Teachers turned stay-at-home parents: FINALLY! A WIN IN 2020!
Deciding to be a stay-at-home mom seemed like a no-brainer before I actually had to leave my job. I loved teaching in my own classroom, and I feared never getting that feeling of excitement and adrenalin we all know and love.
Just when I left, enter virtual tutoring! PHEW! What a relief it was to have this new option. It's a blast being able to plan lessons on my own schedule and tutor for a couple hours a week right from my home desktop. Honestly, it's easier than you might think and, as an added bonus, you're your own boss. Yay for my fellow "mompreneurs!"
Before you dive into the world of virtual tutoring, here are some tips you'll wish you knew!
1. Plan a Time That Works For Your Schedule
One of the great benefits of virtual tutoring is the ability to schedule sessions at times that work best for you. Because so many students are on a virtual school schedule as well, this often opens up many hours for tutoring that a traditional school schedule would have never allowed.
For me, tutoring during my daughter's naps works best. Sure it's not always lined up perfectly, but parents tend to be very understanding if you need to step aside for a minute or two. After all, they've been working from home with kids too all these months. Make it work for you, and give yourself a little bit of wiggle room as needed.
2. Check Out Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT)
There are so many AMAZING resources created by teachers on TPT that it's almost a sin not to at least browse the shops. Some of my best tutoring sessions came about as a result of a really cool game or interactive slideshow that I purchased from TPT.
Click here to visit my TPT page for a variety of elementary-level resources. I encourage you to check out many teachers' pages as well. Whether it's free or for purchase, the content on this site is invaluable, especially for those of us who might not be able to dedicate a whole lot of time to planning.
3. Set a Planning Time
Speaking of planning, we know that the best teachers take time to plan out their lessons ahead of time. To ensure you fit it into your busy schedule, try any one of these tips:
- Commit to a day and time
- Baby's nap time? After dinner? Early Monday morning? Find a time that works and stick to it.
- Set reminders
- Alexa and Siri are my best friends for this reason.
- Plan Ahead
- On the days you have a little more time, plan for more than one session. This will help on those busy weeks when planning just isn't on your priority list.
- Create re-usable resources
- Anchor charts and games can be used again and again. Just as we would in the classroom setting, don't forget to use them in your online sessions! (More on this below!)
4. Create a General Virtual Classroom
Reuse and recycle! Creating a general virtual classroom is a must!
Your classroom should include links to sites and documents you will frequently refer to. It's your one-stop-shop.
Whether you create your classrooms around subjects or grade-levels, having ones that are customizable will be a lifesaver once you build up your clientele.
This is my math tutoring classroom:
This is my reading and writing classroom:
I highly recommend THIS website for all of the fancy digital tools I use with my students. Whether you need dice, spinners, pattern blocks, fraction bars...you name it...it's there!
These are the first slides of a Google Slides presentation I share with my students. All of our resources can be found on the slides that follow. It's an easy way to keep all of our information in one place without having to use tools such as Google Classroom or another hub website. Just share your presentation and you're all set!
5. Preload Your Tabs
When you only have 30 minutes to an hour to teach, the last thing you want to do is spend time waiting for your screen to load.
Try preloading all of the websites you'll want to use before the session begins. It's a simple tip, but it's a lifesaver.
6. Use the Whiteboard Feature
Did you know that Zoom has a whiteboard feature? You can share your whiteboard with your student and both interact with your writing in various colors. Amazing!
Here's an example of a time when my student and I used the whiteboard.
My favorite tip...screenshot your work and add it to your resources pages or whatever platform you choose to use. It's always helpful for students to have an example to refer back to.
7. Let Kids Share Their Screens
This one is scary, I know. Trust me though...the leap is worth the outcome.
Students feel empowered when we allow them to take on some control. So let them manipulate online tools and share their thinking with you! Don't worry, you can always stop screen sharing at any time if necessary.
8. Not Everything Has to be Digital
Add some color to your sessions! Not everything has to be digital.
Sure, I use the whiteboard feature all the time, but that doesn't mean I've done away with traditional writing utensils.
Encourage your students to keep colored pens or markers with them at their work station. This is great for having students draw or write things out. The colors are fun for them and easier for you to view on camera.
9. Post-Its Are Your Friend
In a similar vein, I still rely heavily on Post-Its.
Tutoring sessions can move along pretty quickly. Post-Its are a great tool for quickly jotting down notes to be reorganized later on.
Whatsmore, Post-Its are small enough to hold up to your camera to show students what you've drawn. Just remember that any writing may appear backward, so try not to write out too much. Pictures are the best.
10. Know Your Limits
Don't take on too many sessions before you're ready.
I started with one student for an hour a week. Only once I figured out my planning schedule and felt comfortable in front of the camera did I begin to grow my clientele list.
Remember, whatever your reason for taking on virtual tutoring may be, you need to feel prepared, relaxed, and confident. Our students do best when we are our best.
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Good luck with your future tutoring sessions! If any of these tips helped you, I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below!
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