Now that you've made some important decisions about your tutor, it's time to do a little research. The first question is: Where should I look? You actually have a lot of options. Just like when you go shopping for a new car, you shouldn't limit your options just to what's available in one location. Instead, you can begin your search by talking with your child's teacher. They may be able to give you suggestions for a good tutor in your area. If not, they may be able to give you some ideas of places to look and things to look for.
Craigslist is a great resource (http://stlouis.craigslist.org/ for the St. Louis area. (For those of you outside the St. Louis Metro area, there are links on this page to take you to the listings for your city and state.) Of course, the downside to using Craigslist is that everyone can hide behind anonymity. However, you will be interviewing your prospective tutors before you hire them, so that doesn't have to be a problem. Another great source is WyzAnt.com. WyzAnt is a well-respected directory of tutors. There are tens of thousands of tutors listed. A tutor's profile can include information about the tutor's experience and education, as well as a picture of the tutor and a description of what they do. You will see the rate the tutor charges, the subjects offered, and their location. You can check out my WyzAnt profile at http://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/B_D_Tutoring. There are many other, less well-used used directories of tutors. Some of these are https://www.uniiverse.com/, https://www.care.com, https://www.sittercity.com, https://apps.facebook.com/youandischool/, and http://www.geektutors.com/ to name a few. If you decide to go with a chain, some of the more popular and larger chains in the St. Louis area include: TutorDoctor, Sylan Learning Center, Kumon Center, and Mathnasium. There are many smaller companies available.
Now that you have a few places to look, should you jump in and start contacting tutors? NO! Before even speaking to one tutor, you need to see what's available. After seeing what your options are, you need to do a little comparison shopping. What's the going rate for tutors in your area? What's the difference in rates between those that are certified teachers and those that aren't? Between tutors with degrees and those without? Between private tutors and companies? See if you can find tutors that do most of the things you listed yesterday. Will you be able to find what you're looking for? How much should you expect to pay? If you can't find tutors that are offering what you want, are all the things on your list non-negotiable? Are you willing to accept less than you originally planned? If you do find tutors that offer what you want in your area, you're ready to start talking!
Join us tomorrow when we talk about what you should expect when you talk with and meet your prospective tutors.
Craigslist is a great resource (http://stlouis.craigslist.org/ for the St. Louis area. (For those of you outside the St. Louis Metro area, there are links on this page to take you to the listings for your city and state.) Of course, the downside to using Craigslist is that everyone can hide behind anonymity. However, you will be interviewing your prospective tutors before you hire them, so that doesn't have to be a problem. Another great source is WyzAnt.com. WyzAnt is a well-respected directory of tutors. There are tens of thousands of tutors listed. A tutor's profile can include information about the tutor's experience and education, as well as a picture of the tutor and a description of what they do. You will see the rate the tutor charges, the subjects offered, and their location. You can check out my WyzAnt profile at http://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/B_D_Tutoring. There are many other, less well-used used directories of tutors. Some of these are https://www.uniiverse.com/, https://www.care.com, https://www.sittercity.com, https://apps.facebook.com/youandischool/, and http://www.geektutors.com/ to name a few. If you decide to go with a chain, some of the more popular and larger chains in the St. Louis area include: TutorDoctor, Sylan Learning Center, Kumon Center, and Mathnasium. There are many smaller companies available.
Now that you have a few places to look, should you jump in and start contacting tutors? NO! Before even speaking to one tutor, you need to see what's available. After seeing what your options are, you need to do a little comparison shopping. What's the going rate for tutors in your area? What's the difference in rates between those that are certified teachers and those that aren't? Between tutors with degrees and those without? Between private tutors and companies? See if you can find tutors that do most of the things you listed yesterday. Will you be able to find what you're looking for? How much should you expect to pay? If you can't find tutors that are offering what you want, are all the things on your list non-negotiable? Are you willing to accept less than you originally planned? If you do find tutors that offer what you want in your area, you're ready to start talking!
Join us tomorrow when we talk about what you should expect when you talk with and meet your prospective tutors.