It is my privilege to teach children. I say this each year, but it truly is. When parents send their children to work with me, I am honored and humbled. I don’t take my job lightly. I have taught school for 32 years and this year is the first year that I am not inside of a physical classroom. However, this is my third year of tutoring online.
Parents send their kids to work with me for all kinds of reasons. Parents contact me for all kinds of reasons. Some of my parents have needed intervention in a particular school subject. Their child is falling behind and struggling and doesn’t seem to be progressing. Some parents send their child to work with me because they want their child to be challenged. Other parents just want support with homework help because they can’t give their child the time they need to help them with a particular subject, or they don’t feel they are able to help them. Other parents reach out to me as a support with their homeschooling. They want someone who has taught a particular subject to support what they are currently teaching. They want someone who can go back over the material and make sure their child is supported. They want someone who can bring a different spin on the information. I have had parents contact me to help their child learn study skills as well. They need to learn skills to move them forward that aren’t necessarily subject based, but are based on skills they need to learn to meet their classroom goals.
You ask yourself, “How can she do all of this?” To answer that question as simply as I can, it comes from experience. Like I said, I have 32 years of experience to draw upon. I’ve taught all subjects in a self-contained classroom as well as departmentalized classes. I come with a whole host of skills. And, I don’t shy away from a challenge. Many times I find myself researching ways to meet needs once I know the need. I don’t shy away from contacting other teachers and tutors when I feel like I need to get techniques that may be helpful with my students.
I do my best to offer my students a variety of activities to help them learn the skills they are needing support with. I meet with most of my students virtually, but in some instances, I will travel to family homes if they are near me. I offer services that last from a half hour to an hour depending on the age of the child and what the goals are for them. But, all of my students are offered a private Google Classroom where they get a variety of tools to practice skills when I am not meeting with them. Parents appreciate the opportunity for their child to continue to move forward even though I am not personally meeting with them while they are doing their independent practice.
I will typically tell parents that I am their child’s academic coach. I don’t take the place of their teacher, because their teacher is either a public school teacher, private school teacher, or they are homeschooling and the parent is the teacher. I just assess student needs and determine what areas they seem to need support with.
As I am setting up my schedule for the fall of 2022, I am already looking for online tools to support what I will be teaching. For my in-person kiddos, I am looking at the tools I have and the games I plan to take to their homes to support what they are learning. I get excited just thinking about the possibilities.
I love getting to know both the kids and their families. I know how demanding it can be to work all day and then worry about your child’s education. It can be exhausting for parents. But, that is where I come in! I discover what their child needs and then I work my magic.
Is it always easy? No, but learning requires patience and I know that. Sometimes we just have to stop and switch gears to keep moving forward. I think that is the beauty of understanding kids. They have a lot going on. They are going to class, they have homework, they have their friends, they have their homework, they have their activities, and they have tutor time! So, the last thing I want to be is “another thing to do.” I want the kids to see me as their coach. I cheer them on as they practice their skills and I do my best to find what works best for them.
Many people ask me what I tutor. Most parents will ask me for help with math. But, I tutor children in reading and writing as well. Even though I taught science for 32 years and loved it, I don’t tutor it. It is difficult to find things that work well with what the student is learning in school. When I do agree to work with a child on their science, I just focus on their homework for science. But, I will do it if I am already working with a child in another subject area.
I also have parents who will ask me to work with their child in multiple subject areas. I am also happy to do that. Since I work with children in elementary school, we will typically do a half hour of one subject and then do the other subject.
I get asked how often I work with children. Some parents only want me to meet with their children once a week, but if I agree to that, I will typically encourage at least 45 minutes. When meeting with students, we need to focus on their needs, but it is important to meet often enough to see progress and meet needs. Some parents want two or three times per week, and I have had some parents ask me to meet with their child 5 days a week. I am happy to meet as often as my schedule allows.
I know how important it is to support my students. I do the best I can and I know parents appreciate that. As I said earlier, it is my honor to work with these kiddos. I want them to love learning and feel supported.
I look forward to my fall kiddos. My schedule is filling up and I am excited about the learning that will be taking place. If you are looking for an expert that will provide individualized learning to meet your child’s needs, feel free to contact me. You can find more information about me at midwesttutor.com. I always offer a free assessment of needs and create a report for family members so they can see what it is that I will focus on. I think they really appreciate that and feel confident in the process that I will take to support their child.
Best wishes for a wonderful new school year from Sheryl at Tutoring with Sheryl @https://midwesttutor.com. Feel free to get in touch with me with any questions! I will get back to you!
Tutoring with Sheryl 