Tutor vs life coach

I has been a few days now....so much action! Well the website is up and running (looks terrible still but it is there), I’m listed in Google maps, on twitter and have a work blog. With all this action I should become more visible, but visibility seems to be my main problem....I’m working on it but tips are welcome / needed. Another milestone is introducing structure into one of my students’ lives. A young boy I teach would spend hours on homework and always produce substandard results. I suggested that his parents give him two hours only on homework a night, one for me and one for school. It has worked a dream, even though he has less time to so it in he focuses more because he knows there is a deadline. There have not only been improvements in my homework but in school work also. You see sometimes being a tutor is less about teaching and more about life coaching....setting good systems in place. Now I have to see if I can roll this system out with my more troublesome teenagers!

The mature student

A few days and no proper blog....sorry my super fans....not that any exist. Well developments – I have my first mature student. They are a foreign student, so it is not really teaching more supporting through essays. I thought that a nature student would be really keen to learn and hardworking....it is not the case! I’m not that surprised because I know how bad I did as a mature student...never wanting to write up essays. This is opening a whole new world up to me as a tutor...the mature market is not anything I had ever considered before, but I find it very satisfying.
Other developments are that I’ve now got a website and I’m linked on goggle maps – but they are very much in the rudimentary stages. I think a website course is definitely needed!

The competition

It has just dawned on me the level of competition out there....my gosh you can even get your tutor to come on holiday with you. Maybe I have bitten off more than I can chew....and still no news from the schools...am I being too impatient still?

Nothing....

No replies yet....sob sob....or am I just being too impatient?

Crossing the starting line

Well that’s it I’ve emailed the letter off to some choice schools. I’m now holding my breath to see what is going to happen. I’m predicting that they will not even read it and just put it as junk. I’m hoping that they won’t, best case scenario is that I get a meeting out of it. I’m very nervous....no one reads my blog why would any of these people pay me any attention either? The fliers, I have been promised, will be done by the end of this week, then the plan would be to finish the room and then I’m ready to go. I cleared a book of books at the weekend so the room is a little clearer but I need to continue the clearing out. Who knew such a small room could hold so much rubbish – more importantly why do I find it so hard to throw it all away? My ex’s rubbish was easy, it is all the childhood stuff that is hard to let go of.

Anyway...progress has been made....even if it doesn’t amount to anything!

Review: Alice in wonderland

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On my second page - link at the top if this doesn't work

Fundamentally flawed

Well....what a weekend of disaster. Didn’t paint my teaching room....saw a rubbish movie (see other page soon to follow)....and fought with my boyfriend just because we were a bit grumpy! But, all the furniture got bought for the teaching room except for the laptop workstation that was out of stock – so at least something was accomplished. Teaching this weekend was good....my GCSE maths student is coming on leaps and bounds. It is lovely to take someone and completely turn them around, but the thing is I sometimes wonder if I’m a fraud. I’m a firm believer in self teaching (with assistance) to help cement ideas and concepts, and to give a certain amount of pride in what has been accomplished. If my students just knuckled down they would probably do just as well...does that make me a bad tutor? Please discuss my flaws in depth!

The bad egg student...joy to teach!

One of my students has come to me via parent desperation. They have been kicked out of school for disruptiveness and they (and I quote) “don’t DO homework”. The parental fraction thought that someone external, with no preconceptions about them, would help bring out the best.

I have to say that this child is a joy to teach. Once they realised that I was fair but firm, and boundaries had to be respected, it went swimmingly. It is a joy when they get something correct...you can really see the joy and pride in their face...and the more they get correct, and therefore praised, the harder they work.

Now....don’t get me wrong....there are some bad eggs out there....but I just think it is a shame when some who just needs a break and someone to have faith in them falls through the cracks. My predicted GCSE grade is a C minimum but probably a B...and if we continue the same way...an A. This is all from a student that was given up on and predicted to fail...the school infrastructure really fails us sometimes!

The dream lesson

Even though I’m trying to set this business up I already have existing students whose homes I go to. Last night’s lesson was a dream...he had written the most lovely story. It was a hybrid of the Time Machine by Wells and Jurassic Park! There was lots of expression, a variety of sentences and neat handwriting. The student in question is only 9 and most of the time does very little work....but boy when effort is made there are real gems produced. How do I get him to be consistent? It is an ongoing battle.... but it is lessons like this (when I can really see the difference I’ve made) that remind me why I love this job.

Quick note ...

I notice the amount of ... I use ... is directly proportional to how tired I am.

It will be good to be clean....WILL being the word!

It is early....too early for me. I’m not coping since my cat decided that every night he wanted to turn into Schizophrenia cat! He runs around on the bed chasing invisible animals and his tail....then he stop and stares at the wall whilst meeping.
I had a revelation last night....I’m going to have to keep my flat clean if kids are coming to have lessons. This is a new concept to me...so this weekend is cleaning weekend.
After my trip to Ikea was most successful...I found everything that I wanted...except I forgot to get a catalogue. Now I just have to get on with ordering it...In the big clean at the weekend I will be clearing out some old junk from that room to get it ready.....I wonder if this is how a new shop keeper feels when they clear out the old rubbish from the previous owner to put in the new stuff? Well, I’m excited anyway...at the mo it is two steps forward and only one step back....this means I’m ahead...hurrah!
(Oh...and today my dining table arrives....simple pleasures for simple minds I think)

Student number one

Ah ha....my school letters have been written. Just need to send them out to all the teachers in the local area. I’m feeling the fear slightly as this is it....no turning back once I press send on the e mail. I sometimes hate the quickness of email, in the old days you had the walk to the post box to ponder over the letter. Now someone annoys you and that’s it...angry e mail sent. Facebook is worse....I’ve set up many a personal vendetta on Facebook.

Anyway this is all digression. So off it goes...maybe I’ll send it tomorrow...one more sleep. Instead of doing that I’ll go to IKEA and by furniture for the room at home. It is sort of towards the same goal so I won’t feel so bad. I’ve had serious words with myself and decided that I have to do some work towards it each day no matter how small.

Oh...and I may have my first English As Level student....and so it continues.

Mild Panic!

Submitting my rubbish PhD thesis today....who knew how long everything takes.

My prediction is a fail....but it is not the winning that counts just the taking part.....at least thats what I keep telling myself!

Well heres to hoping I pass....because Dr looks a lot better than Miss when looking for students...doesn't it?