Tutoring vs part- time teaching

[MrsBubble]

Is anyone not enjoying tuition? I have been doing it for a few years since I had my little one and I am not finding it financially secure but also really not enjoying it. I have young children I'm tutoring with, understandably, short attention spans, teaching them in formal ways demanded by parents. Constant cancellations because I never had terms and conditions in place from the start and feeling the time travelling to and from each individual a complete waste and exhausting.
I know school teaching means being extremely overworked now more than ever but I just wanted to know if anyone has gone back to teaching after tutoring or doing both together?
I almost also miss the social aspect of mixing with adults that you get in a classroom as oppose to working with little ones 1:1.

Tutoring is a supplemental income - especially because the hours you can work are mostly limited to outside of school hours. Is it just young children that you teach or are you able to teach older / secondary school level?

yeah I guess I didn't think about it like that and I haven't had childcare to branch out to home schooled or children that can't access schooling etc.
I can do any primary aged children. I do have children I tutor up to year 6.

@MrsBubble Have you thought about focusing on 11+ exams? I find that parents who are motivated to hire a tutor to address their exam concerns are more likely to make sure their child is paying attention in the lessons.

I really enjoy tutoring but it's definitely crucial to have clear ts and cs about payment and cancellations in place. My families have to pay 48 hours in advance, preferably monthly, and cancellations within 48 hours of their lesson need to be paid for. I am really firm about this now.

Could you tutor from your home, I find this so much nicer, and it means a my resources are to hand and I can fit more lessons in - I do three 50 minute sessions each evening, with 10 minutes between each one.

There are some really supportive Facebook groups for tutoring: Twinkl private tutors and Grow your tutoring business into a full time job. Worth taking a look.

yeah this sounds good. I think I shot myself in the foot being too friendly and relaxed, even with the children. I always managed to find a good control over my class but felt I have been softer with my tutees for sure

I love the idea of tutoring from my home but when I asked my families this they weren't keen. do you have primary aged students?
I really wish I had started out like this but now I feel it's hard to go back and implement. I was also charging too little compared to the tutors in my area - even unqualified teachers were charging more than me. I managed to pluck up the courage to up my rates from next month but I definitely needed to put the t&cs in place. I'll check out the fb groups too, thank you.

Yes I tutor Primary children and they're absolutely fine about coming to me. I explain that I have children booked in before and after their slot so couldn't travel to them. