Becoming a private tutor- all questions here

geek84

Hi Folks

Sorry to go of at a tangent on this forum, responding to lulu650 (above) comments, that I need to contact my union. The problem is that I do not teach in a school so do not know who to contact.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

therivierakid

zeitghost,

No, I haven't tried the newspaper route since the initial attempt. I'm not trying to dissuade you from that route, it's just that a well established tutoring agency also advertises in the local paper.

If I were you, I would register on all the free tutoring websites and seriously consider thetutorpages too. Also, get yourself onto vivastreet - a classified online ads site. Make sure your profiles are as complete and as professional looking as possible (upload a photo if the option is open to you).

Newsagents and supermarkets are also worth a try but don't expect too much response.

The most important thing though is to get yourself a CRB check. I got mine by registering with a local tutoring agency. I had to pay for it, but it is vital - parents will ask to see it!

Above all, be patient... it takes time at the start.

Diana80_2

Hi,

I wonder if someone could help.

I am a native Romanian speaker who has lived and worked in the UK for 16 years. I work as a Communications Manager for a large banking group. I also do occasional interpreting and translating for local authorities - I used to be on the Home Office's IND list of Romanian interpreters.

Recently, a company I used to collaborate with has contacted me with the following request:

"Hello,
I hope you are keeping well.

We have had a request from a client regarding Romanian language tuition. She is wishing to learn Romnian to help her converse more with children and young people in her regular trips to Romania. She is beginner level and is interested in doing maybe one lesson a week with a native Romanian speaker to help her get to a standard that she is happy with.

I was wondering whether tuition is an area in which you already have experience? Are you interested in this opportunity and what rates you would charge per hour? We would not provide materials or lesson plans - that would be decided between yourself and the student.


Would you be happy conducting the lessons at our office in Leeds?

At the moment this is just an enquiry but this could turn into a long term collboration with this client.

Please let me know.


Best wishes,"

I would be only happy to help but I have no clue how much to charge! This used to be about £25 / hr but that was years ago!

Can someone advise?

Thanks kindly,

Niemand

Pauley_Paul wrote: »

Some very interesting stuff here especially the 'tutor pages' google link - am considering teaching guitar privately so have learned a lot - thanks everybody.

I'm thinking of doing the same. Presumably your patrons come to your house? What sort of hourly rate is fair?

Any other musical instrument tutors care to comment?

saljain

Hi All, I know an independent tutoring agency that gives you competitive rates than most other agencies and does not charge reg fee. You need to have experience and the qualities of being a tutor. Google TuitionGuru, They operate in Northampton Shire and Milton Keynes hope this helps.

becca0417

My work has been steadily increasing lately, have had a lot of enquiries.

suecombermathstutor

I am based in Benfleet in Essex and am looking for some help to teach some of my students. The successful applicant will be confident and personable, degree educated and a minimum of A level Maths. No teaching experience is required as I will provide lesson plans etc. However, an organised mind and an empathy for young people is a must.

If you are interested please contact me on
info at mathstutoressex.co.uk or see my website mathstutoressex.co.uk

Mrs_Money

Hi all.
I wonder if anyone has any ideas how I can cope with the long phone calls that always come whenever I advertise my tutoring services?
I haven't done private tutoring for a while now but really need to start up again. Trouble is, last time I got a lot of evening phone calls, with parents off-loading on me about all their child's problems with school, with the subject, with bullying, with teachers- you name it!
Now, I'm not unsympathetic to these problems, but once or twice the calls lasted almost an hour- a few of these a night and your whole evening's gone and no-one's paying you! Then, guess what? when they found out how much I charged - most of them couldn't get off the phone quick enough! At the time (around 5 years ago) it was £15 per hour.
Should I put my hourly rate in any advertising I do? (I'm thinking £20 now- seems to be the going rate). That in itself may not stop the long calls - how do you get off the phone politely, but firmly, without upsetting people so that they won't use you? How do you turn all that into a firm booking?
I'd love some ideas!

amy_lou_4

Maybe you could take charge of the phone call more, like say "Before we begin, let me just tell you about myself" and say a bit about how long you have been tutoring, how much you charge and when you are currently available. That way they have to make a decision before they get into all the rest! And make it clear you have questions for them about their child, rather than just being off-loaded onto. When I meet a new student I have a list of questions that will help me tailor my sessions with them (ie French grammar is ALWAYS their weak point lol)

As regards advertising your prices, I use Firsttutors.co.uk to find all my students and think it is good to have an up-front feee. I started on £10/hour for my first student, then when I realised I was good at it and being successful, I raised it to £15 and it is still there. There are not many tutors near me who show up in a search and the next ones up are PGCE qualified and charge upwards of £20, so my low price has been a definite advantage in attracting students, particulatly sixth formers who are paying for themselves, or whose parents aren't sure how much effort they are going to put in. I am only on £5.97/hour in my part time day job so £15 is enough for me, I wouldn't want to raise it to £20 and miss out on business.

Mrs_Money

Thanks amy_lou - some good suggestions. I have looked at a tutor agency and I think qualified teachers were in the main asking £20 per hour for GCSE subjects - so I'm sort of hoping that's what I might be able to get!