How to Structure a 30-minute Tutoring Session
What started out as a regular Thursday quickly turned into a teaching nightmare.
Trying to teach small groups in my kindergarten classroom had turned into a daily struggle.
Something I wasn’t used to since I moved schools.
Like a scene from a movie, suddenly everything was in slow motion.
One student running around the room whacking people on the head. Another one crying because, well, she’d cried every day since school started, and of course to put the cherry on top, a bathroom accident.
Maybe this is a reason why other elementary teachers would constantly say “I don’t know how you teach kindergarten!”
On days like this, I wasn’t sure how I did either.
What did I know? I was coming home exhausted, frazzled and at the end of my rope on a daily basis.
If you’re a teacher, maybe you can relate?
I was in teacher burnout and thought it would never end. When you start the countdown to retirement when you’ve only been teaching a handful of years, that’s not a good sign.
It wasn’t until a former student’s mom asked me to help their child with reading that it hit me.
Use skills you already have as a teacher to run a profitable tutoring business
I could use skills I already had to work with students 1-1 (something I loved) and make extra money on the side.
In just a few sessions, I liked teaching again. I was getting the feeling that I was actually making a difference and seeing quick results.
Working 1-1 with a student is powerful when there aren’t little fires everywhere to put out.
As a teacher you are uniquely positioned to tutor. You know how to structure a lesson plan because you have years of experience doing this in the classroom.
What would it be like to fall in love with teaching again by working with motivated students and grateful parents?
Or maybe you’d like to earn extra money so they can pay off the car, book that biking trip through Italy, or have enough left over at the end of the day to send your kid to camp.
What if you could regain a sense of control and freedom in your life?
Teachers are uniquely suited for a tutoring business
Stop overthinking it and start doing it!
Structuring a 30 minute session requires a little bit of prep each week and most of the time, you can sync the prep with what you’re already doing in the classroom.
How to Structure 30-minute Tutoring Sessions:
1. Start with some kind of familiar warm-up. (5-10 minutes)
Kids feel successful when they complete a task independently and starting your tutoring session with something familiar not only boosts their confidence but it prepares them for the work ahead. This can look different depending on the subject area. For reading, this might mean sight word practice. For math, you could do fact practice. Keep it simple and something they’re already proficient with.
2. Transition into the meat of the session. (15-20 minutes)
This is where you are working on the child’s learning goals. Allow 15-20 minutes to teach what they are learning to flow into independent practice.
3. End the session with a fun learning game or something of the child’s choice. (5-10 minutes)
Letting them choose is powerful because it helps build your like, know and trust factor. Even if it’s letting them choose something unrelated to what they were learning, it’s beneficial to your future work together. The added bonus? You get to be a kid for a few minutes yourself!
Of course this structure can work for 45-60 minute tutoring sessions as well. Adjust the times according to each individual kiddo you are working with.
With just a few sessions each week you can see dramatic results with tutoring.
Curious how you can make an extra $1,000 a month with just a handful of clients? Check out my handy dandy Tutoring Calculator to see your earning potential.
Use my free tutoring income calculator to find out how much money you can earn tutoring!
Click here to see how much money you can earn tutoring with my FREE tutoring income calculator!
What’s your biggest struggle getting started with tutoring? Tell me in the comments so I can help!