Hello, dear readers and everyone who looked at my site!

Today I would like to talk about my personal experience, how I started working as an English tutor. Recently, I have to share my experience with my students who are already graduating from universities and want to work additionally as a tutor.

That's right, as an additional income, many see this as a purpose. I do not argue, I also started this path with the opportunity to earn extra money and gain experience.

My first job as a teacher

Before graduating from the Pedagogical University, I had a year and a half left when I thought about trying myself as a tutor. It was at the end of 2004. I was 20 years old. I thought for a long time how to tell about my services.

At that time, I got a part-time job in one of the schools in Kazan. There I taught German and English. I must say that most of the children there were from dysfunctional families. And, naturally, no one needed a foreign language there.

But, having spent a lot of effort, I was able to interest a few students, which I was very glad, given my little experience in teaching lessons and, moreover, in dealing with difficult teenagers.

My first students

After working there for a year and a half, receiving then mere pennies, I still gained a lot of experience and accumulated enough educational material. Without thinking twice, I decided to do my "promotion".

I printed flyers and threw them in the mailboxes in the houses. And then there were no intercoms yet and the entrance to the entrances was free. I must say that this method turned out to be successful for me, since as many as two students turned to me.

With the first it was necessary to do homework, with the second - to pull up according to the school curriculum. I remember that I took 60 minutes - 200 rubles. (went to them).

From that moment I started my first classes. To be honest, doing homework was too boring for me. There is no development here. Especially if the student just needs to do homework, and he does not even want to understand it. If only there weren't two!

But it was more interesting to work with the second student. The girl was capable and grasped everything quickly. We have made very good progress with her.

My acquaintance with the company "Your tutor"

But somehow on the Internet I came across the site of your tutor. Checked it out and it seemed normal. Decided to apply and forgot. The case was in 2008. About a month later they called me to clarify my details. I was surprised because I didn't expect it at all.

I started working with this company on November 27, 2008. It was then that they gave me the first student, Anatoly (grade 11, to improve grammar). I was very happy with my first order. And the policy of this company is that they give you a student, and you pay them once the amount of the lesson. It used to be like that, now it's a little more. But in the end, both sides still win.

And from that moment my active tutoring activity began. I don't understand why so many people still post ads when you can register on these sites. There are a lot of similar companies on the Internet now, but, in my opinion, they do not reach the popularity that your tutor's company has.

I remember the most difficult thing for me then was to get an electronic wallet, to which I had to throw money and, thus, pay off the company. But, having coped with this task, I really fell in love with this electronic money system!

They are all different...

or a little about self-development

Working to this day in this digging, I get acquainted with many interesting students, with new tasks that they set for me.

Someone does not understand the grammar, someone suddenly decided to take the exam in English, adult students usually need a conversational language to go abroad, someone just likes to learn foreign languages ​​​​and want to know it better. Every student is different and so are the tasks.

The most important thing that I get out of these classes is a colossal self-development. Yes! I myself am developing both in terms of language and in terms of teaching methods. Let school teachers forgive me (I am one myself), but at school I stopped my development, except that some students somehow keep me in good shape!

Too much paperwork, too much workload (now I have 30 hours + class guide), groups with different levels, etc. All of this both upsets me and makes me more resilient. Working at school has taught me a lot...

Some tell me to leave school and go to work for myself, develop in private classes. But! I am kept by the school atmosphere, communication with different students (not only about the subject), I learn the stages of development of children and it is terribly interesting to me (because I myself will someday become a mother). In the end, there is at least some regime, self-discipline. But now it's not about that...

In addition to my favorite forum (efl.ru - the "Teaching English" section), I also studied paper literature on various teaching methods. There are actually a lot of books on how to teach English, they are all different in writing style and content .

This is not to say that this is the ideal technique! But after reading all these books, I can put together my opinion and choose what is perfect for me. Somewhere I’ll take interesting tricks, somewhere the author motivates well, and somewhere they even give ideas that help to create something of my own!

From all this, one’s own methodology and self-confidence are formed that everything will work out! But, of course, all this needs to be implemented and tested, otherwise reading will remain reading!

So, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with my methodological books, which I look into from time to time, because it is impossible to read them all at once. You have to keep coming back to them!

I bought the first two books under the influence of Your Tutor. I've been waiting for them for a long time. The authors of these books are practicing tutors in Moscow on this site.

