to express his opinion and be allowed to talk more often about the subject being studied;
Make sure the student respects you as this is the foundation of building effective business relationships. If this is not possible, you can safely refuse to work with the student. Remember that you can always find more effective and productive use of your skills and abilities.

It's not enough to know how to become a tutor. Remember that reputation is the basis of a successful career for any teacher. You need to understand that one negative review about your services will cost you more than three positive recommendations. This is especially true for teachers who have a main job and attract students for additional training in a specific subject.

These tips will help you overcome a lot of difficulties on the way to building your own business. By following them, you can quickly achieve a good level of income and gain an excellent reputation in your field.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The main problems of teaching children a foreign language

Any teacher offering one-on-one instruction faces many challenges. In most cases, they concern children, since adult students have a clear and specific motivation. For this reason, the tutor must find answers to basic questions when talking with the child:

For what reason did you lose interest in the subject?
Why does a student find it difficult to learn English, German or French?
What are the main problems that a particular child with foreign speech has?

Modern children lack incentive and motivation, so tutors who want to become in-demand teachers need to properly stimulate the student.

In order for individual lessons to bring the desired effect, you must adhere to two basic rules:

The student’s goals are the teacher’s priority. The teacher must find out what problem the student wants to solve at the end of the course. Guided by a person’s goal, it is necessary to develop a teaching methodology and select basic and additional educational material. From the first lesson, the tutor must create motivation and begin to solve the student’s existing problems;
individual and creative approach to each student. Under no circumstances should one method and program be used for all students. This approach will not give the required results and will have a negative impact on the teacher’s career. The effectiveness of lessons largely depends on the method of delivery, so it is necessary to take a creative approach to developing an individual program, trying to diversify the lessons as much as possible. Today, the services of a tutor in English, German or French via Skype are very popular. Distance learning allows you to conduct lessons in extremely comfortable conditions for both the teacher and the student.

Own methodology is an item in a teacher’s questionnaire, which potential clients often pay attention to when choosing a suitable candidate.

How to develop your own methodology?

Experienced and professional foreign language tutors provide the following recommendations for beginners and aspiring teachers:

Plan. It is necessary to draw up a plan for each lesson in advance, taking into account the student’s level of knowledge, language problems identified in the previous lesson, goals, age and other points.
Material. You should select educational audio and video material that corresponds to the topic of the lesson. Today there are many free resources where you can find the interesting and exciting material you need.
Vocabulary expansion. New words and phrases being learned should not just be written down, but a dialogue should be held with the student using them. This helps you remember foreign words almost instantly.
Mastering grammatical rules. After explaining the basic rules regarding grammar, you should demonstrate them with examples. It is recommended to show both the correct use of the rules and sentences with errors. By correcting them, any student can more easily remember the correct use of a grammatical rule.
Lesson. The lesson must include several stages: repetition of the material covered, learning new rules and words, applying the acquired knowledge in practice and examples, casual conversation or dialogue on various topics.

A teacher must constantly develop in a professional direction. It is recommended to attend seminars, courses and read current materials and articles related to the learning process and the foreign language itself.

How to become a good math tutor? Tips for beginners

As in any other profession, all teachers are divided into three large classes: the professional elite, the strong middle peasants and outsiders. The latter, unfortunately, are the majority. How to become a good tutor? How to join the ranks of those very middle peasants, and maybe even representatives of the upper “echelon”? Let's try to figure it out.

Love for mathematics

It all starts with her.

If you want to become a math tutor in Moscow, you must love your subject. And you don’t just have to - you have to! Otherwise, it is impossible to study mathematics seriously. You will simply hate these formulas, theorems and proofs.

Perhaps the reader immediately had a question: “Could it be different?

How can you be a tutor without loving your subject?” Unfortunately, it is possible. And many are doing it. Because the educational services market in Moscow is an extremely profitable niche in which you can, as they say, make money. And this always attracts people who want easy money. In addition, this market is not regulated by special laws (unlike, for example, realtors and lawyers). Therefore, outright scammers are not uncommon here either.

Therefore, those who want to become a tutor should ask themselves the question right now: “Am I ready to spend my whole life doing mathematics and teaching it to others?” That’s right: you will have to work all your life.

