Tutoring: For Teachers Who Can't Handle Classrooms...

Up until this year, I was convinced that my destiny was to become an English teacher. Not because I liked teaching, but because I LOVED my subject. I love reading, I love writing and I love talking about the things I’ve read.

However, I soon discovered that my fatal flaw would throw one almighty spanner in the works. This hamartia was my severe dislike of secondary school students. I can handle them in a one on one situation, but around their friends, people change. I knew that I didn’t have the patience or the incentive to deal with a moody teenager convinced that their year six SAT’s equate to more than any degree. They annoyed me in secondary school; they’ll annoy me if I try to teach them.

Much to my mother’s dismay, I cancelled my work experience at a secondary school, and applied for a writing position with my university newspaper. What I didn’t do, was disable my account with www.tutorhunt.com. While I didn’t want to be a teacher, I did need to make some money. So I left the profile on there, and secretly hoped no one would want to hire me.

Eventually though, someone did. Tutoring, as it turns out, isn’t so hard. I’m not dealing with an entire classroom, and through hiring me, the student is admitting, that no, they don’t know all there is to know. It’s the perfect compromise. I get to spend more time around a subject I love, and most importantly, I get paid. So far, I’ve tutored at both a primary school level, and at A2. At £10 an hour, I don’t make a lot. But it’s a lot better than working at a football stadium, with greasy burgers and rancid hotdogs for £6.10 an hour.

Apparently I do have a passion for teaching, and I can deal with students in small doses. For anyone who’s considering going into the teaching profession, I would recommend tutoring. That way, you can earn while you figure out whether or not it’s actually for you.

For now, I’m going to keep on tutoring. I don’t want to be a teacher, but I do like teaching. Eventually, I will need to get a ‘proper job’, and tutoring will take the back seat. But until then, I’m enjoying what I do, and I intend to keep doing it.
The average rate for an experienced tutor is about £20 an hour. Highly experienced teachers can charge so much more, but I don’t think I’ll ever do that. £15 an hour will be the most I ever charge. If I’m still doing it at the end of my 2nd year, I’ll re think going into teaching. Unless of course, my dislike of arrogant students get to me too much. We’ll have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading, and if you liked this blog, be sure to come back and read my others. There’s sure to be lots to write about this summer, and I intend to have an opinion on it all.