From Classroom to Tutoring: A Journey

After leaving teaching in pursuit of an alternative career, I wasn’t quite ready to leave the education profession altogether. My passion for teaching English and inspiring young people to love reading hadn’t disappeared as I closed the door to my classroom, so I decided to become a tutor. This marked my transition from classroom teaching to tutoring.

Discovering a New Path in Education

Alongside my full-time job, I began tutoring GCSE students, helping them to create good study habits and improve their individual learning skills in preparation to sit their exams. This experience opened up tutoring as a viable career path for me, showcasing the benefits of one-to-one tuition.

For more insights into enhancing educational experiences, explore our guide on EHCP funding for tutoring.

Building Confidence: The Heart of Tutoring

The biggest impact I felt my time as a tutor had on students was the ability to build their confidence. Building confidence through tutoring allows students to ask questions on their own terms, to repeat the question if needs be, without the fear of looking ‘foolish’. It was an opportunity for personalised interaction that online tutoring has also made possible.

Learn about the government's role in this through the School NTP involvement.

Igniting a Love for Literature Together

Not everyone loves literature, but tutoring meant time to fall in love with words and take a chance at creative writing. It was a joy to share my skills, knowledge, and fervour for learning with students again, further emphasising the personalised learning aspect of tutoring.

Tailoring Learning to Each Unique Student

Of course, I stuck to the curriculum they were learning at school, but I could explore alternative ways of delivering the session. This is the privilege, freedom, and flexibility that comes with tutoring, and it was a refreshing approach to improving individual learning skills with tutoring.

Celebrating Success: The Thrill of Results Day

Results day is a nail-biting, nerve-wracking day for all involved. However, hearing they’d received the results they wanted, or even higher than expected, was wonderful. This moment highlights the difference you can make as a tutor.

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The Profound Impact of Personal Tutoring

For me, it was the small victories. For example, a girl who used to hate writing, but by the end of our time together said, ‘I’ve fallen in love with reading again, and that’s because of you.’ Nothing compares to the immense pride and joy I felt that day.

Conclusion

Tutoring has been an incredibly rewarding journey, offering the chance to make a real difference in learner's lives. The flexibility, personalisation, and deep connections formed with young people highlight the unique benefits of this educational path. Questions like: "Is tutoring a rewarding job?" or "Is tutoring a good side hustle?" often come up, and based on my experience, the answer is a resounding yes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tutoring

• What inspired you to start tutoring?

My passion for teaching and desire to inspire young people to love reading motivated me to start tutoring alongside my full-time job, seeing it as an excellent blended career in education.

• How do you build confidence in your students?

I create a safe space where students can ask questions freely, helping to build their confidence in their abilities.

• What makes tutoring different from classroom teaching?

Tutoring allows for a blended and flexible approach, focusing on tailoring learning to each unique student and exploring alternative ways of delivering the session.

• Can tutoring truly personalise learning?

Absolutely. The freedom and flexibility of tutoring enabled me to differentiate for the individual, considering what they enjoy and how they best engage with the material, which is the essence of improving individual learning skills with tutoring.

• How do you measure success in tutoring?

Success comes from the small victories, such as students achieving better results or a student saying they feel more confident at school, or that they’ve fallen in love with reading again.

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