Author: Rachel Law

How-to-choose-a-good-tutoring-agency

Posted on by Rachel Law

TutorMyKids private tutor

Choosing the right tutoring agency is a combination of a number of factors – where they’re based, what they specialise in, who they recruit, what they’re like to work for and their fit with you.

Geography

Check the geography that the agency covers and, most importantly, where most of their clients are. Tutor My Kids teachers tutor in Ely, Cambridge, St Ives, Huntingdon and Newmarket.

Specialism

Does the agency specialise in certain subjects? What do they have most demand for? Most agencies will have most need of maths, science and English tutors, but will also need other tutors too.

Teaching Experience

Some agencies are very happy to take on a wide variety of tutors, other specialise in just teachers. If you’re a teacher, you may find yourself better valued in an agency, such as Tutor My Kids whose tutors are almost exclusively teachers.

Size of agency

Large agencies may have more opportunities, but you may get lost amongst the many other tutors, or it may simply feel less personal. A smaller agency is more likely to know it’s tutors and clients well and offer a more friendly service. At Tutor My Kids we think all our tutors are amazing and because we’re small get to know our tutors well.

Clients

It’s also worth asking what a typical client is for the agency? Are they largely independent school or state school – you may have a preference. We’re really lucky at Tutor My Kids as at least 60% of our clients are referred to us by other clients. This means that we tend to have like-minded clients and typically our clients want their students to have more confidence in the subject but also generally. We feel that they’re arranging tutoring for their kids for the right reasons.

What are they like to work for?

This can be hard to work out, but check out their testimonials and ask to be but in touch with existing tutors if in doubt. We’re always delighted when we get testimonials from clients and tutors. Check ours out by clicking the links. I’m also a firm believer in trusting your gut instinct when you chat to them.

Get in touch with Tutor My Kids

For more information on becoming a tutor click the link, email Rachel, or call Rachel Law on 01223 858421 for a chat.

 

 

 

Can-you-demystify-Dickens?

Posted on by Rachel Law

Tutor My Kids is hiring GCSE English teachers for tutoring opportunities in Ely, Cambridge, St Ives, Huntingdon and Newmarket areas.

For information about becoming a Tutor My Kids tutor, click the link, email Rachel Law or call Rachel on 01223 858421 for an informal chat.

Why-tutor-through-a-tutoring-agency?

Posted on by Rachel Law

7 reasons why working through a tutoring agency is a great solution.

You don’t need to be your own sales and marketing department

Most teachers are not experts at marketing themselves – if fact usually it’s the other way round. At Tutor My Kids, we know all our tutors personally and can ensure that the client is aware of all your strengths (even the ones you haven’t spotted but we have!) You can sit back and be assured that you’ll be put with great students who are on your wavelength.

We match you to the perfect students for you

We meet clients and tutors in person and take the time to work out what everyone wants. This enables us to match you with some amazing clients. See our client and tutor testimonials to see how well we achieve this.

You’re paid regularly

When parents are busy, it’s sometimes difficult to ask to be paid. At Tutor My Kids, we invoice our clients directly and pay our tutors separately, so you can focus on the important business of the teaching without worrying if you’ll be paid and any awkwardness that can result. Agencies vary, but don’t assume that you’ll lose part of your fee by working with an agency. At Tutor My Kids we paid in full.

You’re still able to have private clients too

Check the small print, but all reputable agencies should allow you the freedom to take private clients too.

Clients aren’t axe murderers!

OK, I’m being a bit silly, but on a serious note, working through a reputable agency give you the reassurance that the parents and students that you’ll be working with are safe to work with and aren’t going to waste your time.

Obviously agencies vary hugely – take a look at How to choose a good tutoring agency. At Tutor My Kids, tutors in Cambridgeshire, we always visit our clients in their homes prior to us working with them. One of the many reasons we do this is to assess if it’s a safe place for our tutors to work.

Safeguarding

As teachers, safeguarding is very much part of our DNA. We check that our tutors have a current DBS and also ask their current or latest head teacher for a safeguarding reference too. It’s one of the ways we look at safer recruitment. But what about staying secure yourself? At Tutor My Kids, when we arrange tuition we talk about safeguarding with parents – we insist that there is an adult in the house and that tutoring occurs in a downstairs, family friendly room – we’re a great fan of dining room or kitchen tables. It ensures that our tutors are visible and reduces that likelihood of any false allegations.