One of my first books for tutors

English methodology for tutors (Marina Ivanova)

Marina Ivanova is an English tutor, she writes very simply and accessible for beginner tutors, she describes her experience of working with preschoolers and schoolchildren, it is very interesting to read how other tutors work. Experienced tutors can also find all sorts of methodological tricks and chips.

As an introduction, you can download one of her books (author's method)

My profession is tutor (Anna Malkova)

Anna Malkova, a math tutor, describes very well and in detail the principles of a tutor's work, not as an additional income, but as a real independent profession.

The book discusses all the pitfalls of tutoring, provides answers to all questions that a beginner may have.

The following books, I believe, should be mandatory for every tutor (teacher).

Must have books for tutors and teachers

Methods of teaching foreign languages. Basic course(E.N. Solovova)

For introductory reading, you can read this book. Hope you enjoy it!

Methods of teaching foreign languages. advanced course (E.N. Solovova)

This manual is already for those who are familiar with the basics of the technique. The book introduces communicative technologies for teaching foreign languages ​​- the use of video, music, proverbs, dictations and games in the classroom.

Next come the books, perhaps some of them are already familiar with the institute. But still, I will also name them, since, for sure, they can be useful for beginner tutors who do not have a pedagogical education. They come from a series of handbooks for teachers of foreign languages.

Foreign language lesson (E.I. Passov, N.E. Kuzovleva)

The book is quite weighty, 640 pages. The main task of this manual is to develop the teacher's ability to creatively plan and conduct any lessons on any material, in any new conditions. Suitable for beginner teachers. Often come across interesting thoughts and ideas.

Handbook of a foreign language teacher. Help Guide (E.A. Maslyko, P.K. Babinskaya and others)

I have special memories associated with this book. However, it was my very first book at the institute. I used it to holes, then there were no practical guides. It really is like a reference book. Now I don't look at it much anymore. But nastolgia swam when I took it out and took a photo for you.

Desk books for teachers of foreign languages

The following two books complete our hit parade of books for tutors (teachers):

Learning foreign languages(A. N. Schukin)

This book is more theoretical, but it is necessary to know it for those who enter the field of education, who plan to link their lives with school and learning. It is noteworthy that at the end there is an English-Russian dictionary (3000 words and phrases from the field of methodology and teaching)

English language. Modern teaching methods(A. V. Konysheva)

The book is interesting in that it reveals modern teaching methods and they can be used to organize independent work of students. Also entertaining material about role-playing games, how to do projects, use props. I discovered a new method for myself - the Dalton plan.

Useful and informative books

So I’m finishing this post, but I don’t stop writing about tutoring as an independent profession. If you want to become a tutor or already are, then do not miss the following articles on this topic. Subscribe to updates!

P.S. Are you a tutor? Does it give you pleasure? Your experience is very interesting!

• Does a tutor need a license?
• Tutor service cost

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

Since the demand for tutoring services is high, there are ample supply of various schools and private tutors on the market. Most often, the services of tutors are used by students and pupils of schools. Some of them want to close gaps in certain knowledge, while others want to study a particular area more thoroughly. Often, adults turn to the services of tutors in order to learn a foreign language or take continuing education courses to learn a new profession.

However, the mere 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.

First, a good teacher should have considerable psychological skills. At the same time, the tutor should not be devoid of creativity. It is worth remembering that the teacher is primarily 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 be a good tutor?

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

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

In most cases, it is not easy to trace the duration of an experiment. 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 area.

In fact, anyone who has a higher education and a desire to teach can engage in tutoring. However, it should be understood 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:

1. A responsibility. It is this quality that will allow you to plan effective lessons and maintain academic discipline during class;
2. interest in the subject matter. A good tutor always improves and supplements his knowledge, as well as improves teaching methods;
3. Ability to present material in an accessible and understandable way. Despite the fact that many of us understand this or that issue well, explaining it to another person can be difficult. A quality tutor should easily cope with this task.
4. Punctuality makes it possible to start and finish the lesson on time;
5. Ability to build rapport with students. Personal charm and competence in their subject is the basis for building a trusting relationship with the ward;
6. Patience and loyalty to the student's mistakes.

If you have the above qualities, you should 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 you need to know as a beginner tutor

How can a tutor find students?

Today, the network has resources 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 go to classes, rates, your education, work experience and other useful data.

