To not want to pay £35 for a tutor who has no experience outside of trainings?

[Gmamaofboys13]

I'm North West Lancashire, looking for a tutor for my son. Contacted a few tutors and enquired about qualifications, experiences, fees ect. One tutor graduated from uni/ qualified as a teacher in 2016/7, hasn't completed or even started the Newly Qualified year in Teacher training, hasn't worked in a school or directly with children since, has no experience post qualification with children in a school setting, and as far as I am aware no other employment experience, ...but is charging £35 per hour for zoom sessions.

Where there are other tutors who have worked in schools as qualified school teachers for 10-15 years+ charging less...

The in person agency I tutor for changes £42 per hour - I see £16.50 of that (as a qualified Chemistry teacher with 4 years teaching experience)

I have no idea what the online agency I use charges - but I get £21 per hour on a self employed basis (so have to take tax, etc. off that).

I could make more direct but I'm just getting started with tutoring, so need to build a reputation and client base first.

Just go with who you think will be the best fit for the best rate.

I paid that for a medical student to help my dd with A-level biology.
If the person has overpriced themselves then they won't get the customers.
Do most tutors have actual teaching qualifications ? I have hired teachers as a tutor but my dd had a job as a tutor when she was studying A-levels (she didn't get £35ph)

@Mummbles
*
Many experienced teachers are only doing it because they're too incompetent to do anything and it's almost impossible to get rid of bad teachers just for being bad*

What a needlessly nasty and ignorant post.

I'm guessing as an "ex teacher" you have an axe to grind.

It's actually ridiculously easy to get rid of experienced teachers, good or bad. I've seen it happen too many times to count in the last decade and most of them were a huge loss to the profession.

In answer to the OP, we pay for tutoring at a study centre instead op, it's a cheaper rate and maximum 3 in a class. Dd loves it and has come on in leaps and bounds.

Then don't pick that tutor? I'm not sure what the AIBU is...

If it was a STEM subject I'd go for a recently graduated Tutor if that person had a Masters /PhD over teaching experience

honestly, I can't stress enough that recent/current teaching experience in schools is pretty much essential if a tutor is going to be able to support you through GCSE/A Level. There is so much hoop-jumping to be done in exams. It's as much about understanding what an examiner is looking for as understanding the actual content itself. Unless a tutor is experienced in interpreting an exam specification and mark schemes, it can be money down the drain.

I am not suggesting that someone with a Masters or PhD can't do those interpretations accurately but it is really enhanced when you're doing it day in, day out and getting the results back. Even better if a tutor has been an examiner because that's when you really start to understand the nuance of mark schemes.

Having previously worked as a teacher, I wouldn't think that experience in teaching actually makes you a remotely good teacher by the way. Many experienced teachers are only doing it because they're too incompetent to do anything and it's almost impossible to get rid of bad teachers just for being bad

Why is it that failed teachers often think they know better than the people who are more successful in that field?

Teaching uses a very complex set of intersecting skills and you get better at it with experience. The fact that an individual can be good from the start or poor after decades doesn't mean there isn't a clear pattern.

No-one who has never seen a classroom will be better than OK (at high school and A-level) because they haven't experienced enough learning cycles with enough kids to absorb all the nuance. It's why exam boards don't let ECTs mark papers.

It's as much about understanding what an examiner is looking for as understanding the actual content itself. Unless a tutor is experienced in interpreting an exam specification and mark schemes

This. I have a Biochemistry degree and 20 years teaching GCSE Biology and A-level Chem. I know the material of the A-level biology course well and have done cover lessons but I would never tutor it because it's the experience of teaching and marking over and over that lets you understand how to move a C to an A.

We pay more than that and it's money well spent - it's totally transformed not only my daughter's life, but our life as a family too. Best investment we ever made.
I personally wouldn't want a teacher - I'd want someone who was open to approaching learning in a different way, rather than what they've been (recently) taught or habits they've picked up.
Having kissed a lot of frogs in the tutoring world, as PPs have said, you very much get what you pay for! We use a company called Tayberry who we'd seen quite a few fellow mumsnetters recommend and I too would recommend them in a heartbeat X

What is your issue?

If you don't want to use a service then don't!?

They can choose what to charge. You can choose whether to use them or not.

Choose a tutor you are happy with. End of problem, surely?

I have no teaching experience, 9 years tutoring experience and charge 80 an hour for my own clients. If I work for an agency, they charge the client 250-350 an hour (I don't see all of that!). I'm considered very good at what I do but have never worked in a classroom. So many factors to consider...a good match between tutor and student is essential. Good luck in your search.

One-to-one tutoring is a very different skill to classroom teaching (I've done both). A good classroom teacher will not automatically male a good tutor and vice versa. What is required is an excellent knowledge of the requirements for each exam board, excellent knowledge of how to pull students up from say a C grade to an A grade (and this is not always just subject knowledge, it can come down to factors such as how organised the student is, how they approach their learning and revision etc - you'd be surprised at how many students feel that learning is a passive process - it's not!!!!). Tutors also need to have the ability to develop excellent relationships with their students, parents and in some cases, teachers as well. When done well it's not the easy money earner people think it is - it requires lots of preparation time outside of sessions and CPD is not paid for, so the tutor needs to make the effort to do this themselves.

Also, the vast majority of tutors are self-employed (and even if they are doing it as a sideline, they still need to pay tax on their earnings). When people are self-employed their hourly rate should reflect not only their knowledge and experience, but also the fact they need to cover sick pay, holiday pay, tax, NI, pension contributions etc.

Many people would happily pay £35 for a haircut, but bawk at paying this for a tutor. If £35 is outside of your budget, that's fine. There are plenty of tutors out there right across the price range, simply use one of those instead.

*make not male

You really do need to advertise for direct clients. You are worth so much more than that.

So use one of them.

personally, I would find a newly qualified teacher appealing. Keen, relevant, up to date.

I pay £30 an hour for online Maths tuition for child with learning disabilities with a TA. She is brilliant with him and goes at his pace. I was a secondary teacher for almost 30 years and I recognise good teaching when I see it. Son says she is a good explainer.

Absolutely.