Get out of jail free card

When you’re working with a client, it’s very difficult to say if you feel it’s not working out with the student for fear of upsetting the family. Working through an agency enables the agency to have that conversation with the parents to help resolve a situation or remove the tutor from it. At Tutor My Kids, because of the great work we do before you meet the student, it’s very unusual that we need to have these conversations, but occasionally we do and we find it’s a great relief to the teacher for us to be able to help in this way.

For further information, take a look at our tutoring page, email Rachel Law or call Rachel on 01223 858421 for an informal chat.

 

Are-you-a-teacher-who-is-happy-at-work?

Posted on by Rachel Law

Research regularly shows that the three main indicators for being happy in your work are freedom to plan your own work, feeling like you’re making a difference and feeling valued.

Do you feel valued?

As a one-to-one tutor in Ely, Cambridge and surrounding areas for Tutor My Kids, our teachers are regularly thanked for helping their child to learn. Perhaps parents of classroom teachers intend to or think to at the end of the school year, but we’re blessed with fantastic parents who appreciate what we do every single visit.

Do you feel that you’re making a difference?

Teaching 30 pupils, makes it really hard to feel like you’re making a difference. You are of course, but it’s not so easily measurable. That or you spend your time measuring and proving that your class has progressed rather than focusing on the planning and teaching.  Private tuition is very straightforward in that way – you can see the difference that you’re making very clearly. Our tutors in Cambrisgeshire regularly see and love those light-bulb moments when their student gets it.

Are you teaching what you feel are the right things for your pupils?

Teachers are under a lot of scrutiny at the moment, from school managers, governors, parents and the government. I’ve had several conversations with teachers in Cambridge and Ely areas who feel that they are no longer able to plan lessons that they think are the right ones for their students. With one-to-one tuition, it is completely possible and necessary to follow exactly what is right for the student. There is time to go back to fill in gaps that would be impossible to achieve in a classroom situation.

Interested in finding out more about private tuition?

For more information on becoming a private tutor in Ely, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Newmarket and surrouning areas with Tutor My Kids, click the link here or email Rachel Law or give her a call on 01223 858421 for a friendly informal chat to see if it might work for you. You might also want to see how much our other tutors enjoy tutoring for Tutor My Kids by reading their stories.

Are-you-a-teacher-who-has-forgotten-what-a-joy-teaching-is?

Posted on by Rachel Law

Private tutor Cambridge

Classroom teaching is very tough, with increasing demands from management, parents and governors. Whilst the government looks at ways to help teacher workload and raise standards, for many of us the system is close to broken.

Rekindle that joy.

Many teachers choose to work with Tutor My Kids and tutor in Ely, Cambridge and surrounding areas. We’re a joyful bunch of  positive teachers who have our joie de vivre back!

Making a difference.

At Tutor My Kids, private tutors in Cambridgeshire, we see that we are making a difference. Working one-to-one with students in their homes or in schools, our teachers can pin point where the student is having difficulties and effectively fill those gaps. We see that we’re making a difference and some times it can be amazingly quick.

Be appreciated.

When was the last time a parent thanked you for teaching their child? This happens all the time at Tutor My Kids. Our parents really appreciate the difference that we make for their children. This is one of the great joys of tutoring. We all need to feel appreciated.

Be autonomous.

We’re hugely grateful to have such a fantastic body of experienced teachers who tutor in Cambridgeshire for Tutor My Kids. I was having a conversation with a teacher who chose to retire early for all of the areas above, but mostly because she was being asked to teach in a way that she felt wasn’t giving her pupils the best outcomes – educationally and developmentally. It wasn’t the ‘right way’ as she saw it. It wasn’t respecting her professional integrity and experience. We trust our teachers to tutor our students in the ways that they feel will be most effective. Needless to say, she’s a fantastic asset to Tutor My Kids and she’s loving tutoring!

Be flexible.

We love flexible working – it gives us all a better work balance, allows for caring responsibilities, hobbies and more fun! That’s the great thing about tutoring; our teachers work when they want to. Most of our work is after school, but we also have students who we work with during the daytime, so you can pick and choose how and when you work.

Focus on the right things.

This is probably the biggest win with private tutoring. Tuition is tailored to the students’ needs, thus enabling the teaching to focus on the right things for each student. Unlike classroom teaching, there are no distractions from the business of just helping pupils learn.

Curious?

Interested in finding out more about our happy team?

