Like university students, school children are also beginning to panic at this time of year as exams approach. If you are a PhD student or recently finished post-doc struggling to pay the bills undertaking private tutoring of school children is a career plan to consider.
We all know the problems in finding a permanent academic position at the moment mean that some academics have to work several jobs in a portfolio career. One way of making a bit of extra cash is by offering your services as a private tutor. This time of year this can be especially lucrative as children and their parents need revision sessions before the big external exams of the summer.
The sort of assistance you can offer is reinforcing the subject-based content but also coaching in revision skills and good exam practice. Most private tutors charge about £25 per hour minimum and see each tutee between 1 and 3 times per week.
As with most jobs these days, the best way to become a private tutor is to sign up online. Join one of the websites such as First Tutors for free and you will soon find you are approached by potential students.
Be warned though, one to one tuition is hard work. You have to do a lot of preparation for these sessions, learning about the curriculum your tutee is following and preparing detailed materials for your sessions. You have to be aware of expectations too. Many parents want a private tutor for their son or daughter because they want them to get the top grades so there may be quite a bit of pressure on you to deliver a significant improvement. You will also need a CRB check to show that you are eligible to work with under-18 year olds. However, this is really rewarding work and is a good way to earn a bit of extra money doing something you enjoy!
The cost of tutoring is definitely affected by the subject offered, a top quality maths or science tutor is going to be able to be in high demand and can command a good hourly rate. Depending on the area music tutors might find it harder to charge as much. Depends on the individual and the local market conditions of course though.
It should also be mentioned that tutoring doesnt have to be limited to face to face tutoring in the home. Online tutoring over people’s home computers is now available through a variety of UK based websites.