Because a teacher is not just a profession. This is a calling, and approximately the same percentage of adults are capable of becoming a good tutor as are good doctors. Or become good engineers.

Thus, if the prospect of spending an evening studying textbooks makes you sad, if you are sick of complex formulas and definitions, immediately abandon the idea of becoming a tutor!

Urgently change the direction of movement - it is obvious that your knowledge and abilities will find application, but in a different industry.

Readiness for continuous development

Perhaps an equally important point.

Remember: there is no such thing as “knowing all the math.” After all, mathematics is the most abstract, most fundamental science. And to cover all its sections and knowledge, the average person does not have enough life. Even if all you do is cram textbooks and solve problems.

By the way, the phrase about the average person is not given by chance.

Perhaps now someone will be offended by my words, but I will tell the truth: 95% of people have just average abilities in the exact sciences.

Or even below average. Personally, I consider myself to be in the middle category. Despite 6 years of experience in Moscow. Despite the Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University behind me. My math skills are still only average.

In general, any math tutor must constantly work on himself. And not just over the students. We need to read books, solve problems and develop new teaching methods.

That's right: you must have your own teaching methods. Otherwise, you will never become a good tutor, you will not rise above outsiders (believe me, there are plenty of them in Moscow even without you).

You will forever remain mediocre. But more on this in the next paragraph.

Own methods

This is not about pedagogical education at all. Because today the quality of higher education is such that it is better not to enroll in many universities at all.

Moreover, we will not be talking about “efficiency improvement courses” with which the Internet is replete today.

The most important knowledge is not that which you receive in university classrooms, but that which you obtain yourself from books and practical experiments. If you like, you can call it scientific work. Or developing your own skills. This doesn't change the meaning. As a result, you should develop your own teaching methodology, completely different from what is described in the books.

For example, as a matter of principle, I do not teach classes using classic school textbooks.

Because anyone in Moscow knows the deplorable state of modern education. And school textbooks played a significant role in this matter.

To see how disgustingly these textbooks are written, just open any of them. Any author. And for any class. In 9 cases out of 10, you will come across a pseudoscientific text that not only children, but also adults cannot understand!

That is why a good tutor is obliged to develop his own educational materials for his students and, of course, sets of homework problems.

This is the only way to overcome the low quality of school education.

Of course, I am not saying that absolutely all textbooks do not stand up to criticism. On the shelves of bookstores in Moscow you can find quite good and worthy copies. For example, I really like the presentation of material in Shabunin’s books (“Algebra and the beginnings of mathematical analysis” for grades 10-11).

His textbooks are designed for a specialized level.

I am happy to take problems for lessons from Sergeev’s books (in particular, “Mathematics for applicants”), although they have never been labeled “Recommended by the Ministry of Education.” And this is quite logical, because the Ministry of Education is not interested in the high quality of school textbooks (as well as in the high quality of education in general).

There are other examples.

But their total list is so narrow, and training on them is so rare that these wonderful books are simply lost in the stream of low-grade literature.

The result is most important

When you prepare a student for the Unified State Exam, what will be the main goal of your work? Teach a person to solve problems from part B? Or maybe even from part C?

Or train him to solve standard equations, to which most problems from the Unified State Exam are reduced? No no and one more time no! Your main goal and biggest headache is to ensure that a person gets the required score on the Unified State Exam in mathematics. So that he can then enter a good university in Moscow. All!

Many new teachers don't understand this. They feed students with useless knowledge that will never be useful in a real exam. They tell parents fairy tales about what a wonderful child they have, how well he understands everything, and so on.

But the problem is that these stories have nothing to do with why you were hired. And they hired you to solve a specific problem for a specific client.

That's why, the first time I talk to parents, I find out why they need a math tutor.

What goal are they pursuing: passing the Unified State Exam, preparing for admission to a prestigious university, or simply improving the student’s school curriculum so that instead of C’s he starts getting B’s and A’s. Without this information there is no point in any, even the most intense, exercise.

Don't be afraid of difficulties

Working with people is one of the hardest professions. Because you constantly have to use your brain, especially if you really want to become a good tutor and compete with the best teachers in Moscow.

This is much more difficult than standing at a lathe and processing parts. Although at first glance it may seem that the opposite is true.

Once again: if you want to become a good tutor, then prepare for difficulties.

