Many teachers turn to tutoring in the summer (or even during the school year) for extra income. It can be so rewarding to work one-on-one with a student regularly and watch their growth! I love that it also gives my teacher-brain practice during the summer to stay sharp!
Tutoring is not a quick or brainless side-job, however – it takes lots of intentional planning.
I tutored for several years while I taught, in the summer and throughout the school year. Once I left the classroom, I continued tutoring for extra income while I stayed home with my oldest. I loved that I was still able to work with students without leaving my little one all day.
Here are some things to consider before you start:
When will you tutor?
Summer can be a great time for tutoring, but many parents are looking for tutors during the school year as well.
You will need to think about how many of your afternoons you will want to offer tutoring. If you are working with multiple students, you may want to schedule them back to back on certain days, or you may want each student on a different day.
Create a schedule to keep track of what days and times you will be working with students.
Where will you tutor?
You could tutor at the students’ home, at your home, or at the library or other neutral location. This will depend on your preference and what the family is comfortable with. I love tutoring at my home so I never have to worry about packing supplies – I have everything I needed!
What will you tutor?
Often times, parents will be looking for tutoring for a specific subject. Will you tutor reading, math, or both? You will also need to think about what grades you will tutor. If you tutor a student for multiple years, when will you no longer be comfortable with the content they need?
Getting started
Create a Tutoring Agreement
Once you have students you will be tutoring, you should create a contract laying out your expectations. It can be simple, but do this from the beginning – trust me!
Things you may want to include:
- Policy for cancellations or no shows
- Policy for rescheduling
- Fees per hour
- Agreed days/times for tutoring sessions
Build a Tutoring Basket
Before your first session, get your materials organized! Keep all of your supplies together in a bin or basket for easy access. I love having a caddy because I am able to grab everything I need when I travel to tutor, or I can move it to my kitchen table when I tutor at home.
- Books
- Dice
- Magnetic letters
- Whiteboards
- Dry erase markers
- Highlighters
- Pencils
- Glue sticks
- Scissors
- Sticky notes
Organize with a Tutoring Binder
I keep all important papers for tutoring in a binder. I love how this binder kept all important information together, so I am never wondering what book we read last week or how to contact a parent.
Things I include:
- Tutoring agreements
- Student information forms with contact information
- Pages for planning sessions
- Chart for notes to keep track of books read and any skills worked on
- Pages of student notes to send home
- Activities and printables I was using
You can create your own binder, or get the one I created in my TPT store. After tutoring for several years, I combined everything I needed into my tutoring binder and I know it will save you time and help you stay organized. It is filled with editable forms and templates so you can choose what you need!
Wishing you the best of luck with your tutoring! Would love to hear how it goes!
happy teaching
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