Summertime is a great time to have a chat about how private tutoring might work for you – for now or for some time in the future. Feel free to email Rachel or call her on 01223 858421 for an informal chat.

 

Exam Preparation… The Final Day

Posted on by Rachel Law

So you’ve done all the revision and practice that you can… but even the most prepared students can feel like there is always more they can do.  Here are some tips and pointers for the day and hours before each exam.

Last minute revision… the day before: 

You now have limited time; try not to cram – focus your attention to specific areas you’ve either not had time to cover, or you feel you are weaker on.  Consider each topic’s weighting in the course and prioritise.

Be realistic; are you going to be able to learn 50 formulas in a few hours, or would your time be better spent learning 3 key formulas which are more likely to be assessed.

Make a cheat sheet with key details which you can either test yourself on or continue to learn – this is good for dates, formula’s, names.  Keep it brief so you can keep reviewing it throughout the day.

Take another look at any topics you still don’t feel comfortable with; reviewing for a final time may just be what you need for it to sink in.

Get organised:

Double check where you are meant to be, and at what time!  The last thing you need is to turn up at the wrong place, or at the wrong time.

Double check what you are able to take into the exam with you (and what you can’t); pack everything you need together so it is easy to access when you arrive.

Get some rest:

Even though you may be feeling the pressure now, make sure you still take breaks from studying.

Try and relax and get an early night, if you feel like you still have preparation to do, set your alarm to get up early.  Your brain will be better prepared to study after a good sleep and the benefit’s will be greater than studying when you are tired.

Eat and drink.

Be on time:

Turn up early, where possible.  Having a last minute stress being stuck in traffic, or your bus being late won’t help you focus when you arrive.

Now you’re on time, there is a chance for you to talk to your friends, however try not to discuss too much about the exam!  There may be things that they know and you don’t and vice-versa and discussion without the opportunity to review and clarify what is correct may cause panic and confusion.  Not what you need just before the exam.  Stand by yourself and stay calm if you find it helps to stay focused.

In the exam room:

Breathe!

Remember your preparation (reading questions carefully, allocating time etc).

Do your best, and relax!

GOOD LUCK!

Exam Preparation

Posted on by Rachel Law

Exam Preparation

With exams season just around the corner, those of you with exams this year will already know your children are preparing with mock exams and revision, but what else is involved in preparing?  Here are some tips and pointers for your kids.

Plan and start early

Prepare a timetable of realistic time slots when you can study then allocate them to specific subjects.  Remember to consider when the exams for each subject will be held so you can allow extra time to prepare in the lead up to each subject.

Pencil in topic areas, allowing more time for areas you are less comfortable with.

Pencil in practice questions for each subject to test yourself.

Mix up the subjects a bit, making sure you include some of your favourite subjects alongside those you are not so keen on so you don’t get bored or avoid a study session all together.

Make yourself accountable to someone…

Make a copy of your plan and put it somewhere your family can see; not only will this hold you accountable to study when you plan to, but they also know not to disturb you!

Find your space

Find a space that is suitable for you to study.  This may vary depending on what revision you are doing; practicing for your French Oral exam wouldn’t be appropriate in a library, or anywhere you will be self-conscious talking out loud.  Ideally you’ll want somewhere where you can concentrate without distractions and access to appropriate space to work.

Review your notes

Read your notes, make condensed notes and clarify anything you don’t understand.

Prepare revision cards with key facts on them to review and learn when you have a short revision session planned.

Review the syllabus

The syllabus is a great checklist to make sure you’ve covered everything you need to.  If you’re not sure what something is that is on the syllabus, check with your subject teacher.

Test yourself

It’s great reviewing your notes over and over, but unless you test yourself, you won’t know where further understanding is required.

Work with a friend

Study the same topic together and then test each other; ask questions, discuss ideas, practice speaking languages together.

Be selective who you work with, ideally you want someone of a similar ability and with the same motivation to do well.

Take a break 

Allow yourself time to rest! Try and focus on small chunks at a time; review your notes and ensure you understand.  Learn specifics details such as formulas or dates, with repetition.  Then take a break.  Come back later, either after a break or a few days and test yourself.

Reward yourself

Whether it’s a drink and a cookie, or a night off studying, stick to your plan and then reward yourself for doing it.

Ask for help…

Finally, if you need help, ask!  It may be a friend, your teacher or your parents who step in, but if you need additional support, you can get in touch with Tutor My Kids to see how we can offer private tuition to help fill in the gaps.