Prepare to be annoyed by your clients. That parents will cancel meetings at the most unexpected moment. And that in case of failure, you will be the last one. And no one is immune from failure.

You can reduce some of this chaos with planning. When you first start tutoring, you will only have 2-3 students who are very easy to work with. You know exactly with whom and on what day you are training.

And there is more than enough time to prepare for the lesson.

But when you have 20-25 students (a very realistic number by the end of the school year), then everything turns upside down.

You are simply physically unable to remember the numerous addresses and topics you stopped at. When you wake up in the morning, you won’t even remember who and what time you will have to arrive during the day.

And that's okay. Because it means that you have become a good math tutor.

The problem of information overload is easily solved using a regular schedule. Make a table with the days of the week. And every day write down with whom, where and at what time you study. You can keep this table on paper, or on your computer in Word or Excel. Do as you feel comfortable. But the table must be there.

The problem with curriculum is solved in the same way. For each of his students, a mathematics tutor in Moscow must draw up his own plan, place it in a separate file and, as classes progress, mark the topics covered.

This is very convenient: when you feel that one lesson is not enough to analyze complex material, you can simply indicate this in the curriculum. This way, you will always know at what step each of your wards stopped. This makes preparing for the next lesson much easier.

Of course, you need to agree in advance with each customer about the time and place of classes.

How an English tutor became the director of his own school

And only in exceptional cases should they be allowed to be transferred. Otherwise, no table will help you - students will “jump” through the lesson grid as they please. This is especially true of Moscow with its frantic pace of life.

If parents stubbornly do not want to fix a specific day and specific time for their child, it is better to immediately refuse such a client. And refuse without any regret.

Because money is good, but your nerves are more valuable.

In addition, you will constantly encounter force majeure situations. For example, at the beginning of their careers, tutors always go to students’ classes (and not vice versa). Of course, if you live in a small town, this is not a problem. I got in the car and arrived.

But in big cities it is better to avoid traveling by car.

Get there by bus or metro. Otherwise, you will get stuck in traffic jams and miss your preparation deadlines. But what about cars - buses also get stuck in traffic jams (unless this is Moscow, where there are dedicated lanes for route transport).

And even in the metro there are malfunctions, but this event is already in the category of extraordinary.

In general, good luck to you in the teaching world. Work with adequate clients and travel only by public transport. And always remember: you can’t make all the money. But it is possible to live a very, very decent life in our profession.

Provided that you try to become a good tutor. Let me end on this optimistic note :)

To the tutor. Preparing for the lesson

You need to know what technical teaching aids can be used in the classroom, what the situation is with the computerization of teaching, etc. Unfortunately, there is often not enough time to fully and deeply study very voluminous material. Therefore, at the first stage, it can be recommended to take one of the textbooks or one of the teaching aids as a basis and get an idea of the academic discipline as a whole. This will make it possible to assess the volume of material, its features, connections with other disciplines, and highlight the most important and difficult to understand sections.

Preparatory work before the start of classes must be done. This will make it possible to rationally distribute your efforts in the future. Studying the program and thematic plan, which reveals the essence of a given academic discipline (requirements for knowledge and skills; the relationship of individual topics and classes; time allotted for mastering the material; literature that is recommended), will be of great help in your work.

Studying these basic materials will give a complete and in-depth understanding of the tasks that will need to be solved in the current academic year. Having mastered the content of the discipline as a whole, you can prepare to conduct individual classes. In this case, it is useful to conditionally put oneself in the place of the students, taking into account the specific level of their knowledge and skills, and from these positions assess the importance and difficulty of the material being studied and its components.

This approach is very important from the point of view of developing primary methodological skills. It is during this period that methodological ideas are born, views on how to present the material are formed, and a deep understanding of one’s role in the process of conducting a lesson arises. Each lesson must be thought out in detail; the tasks that will be offered to students must be completed personally with all the details.

If this or that problem can be solved in different ways, then each option must be well thought through and its positive and negative aspects assessed. Only in this case will the teacher be guaranteed against surprises during the lesson. So, each methodological development must be prepared with a high degree of conscientiousness.

Life convincingly confirms that during a lesson, students may have questions that the teacher is not even aware of. That is why it would not be amiss at first to ask experienced teachers about the peculiarities that arise in the process of learning new material, typical mistakes that students make, about the appropriate allocation of time, etc.