If you want to cut out the middlemen, you might consider placing ads online or in the press. It will not be superfluous to put up ads near schools and universities. An original and very effective solution would be to create a site 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 the corresponding diploma. It is important that the teacher can easily find contact with his students. This will help you skills in the field of pedagogy, psychology, as well as experience in an educational institution.

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

There is also another option. If the tutor has an entrepreneurial streak, he can organize his own training center. It should be borne in mind that non-payment of 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 to conduct teaching activities.

Tutor service cost

It is worth talking separately about the issue of tariffs for tutoring services. You don't need to make them very low as you won't be motivated to do your job well. Moreover, potential customers may have doubts about the quality of your services. If you are good at your job, be sure to demand decent pay for it. Lack of experience may cause you to lower your rates 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 affect the price:

• Profile education of a teacher;
• Work experience;
• Region of residence;
• Location of lessons;
• The intensity of study;
• Guarantees provided by the tutor;
• The uniqueness of the taught subject.

For example, services Physics tutor in Samara will cost less than similar lessons in Moscow. At the same time, since this area is less common 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 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.

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 for your ward. Practice the principle that there are no hopeless disciples.

To understand that 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 level of knowledge of the student, the goals pursued, 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 learn anything;
• In the process of 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 that the student respects you, as this is the basis for building effective business relationships. In the event that 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 foundation of a successful career for any teacher. You need to understand that one negative review of 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 particular 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.

Good day!

I am in Singapore courses with young teachers from whom I learned to think outside the box

This post will be dedicated to those who in the future, and maybe now, are planning to become an English tutor!

At one time, when (to study individually), someone did not have the opportunity to ask about all the intricacies of the work. She did everything as her intuition and books suggested.

Of course, I studied teaching methods at the institute, but until you face reality, you won’t understand all the points.

And even more so, many are simply afraid to start working individually with the student (what if it doesn’t work out? won’t I or the student like it?)

Due to my great interest in the subject, I began to explore the field of private studies in more detail, read a lot and get acquainted with the experience of other tutors.

I have been in private practice for 8 years. During these years, I studied the features and subtleties of working one on one, attended webinars, bought literature on this topic. I wanted to know everything about it. I'm interested. It's not as easy as many people think.

Tip #1

Love for the subject is the main thing!

If you decide to become a tutor, the first and most important piece of advice I can give is to LOVE your subject. If you love the subject you are going to teach, that's it! You will definitely charge your student with your energy, help him overcome all his fears of a foreign language!

If you consider tutoring only as an opportunity to make good money, this is not good, you will not get pleasure and self-satisfaction from the process and will not last long. Never let money control you! You will work with pleasure, for the result - money will be asked to you))

Tip #2

How to write the right ad?

If you decide to advertise your services, then remember that a well-written tutoring ad is half the battle. From my own experience, I can say that ads with a photo have more views than without it. Therefore, a photo is desirable! In the text itself, be sure to indicate:

Full name

The subject you teach (do not write many subjects at once in one ad, this repels many)

A little about yourself (education, what you completed, your titles and merits in the subject)

What services do you provide (for example, preparation for the GIA and the Unified State Exam, work only with schoolchildren or vice versa with adults, teach conversational English, etc.)

Lesson price and duration (be sure to indicate the academic or astronomical hour). As for the price, I’ll make a reservation: I don’t advise setting too low or high a price. Be sure to study the price market in your city.

Do you work with or without travel (must indicate the area or metro)

Do you work remotely (for example, via Skype).

Contacts (indicate as many ways as possible to contact you - mobile, e-mail). This is only suitable for ads without intermediaries.

Tip #3

Get your student interested in English!

Try to make your first lesson with a student memorable! Of course, you don’t have to dance in front of him, but you must be interested in your subject. Of course, it all depends on the goals of the student. But in any case, each tutor can find interesting tricks or secrets on how to 100% surprise a student!

Tip #4

If you work on the road, then never be late and do not come too early (suddenly the student is eating or busy with some other business). Be sure to bring your study materials (books, extras or printouts), laptop (if you use tutorials or videos). It is strange if a tutor comes without anything and does everything right away. Looks unprofessional.

Tip #5

Learning English should be fun!

Don't let your student get bored! Use different activities. They explained the material, did the exercises, speak in English on some interesting topic, listen to or watch an excerpt from some entertaining one, consolidate the material with the help of some interactive program.

