Home Tutors: What You Need to Know Before Becoming One

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Singapore is one of the leading countries when it comes to the education system. As Singapore is well-known for its high standard when it comes to education, there’s also a lot of pressure put on students to maintain it. So, it’s not a surprise to learn that almost 97% of students in Singapore have had a home tutor at least once in their academic life. Students spend more time on their education than their counterparts around the world and they also participate in other extra-curricular activities.

With this number growing year by year, there is no better time to join the home tuition industry than now. Home tutors are in high demand and can even become a full-time career for some. The pay is also lucrative and not only that, you’ll be able to help struggling students reach their academic goals. If the satisfaction from the wage will not do, then the triumphant smiles on their faces will.

However, like any new endeavor, you may also have some hesitancy when thinking of becoming a home tutor. Don’t worry, we have a list of the things you need to know before becoming a home tutor that will help you in your journey.

1. You don’t have to be an expert

While this may be true, it still greatly varies and depends on what you are teaching. However, in most cases, this is the truth. You may think that being a home tutor requires you to be an expert in a subject that knows everything about it from the largest concepts to the minuscule ones. The truth is far from it. You don’t have to be an expert and you don’t also have to have everything memorized about the topic.

Most times, you may think that you have forgotten everything you have learned in school. Partially from the number of years that have passed and partially because not everything you have learned relates to your field. However, it may come as a surprise to you how much you still remember the moment you open a textbook.

Additionally, what is more important in home tuition is for you to be passionate about the subject and teaching the subject. There is a line between being able to understand the topic and helping students understand the topic. The latter is what should be emphasized more in home tutoring. As such, it would even be better if you are also passionate about helping struggling students understand the lessons and topics they are having trouble with. Parents will more likely look for a home tutor who is good at teaching their children rather than home tutors who are experts in the field.

2. Building a relationship is important

Your students wouldn’t just be your students. They will not only look at you as their tutor. You can be their adviser or confidante. You will not only focus on the lessons and the grades but also on your student’s comfort. Before you will be able to teach them, they should be comfortable around you as well as trust you. 1-to-1 teaching is different from classroom learning wherein there is only one teacher for a number of students.

While it is important to help your student understand their lessons, you also have to understand that they are already under a lot of stress and pressure. Every child is different, they have different needs and requirements. If you fail to understand what they need, teaching them will become even harder, which could then add stress to them and to yourself. If you want to build a career in home tuition, you should also learn to build a relationship with your students.

3. Be patient

All students have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some of them process information in a snap and don’t need follow-ups, while others take a while and need to be constantly supported with other scenarios to back up the concept. Students also excel in different subjects such as others are good at Math while others are better at English.

A huge chunk of your job will be understanding and dealing with different types of students, and we don’t just mean in the sense that you will be teaching them. With tutoring students, you will also need to learn what makes them tick and what aspects they need improvement in. With that, you need to learn to be patient. Children will not easily open up to you so you’d have to work to also get them to trust you. While some parents engage in home tutors to help their children prepare for the next lesson or to keep them ahead in school, many others are genuinely struggling.

4. It can be challenging

Teaching can be difficult, especially if you haven’t done it before. As a tutor, you will have many responsibilities and roles that you will need to fulfill. Some of your responsibilities include establishing and maintaining a good relationship with your students as well as their parents. Remember that you will not only be dealing with your students but their parents, and sometimes, parents can be more difficult to deal with than parents.

Additionally, you are also in charge not only of teaching students but also of making sure you are teaching them at their own pace. Teach them quicker than they can handle and they will fail to understand everything while teaching them slower than what they need will bore them. Aside from that you also have to make sure that lessons are also interesting and engaging. You also have the responsibility to motivate your students and push them to use their potential to reach their goals.

5. Know what you want to teach

The appeal of teaching every subject under the sun is understandable especially if your aim is to get as many students as possible. However, this wouldn’t be sustainable for you in the long run. You may even be more prone to burnout or not meeting expectations because you have been juggling more students than you can handle. Instead of doing this, pick and focus on teaching something you also genuinely enjoy. Students are also perceptive and they will understand if you also lack the enthusiasm in teaching a certain subject.

Core subjects like Math, English, and Physics are in high demand. Subjects like Geography and History will have lesser demands as only a fraction of people study them. However, focusing on one subject will help you to become better at it yourself. With that being said, it is true that teaching multiple subjects to the same student usually pays better.

6. It can be stressful

Being a full-time home tutor in Singapore is definitely a lucrative career. There is a high demand and an opportunity to turn it into a career that will help you reach financial stability. However, it is also true that the job can be extremely stressful and busy. There is already a lot of pressure for these students to succeed so it also puts the pressure on you to help them succeed. Sometimes, parents can be quite adamant that they want results almost immediately, while also dealing with frustrated students who are not seeing progress in themselves. This can be stressful for home tutors.

Not to mention that you will be working with multiple students with multiple needs and different levels of mastery. It’s not a secret that the pay is good however if you are not ready the job can come off as extremely demanding.

7. Tutoring is rewarding

Perhaps, this is the most important point to make of all. Tutoring is extremely rewarding. As we mentioned before, as a home tutor you will also go through hardships with your students. There will be times their frustrations will seep into you or there will be times the demand from their parents will get to you. However, there is still no better feeling than seeing them finally understand the concept you have worked so hard for them to understand. After hours and hours of teaching and using different sorts of methods, seeing the light in their eyes when they finally understand the topic is like no other.

The feeling is even more rewarding when you see them meet their goals. Being a home tutor in Singapore has its pros and cons. There are factors you have to consider before diving right into it. But if you understand the sheer happiness in seeing the students you spent a large amount of teaching finally succeed in their academic journey, then registering to be a home tutor may be for you.

Carelle

Carelle

Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.

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About FamilyTutor!

FamilyTutor is an established home tuition agency in Singapore! We match suitable home tutors for our clients not just to improve the students' academic grades, but also to build a strong rapport and meaningful relationship with the students and even the their whole family. FamilyTutor put every student in good hands!

If you need an excellent home tutor, feel free to call/WhatsApp us at +65 8777-2168! Our matching service is free!

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