Already at the stage of preparation for classes, a novice teacher must become familiar with the basics of psychological knowledge and understand the essence of 3
main psychological concepts. First of all, you need to understand what moral education and mental development consist of. It should always be remembered that in addition to direct teaching, the teacher’s task is to develop in students the appropriate psychological qualities, such as hard work, conscientiousness, the desire to comprehend new things, curiosity and a number of other qualities.

When preparing the necessary teaching materials, the teacher should not forget what specific qualities will be developed in students in the course of his classes. It is well known that a teacher greatly influences the psyche of students by personal example. Therefore, it is necessary to critically evaluate your personal mental qualities and take measures to develop positive qualities and eradicate negative ones.

The second side of preparing for classes is getting to know the students. A novice teacher should conditionally put himself in the place of the students, which will reduce the number of methodological errors.

After all, attending classes with leading teachers is essential. By attending classes of experienced teachers, a novice teacher, voluntarily or involuntarily, absorbs his methodological experience. Beginning teachers, when attending the classes of their colleagues, need to pay attention to such issues as: the content of educational material, the distribution of educational time on individual issues, means of monitoring students’ knowledge and checking the task assigned for self-preparation, the order of students’ work near the blackboard, methods of summing up the lesson, etc. .P.

What does a young teacher need?
1. Make sure in advance whether everything is ready for the lesson, whether the furniture is well arranged, whether the board is clean, whether the technical aids and visual aids are prepared. Call. Be the last one to enter the office. Make sure that all teaching staff greet you in an orderly manner. Try to show students the beauty and attractiveness of an organized beginning of the lesson, strive to ensure that it takes less and less time each time.

2. Don’t waste time looking for the page of your subject in the magazine; you can prepare it during recess. . 3. Start the lesson with energy. Don't ask the question: Who didn't do their homework? - this accustoms students to the idea that failure to complete homework is inevitable.

Lead the lesson so that 4
every student was constantly busy with work, remember: pauses, slowness, idleness are the scourge of discipline. 4. Engage students with interesting content of the material, the creation of problem situations, and mental stress.

Control the pace of the lesson, help the weak believe in themselves. Keep your entire group in sight. Pay special attention to those whose attention is unstable and who are distracted. Prevent attempts to disrupt work order. 5. Address requests and questions somewhat more often to those students who may be involved in extraneous matters during the lesson.

6. When motivating knowledge assessments, give your words a businesslike, interested character. Tell the student what he needs to work on to earn a higher grade.

7. End the lesson with a general assessment of the group and individual students. Let them feel satisfaction from the results of their work.

Try to notice the positive in the work of unruly guys, but don't do it too often and with little effort. 8. Stop the lesson with the bell. Remind about the duties of the duty officer. 9. Refrain from making unnecessary comments. 10. If students are undisciplined, try to cope without the help of others. Remember: establishing discipline with the help of someone else's authority does not benefit you, but rather harms you. It's better to seek support from a group. 5

To the education section

Tutoring: where to start

Tutoring: a promising business from scratch

One of the areas of self-employment that does not require significant expenses is tutoring - the provision of private educational services at home.

Where to begin?

The services of a good tutor are highly valued, and with the introduction of the Unified State Exam, additional training has become even more popular and in demand.

Therefore, tutoring can be a worthy alternative to working in an educational institution, or simply a good addition to your salary.

How to become a tutor?

This business option is perfect for school teachers and university professors specializing in a certain field.

How can a tutor conduct his first English lesson?

Since the main and sometimes only investment in a future business will be your personal professional knowledge and experience in teaching.

So where to start?

First of all, in order for your initiative to be legal and free from problems with the tax office, you need to register as an individual entrepreneur.

The next step will be to purchase the necessary teaching aids and decide on the location of future classes with students:

The first option is to work with students at the teacher’s home - in this case, the teacher must prepare a comfortable room equipped with everything necessary for the educational process.
Conducting classes on the student’s premises – in this case, the question arises about the tutor’s travel costs.
Tutoring in rented premises.
This option is optimal if you plan to work with groups of students or even open a real center for the provision of private educational services.
Remote learning via the Internet is gaining increasing popularity - the advantage of this option is the opportunity to conduct classes with students from different parts of the country.

And last but not least, you need to take care of attracting future clients.

Finding clients, or where do students come from?

Tutoring

The target audience of the tutor is, as a rule, schoolchildren.

Those who have not fully mastered the program material, or, on the contrary, whose knowledge needs go beyond the scope of the curriculum.

But the largest part of the clientele consists of applicants who need preparation in specialized subjects for admission to a university.

There are many ways to notify interested parties about your services.

The first students can be found by placing advertisements in educational institutions, the entrances of your neighborhood, and the media.

In the future, your reputation as a professional teacher will make the difference.

Another effective option is to select students through tutoring agencies.

How much does a tutor earn?

The answer depends on many factors.

The main indicators that determine the teacher’s tariff are qualifications and the subject itself.

Qualifications, work experience and experience of the tutor determine the cost of an hour of classes:

Recent university graduates and senior students, as usual, offer prices in the range of 300-600 rubles. per hour of training.
Prices for teachers with 5 to 7 years of experience range up to 1000 rubles.
The price category from 1000 and above is represented by university teachers and experienced school teachers.

Tutoring - good income and self-employment

Region of residence– prices for individual training services vary significantly depending on where you live.

So, in a small city, the cost of an academic hour of training usually does not exceed 500 rubles, in the capital - from 1000 rubles.

Class location– if it is necessary for a teacher to visit a client’s home, the cost of the lesson increases by an average of 100-150 rubles.

Subject of study– the most “expensive” disciplines in the tutoring environment are the English language and mathematics – the cost of classes in them in Moscow averages 2000-2500 thousand per hour.

The rate for tutoring services is also affected by preparation time and complexity of the material.

Thus, the idea of tutoring can bring very good income, the main thing is to be an excellent specialist in your chosen field and regularly improve your professional skills.

Mentoring services may be provided by individuals under certain conditions. Lawyers advise releasing IP. Forms of earning money in mentoring: remote and internal. Clients search for specialized sites and place advertisements.

Mentoring makes a lot of money: teachers are part-time workers; Thus, private teachers receive a basic income; Experienced and retired subject teachers; even students are not inclined to act as a “home teacher”.

In the article we explain how to formalize activities legally, how to earn money for mentoring, how important it is and where to find clients.

Market value and performance

The Institute of Education of the State University Higher School of Economics provides data (source Rossiyskaya Gazeta) that 24% of all Russian schoolchildren use mentoring services.

In Moscow, the average hourly study time (45 minutes) with a teacher costs 800-1000 rubles. V St. St. Petersburg - on average 700 rubles.

Interesting numbers: The market for illegal mentoring services in Russia is estimated at 30 billion rubles, according to the State University Higher School of Economics, and every year parents spend more than 14 billion rubles preparing children for the unified state examination in Russia.

Who often mentors for additional knowledge,

Picture 1.

Figure 1. Why parents train children's teachers

Thus, to prepare for the exam and GEE, 36.6% of students, to deepen their knowledge - 32%, to fill the gap and increase efficiency - 32%, are not satisfied with the quality of education at school - 17%.

The Superjob Research Center conducted a survey on which subjects have the greatest demand for tutoring and obtained the following results (see below).

Table 1)

*Parents of older students participated in the survey, the total cost is not 100%, as sometimes one student is hired as tutors in several subjects

Legal basis for mentoring

If the mentoring is of an unnatural nature, for example, in order to attract a neighboring fifth grader to mathematics and receive symbolic gratitude for him, there is no question of registering the activity.

But if we consider this training as a company that, if it flows, generates a sustainable income, and even more so if you think that it will attract employees, then it is also necessary to take care of reason and the law without breaking the law.

The first and most important concern is for trainers who want to formalize their activities to the letter of the law - do you want to run a solo business or can you run the activity as an individual?

If a person is engaged in private mentoring, the law must independently report data in the form of taxes, pay income tax (13%).

However, Article 217 par.

70 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation (Tax Code of the Russian Federation), teachers who personally provide services are exempt from tax (from paying personal income tax).

This norm was introduced by Art. 13 Federal Law of November 30, 2016 No. 401-FZ “amendments to the first and second parts of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and some legislative acts of the Russian Federation.”