And most importantly, your voice should not be quiet or monotonous. I believe that the ability to control the voice is one of the main qualities of a successful tutor, along with knowledge of the subject and the ability to explain it. So you need to work on your speech.

Tip #6

Contact with parents is very important!

Be sure to contact parents if you work with students! Keep them informed about how the classes are going, whether there is progress, whether the student completes his homework, whether he attends all classes. It often happens that parents gave the child money for classes, but he did not come, saying that he was ill or could not due to family circumstances. It is in your interest to verify the accuracy of the information.

Here are the points I wanted to highlight. I wish you successful teaching and smart students!

If you want to become a tutor or already are, then do not miss the following articles on this topic.

P.S. And, of course, on the eve of the New Year holidays and the long-awaited vacation, I simply cannot congratulate you Happy New Year and wish you all the best!

Soon!!! (my successes, discoveries, highlights)? Do not miss! Subscribe to updates to keep abreast of the events of the Kazan teacher and just a good person!

The first thing I asked the mother of my ward - does HE want to learn the language, or is it mom and dad who are eager for their son to be in business? She looked at me respectfully and assured me that the boy was dreaming about it, that he was studying with a teacher who left urgently, and the child, oh-oh, really doesn’t want to stop learning English.

As I understood later, my question is a very correct step for those who start their “career” as a tutor. Unfortunately, the fact that my mother will always say “Of course he wants”, I realized later. How things actually work is a more complicated story.

We started with a simple textbook for children - the most accessible and at the same time rich vocabulary, classic exercises. We studied twice a week, and I immediately said that this is the minimum for learning the language. At first, everything went pretty well - my student taught and worked ashamedly, and even called me "You", even though I am much younger than his young mother. Having studied English quite closely since the age of seven, I decided that going according to the classical scheme - transcription, alphabet, grammar basics, reading and translation skills - is the best step for the child to have fundamental knowledge.

About a month later, classes were reduced to one per week. As a rule, there were good reasons for skipping the second one. Homework assignments were completed before going to class, and oral assignments were completely ignored. Therefore, attempts to learn texts, dialogues and just words were unsuccessful. He clearly had no desire to learn anything, and I lost the desire to teach anything. At one of the classes, he said that it was the last one, since the holidays were coming soon. After that, he didn't show up at all.

The following year, I started working with three girls. One admitted that English is not her element, but it is necessary, it is necessary. And I tried to find an approach to it, moved away from the textbook and took up the texts - in order to work out everything - reading, pronunciation, and translation. Her level was very weak, and, given this, I took a (much easier!) Russian fairy tale to begin with. It was later that I realized that now, at the age of 13, they are not even interested in translating - access to the Internet and communication with maturing peers gives them much more interesting and spicy information.

The other two girls were quite smart and diligent, quickly grasping and showing interest in everything that happened. I set myself the goal of being not a strict teacher, but an assistant. And at first we succeeded - they studied everything with pleasure, we diluted the process with funny stories, tied it to English. At the same time, they could gossip with me about school life and show off a new blouse. It was hard to keep the distance. Soon they began to be interested in my personal life, and I realized that a friend also needs to be in moderation.

It is good that such an experience is not only teaching, it is also everyday. I'm glad I gave these kids what I could. And that they took what they could and wanted. Now I don't do tutoring, and I know exactly why. And that is why I know what advice to give to those to whom they will be useful.

Immediately determine for yourself your role - teacher, friend, mentor - who you will be for him. Of course, this role will become clear in the process of work, but you cannot rush from one extreme to another - be kind here, but strict here. Let me remind you that Mary Poppins was distinguished by an enviable constancy ... But, being a classical teacher, do not create a wall between you, otherwise it will be difficult to understand each other. And, having chosen the role of a good friend, do not let yourself sit on your neck.

Decide on the choice of training strategy. The younger the student, the more variety and game elements can be brought into the study of the subject, a computer and audio recordings can be good helpers. Just don't lose the essence of the language in recreational pursuits. Your main goal is to teach your child the basics, not play games with them. Teenagers are more adapted to the perception of a serious format. Enter your own grading system - although this is not a school, but grades create an incentive.

And, of course, be an example for them - develop and improve. Show that you are working on yourself and your knowledge, that you are a master of your craft. Do not be afraid to give constructive criticism, be fair in your assessments and generous in praise.

… The main thing. Successful work is a joint work, when you invest and feel the return. Therefore, in addition to advice, one big wish - smart, diligent and grateful students!