How to become a tutor and find your first students: 7 easy steps

1. Choose the subject you will teach

It seems that this is an obvious step - it is worth doing the discipline that you know well. And if you are a school teacher and want to earn extra money, the choice of subject is really obvious. But for students or professionals not related to pedagogy, this stage is very important. As a rule, they are well versed in several school subjects - for example, in mathematics, computer science and physics. Or in chemistry and biology.

To begin with, it is worth stopping at something. Perhaps then you will combine several areas - for example, the Russian language and literature. But you shouldn't do it right away.

Find the discipline that you are ready to deal with daily: re-understand the paragraphs of the school textbook, solve problems, read additional literature. And also - to explain the same topics and answer very similar questions.

You can test several subjects - read textbooks and decide which school book you are ready to return to regularly, and which one you want to put aside.

2. Determine the age of the students and the purpose of the work

The same academic discipline looks different for elementary school and high school students. You may have already set priorities in the previous step. For example, you decided that you would explain the basics of mathematics to students in grades 1-4. Or help high school students understand differential calculus.

If not, you should choose what age guys you will be more comfortable working with. It is easier for one to communicate with kids - maybe he has experience helping younger brothers and sisters or his own schoolchildren. Another will prefer to conduct classes with middle school students or graduates - you can talk with them almost on an equal footing, like with adults.

The purpose of the lesson will depend on the age of the students.

Children from elementary grades need to master elementary knowledge. For graduates, the main thing is to prepare for the OGE and USE. They need to fill in the gaps in knowledge, if any, and practice doing exam tasks.

So, the purpose of classes with kids is to instill an interest in discipline and lay the foundation for further development. With older guys - to study some sections of the subject more deeply. For example, to understand all the intricacies of the use of participial and adverbial phrases or to consistently study all the complex rules of punctuation. With graduates, solve as many practical problems as possible and find out where errors occur most often and how to eliminate them.

Once you've chosen your goal, look for textbooks, study guides, and problem books that you'll need.

3. Make a study program

First, you should get acquainted with the school curriculum and look through the textbooks. It makes sense to look at distance learning sites - there you can often find correct and understandable explanations on the most complex topics. Look for typical as well as non-standard examples that you will offer students.

A separate topic is preparation for olympiads. For theoretical knowledge, as a rule, school manuals are sufficient. But besides them, you need to find many different practical tasks that are often found at the Olympiads, and practice solving them with the student.

These tasks are usually different from textbook examples. To begin with, try to cope with them yourself - this way you will see where difficulties can arise and how to overcome them.

For each section of your chosen subject, write a lesson plan.

At first, you can consistently follow the scheme that the textbooks offer. Then, when you have experience, you will understand which topics will require more lessons, and which, maybe, should be combined.

Then make a preliminary program for one lesson. Do it in such a way as to meet the allotted time - for example, in the academic hour. Let there be a place in this program for theory, examples, and student questions. You will probably adjust this scheme, but first you need to try it out in practice.

Preparation is over. It's time to look for the first disciples.

4. Let everyone know that you are a tutor

The first steps should be taken a little earlier - after you have chosen the school discipline that you will teach. If you are a social media manager, start posting interesting information about your subject. You can start a channel in Telegram and duplicate them there.

If you find interesting topics and talk about them in a fun way, you will surely attract the attention of old subscribers and be able to increase your audience.

If you are going to teach physics, try, for example, posting a post on VKontakte once a week about what physical phenomena we often encounter in everyday life. Many will be curious to read why Polar Lights and what's up here magnetic storms.

And if you teach Russian, you can give readers simple tasks to test their knowledge.

For example, ask to insert the missing “not” and “neither” in various phrases. And then, in the next message, explain which choice is correct and why.

Over time, subscribers will get used to such posts and will wait for them. And when you announce that you are starting classes with students as a tutor, they will no longer doubt your expertise.

It is worth informing all your offline acquaintances that you are taking students. Perhaps the first to come to your classes are children or younger brothers and sisters of friends, colleagues or neighbors in their summer cottage.

5. Try to conduct the first classes with students

The first lessons should be made free. But be sure to specify that you will ask for a review to post it on your page.

Write about your search for new students on social networks several times a week. Do not think that all interested people will see your first message: they can simply skip your post in the feed. Or forget about it - sometimes you need a few reminders for a person to make a decision.

Be sure to tell us why you should come to you right now. Maybe you, together with the ward, will pull up all the difficult topics so that he writes the final control well. Or, if the next quarter has just begun, help him calmly enter the learning rhythm.

If you are teaching online, offer several contact options.

For example, you can teach through Zoom, Google Meet or messengers - let the student have a choice. It is worth inviting the parents of the student to the first classes so that they are convinced of your competence.

In the future, you can introduce the following practice: you spend the first lesson for free, the next two at a reduced rate. At the first meeting, you, as well as the student and his parents, determine whether you are suitable for each other and whether you are ready to work productively further. The second and third lessons will help to adjust the program depending on the level of preparation and knowledge of the student. And all subsequent classes you will spend at the full rate.

At first, you can take lessons for a fee slightly lower than the market average. When you feel confident enough, recruit new students at other, already increased prices.

6. Start actively looking for students

Continue to write regularly about your subject and invite students to social networks and messengers. Don't forget to talk about the feedback received and the results of your mentees. And not only high-profile victories and prestigious diplomas are important.

For example, if before class a student wrote dictations and presentations exclusively for three points, and recently received the first four, tell us about it. Maybe there are those among your readers who, after this, will bring their son or sister to you.

Place the offer of services on the sites of announcements. Be sure to put your photo, diploma or certificate in the card and write why it is worth contacting you. And most importantly, clearly articulate what kind of students you expect and what they will get from classes with you.

It is not enough just to write: "I teach school chemistry." It is better to indicate: "I work with students in grades 7-11, I prepare for the Olympiads, the OGE and the Unified State Examination."

Be sure to include student feedback. For example, screenshots from the messenger - unless, of course, the ward does not mind. Always ask how you can post a review. Maybe the student will ask not to show his name or photo.

7. Consider Feedback

It's not just testimonials from satisfied students. Constantly ask how the mentee understands how you explain. Find out what has changed in their attitude to your subject, how interesting it has become. And of course, ask estimates schoolchildren.

Ask what students and parents think should be changed. So you can make the training scheme more flexible and acquire regular customers. Those who will be able to recommend you to their friends and acquaintances.