But there are a number of conditions for non-payment of tax:

the exchange rate comes into force on January 1, 2017 and applies to income received in the tax periods 2017-2018;
the person is not an independent entrepreneur;
the individual does not attract employees;
the provision of services is focused on personal, internal and other similar needs;
an individual must notify the tax authority about his activities in accordance with paragraph.
7.3 tbsp. 83 of the Tax Code, that is, register with the tax and indicate the scope of activity.

This measure is temporary and is intended to legalize self-employed citizens. By the end of 2017, the Ministry of Finance intends to prepare a draft law on the tax regime for self-employed citizens.

According to lawyers, it is very difficult to determine the line between a self-employed person who offers tutoring and citizens who are engaged in illegal business.

Therefore, according to lawyers, the second and most correct option is to create an individual entrepreneurship.

Optimal fiscal systems are a patent system (SPE) or a simplified system (USN) with a tax rate of 6% of income. Registration as an individual trader allows you to attract employees.

Read in detail: what awaits IP on PCN in 2017. Briefly about the changes

Another question, should engaging teachers be licensed for private mentoring services?

According to Art.

91 “Law on Education” entrepreneurs who are directly involved in educational activities do not require licensing and accreditation.

Such a business is attractive because the vehicle to start is their own knowledge.

Financial investment is also irrelevant if you work alone. Money will be needed to purchase the necessary teaching aids and is not necessary in all cases.

Formats for earning money through mentoring

Figure 2. Online Tutored Classes

Consider mentoring opportunities, all of which are divided into two groups:

Remote (online mentoring)
This includes training formats such as online seminars, consultations, lectures via the Internet.

Via Skype, Viber, broadcast on social networks (Facebook, Vkontakte), on YouTube or with a special platform for online seminars (webinar.ru, My Own Conference, Etutorium). In this case, you will need special equipment: microphone, headset, webcam.

This is interesting. Teacher of Russian language, literature and English philology Marina Orlova, born in Arzamas, found an unusual approach to teaching via the Internet.

He created the website HotForWords.com and a YouTube channel. The training is based on the motto “Intelligence is sexy” (intelligence is sexy).
Regular training with students
You can practice on a client's property, which means you can go to your home. In this case, it is recommended to add the amount for transportation costs to the payment for the class: taxi, private car or public transport. At home when students arrive at the moment.

There is another option: for example, on the basis of a contract conducted by an internal mentor at a training center or foreign language school. You can also open your own school yourself.

To do this, read our article: “With languages in life: opening a foreign language school”

How to start

Figure 3.

School programs and guidelines

Find out about the topic and target audience, location and class format. For example, 11th graders are preparing for an exam, as well as students who want to consolidate their knowledge of the subject.
But elementary school students. Firstly, it is better not to spray all age groups at once. In the end, what your client is depends on style, learning style, time of work.
On preparatory portals for USE or on other thematic portals (depending on the target audience) to complete basic tests - check your level of knowledge.
The first lessons are best taught to friends, relatives or friends in order to improve your skills, understand all the intricacies, even for free.
Study the offers of other teachers in your region, analyze the pricing policy.
The price of their services is determined by the average market. Get the necessary study guides (school programs, problem collections and tests).
Proceed to search for a client.

Where to find clients

The teacher of the target group depends on his specialization. For example, if you specialize in physics and mathematics or other school curriculum subjects, clients will:

classmates who need to gain knowledge about this subject during the school year;
Candidates who are preparing to enter university;
graduates who need to undergo USE, and so on.

For example, the “Your Tutor” service is your-tutor.org.

The website acts as an intermediary between teachers offering their services and clients. There are more than 233 thousand on its base.

How to start teaching in English?

More than 1 million 600 people searched for a mentor on the Your Teacher website. According to Yandex.Metrica, this portal is used by more than 22,000 visitors per day, so there is a chance to find clients.

Figure 4.

The “Your Teacher” service is one of our sources for finding clients

To find clients using this portal, you must subscribe to it. To register you need to go through four steps:

Fill out your resume in the form on the website.
Read the contract and accept it.
Please review our Terms of Engagement for Service Questions and Answers.
Attach copies of documents: identity card and qualifications (passport and diploma).

Questionnaires are located in the service database on the website.

Teachers have a personal account, information support, and assistance in finding clients. You can perform services in person or remotely (web.your-tutor.org).

