Update: My Experience in Raleigh. I can't believe it has been a year!
Posted by Michelle Myers on Saturday, September 22, 2012
I have been in Raleigh for over a year now. My professional experience has grown by leaps and bounds. I started tutoring with Sylvan's Ace-It Program, a free after-school program for Title I schools. I had students from 4th-6th grades in groups of 6 reviewing basic phonics and reading. I began getting 2-3 regular private students that I visited weekly for algebra.
From there I got a contract with Wake County Schools to tutor at Wilburn Year-Round Elementary School as an in-class 5th grade tutor. I had an amazing working relationship with my classroom teacher, and felt more like a co-teacher than a tutor. Our students improved drastically by the End of Grade tests, especially in math. I was asked to return this year, but due to budget and funding issues, I have yet to be given an official start date. I look forward to going back and working with the same classroom teacher soon.
In the meantime, I am reaching out to build my private student base. Within the past month I have found atleast 12 new students. Some of them I work with on a set weekly schedule, and the rest call me as needed. I have mostly 7th and 8th grade algebra students along with a few Honors Algebra II students. I'm working with two adults: one in Wake Tech MAT 070 and the other preparing to take Wake Tech's Compass Test. In two weeks I plan to start with a new student branching out into Pre-Calculus, as I am currently taking Calculus I at Wake Tech. I made an 89, the 3rd highest grade, on my first test when the class average was a 63.
My strengths have been my passionate atitude and warm personality along with my commitment to being honest, flexible, and good at communicating. However, I am discovering I may need to have a contract in place in order to make a living, since many of my students cancel or reschedule frequently. I was thinking of charging my "as needed" students more per hour than my regular weekly students. I should also develop a cancellation policy. At times I feel I am too understand of others' situation at the expense of my own income and time.
From there I got a contract with Wake County Schools to tutor at Wilburn Year-Round Elementary School as an in-class 5th grade tutor. I had an amazing working relationship with my classroom teacher, and felt more like a co-teacher than a tutor. Our students improved drastically by the End of Grade tests, especially in math. I was asked to return this year, but due to budget and funding issues, I have yet to be given an official start date. I look forward to going back and working with the same classroom teacher soon.
In the meantime, I am reaching out to build my private student base. Within the past month I have found atleast 12 new students. Some of them I work with on a set weekly schedule, and the rest call me as needed. I have mostly 7th and 8th grade algebra students along with a few Honors Algebra II students. I'm working with two adults: one in Wake Tech MAT 070 and the other preparing to take Wake Tech's Compass Test. In two weeks I plan to start with a new student branching out into Pre-Calculus, as I am currently taking Calculus I at Wake Tech. I made an 89, the 3rd highest grade, on my first test when the class average was a 63.
My strengths have been my passionate atitude and warm personality along with my commitment to being honest, flexible, and good at communicating. However, I am discovering I may need to have a contract in place in order to make a living, since many of my students cancel or reschedule frequently. I was thinking of charging my "as needed" students more per hour than my regular weekly students. I should also develop a cancellation policy. At times I feel I am too understand of others' situation at the expense of my own income and time.
Tags: update