She will have to pay a service fee for each client, but only after the student pays tuition. You only have to pay once for each client.

"Your Teacher" is not the only service for finding your clients online for your mentor. There are also profi.ru, repetit.ru and others. In addition, you can create your own website or Landingpage.

In addition to searching online, customers can search in schools, children's clubs and departments, and other institutions.

To do this, you must agree with the administration of the ad placement.

Watch video tips on how to become a mentor

Diane Yang, 2017-11-14

Diane Yan

Questions and answers on this topic

One question has not yet been asked for the material, you have this option first

Reference materials on the topic

Many of us are able to teach other people something. The desire to transfer knowledge usually motivates people to become teachers and work in schools or universities. But you can go another way. For example, become a private teacher - tutor.

A tutor is a fairly free person; he does not have supervisors in the form of, say, a head teacher or vice-rector. However, in such a seemingly free and creative work as tutoring, there are all sorts of nuances that should be taken into account and for which you need to prepare when deciding to teach someone at home.

If you decide to become a tutor, the first thing you need to do is place an ad.

Take care of the absolute literacy of the text, even if you are going to teach pottery, and not even the Russian language.

Specify the area - this way you will weed out obviously unsuitable clients. It is advisable to write your name in full, and not just “Lala” or “Anya”. Add a last name, and the level of trust of potential clients will increase. It is also advisable to attach your own photo, and not a picture of a schoolboy sweating from diligence.

Now let's figure out what you need to be prepared for when you undertake to help someone study science, even if this science is mathematics in the elementary grades. I’ll tell you using the example of teaching schoolchildren.

Immediately explain to the students’ parents that you are not a magician and will not be able to instantly turn a C student into an excellent student. Or maybe you won’t even be able to scrape together a B in a year, because a lot, but not everything, depends on the teacher. This needs to be stated clearly so that there are no complaints later. There are people who sincerely believe: since they paid money, it means they bought knowledge at school.
Not all students will like you, but you have to like them, otherwise they will simply run away. Therefore, you, the free sculptor of the child’s mind, will have to work hard to find an approach to each of them without showing negative emotions. Of course, it is necessary to make a suggestion to a child if he does not do his homework or is late, the main thing is not to overdo it. Don't humiliate your students, be friendly, joke, and they will respond in kind.
Always keep in touch with your parents. Even if, in your opinion, learning is going smoothly, there is progress, parents may have a different opinion. In addition, it is unknown what the child tells about you at home. Call, communicate, share your thoughts, praise or scold the child (however, express your dissatisfaction very tactfully). In general, let your parents see or hear you. They need to know that their money is not going into a silent void.
Prepare diligently for classes, make a plan. There is no need to rely on improvisation and your own teaching talent. In every business, discipline and consistency are important. In, perhaps, especially. Don’t worry that you may not know something or understand the question. Tell the student that you will clarify this point. Of course, don’t forget to look into the issue afterwards.
If a student behaves extremely badly - whines, does not complete assignments, looks at his watch every two minutes, snaps, etc. - say goodbye to him. No need to beat yourself up. As a result, you can lash out at the child, and then the parents will come to you. Why spoil the image? Politely explain to parents that the child may not yet be ready for individual lessons.
Schoolchildren, especially younger ones, are physically unable to sit through an hour of classes, and even one-on-one with the teacher. If a child, who is generally responsible and smart, begins to yawn and slow down towards the end, shorten the lesson time. Be sure to tell your parents about this, they most likely won't mind. Accordingly, the payment will decrease, but for us the main thing is the result, right?
If after the lesson a student forgot to pay, do not hesitate to remind him. Don't think what he will bring next time. What if he doesn’t bring it? You never know: I forgot, lost it, spent it on nuts. But at home they may not know about it.
Get ready for what The schedule of your classes will constantly change, you will have to adapt to the students. Moreover, students will be late or miss classes altogether, often without warning. It is advisable to remind about the lesson the night before by calling or texting.

In tutoring, as in any other job, responsibility, diligence and a focus on good results are important. But, first of all, a teacher is a creative profession, which sometimes drains even a significant reserve of spiritual and physical strength.

Respect your work and the work of your students. And remember: teaching someone is sometimes more difficult than learning.

Do you have experience as a tutor? Share it in the comments.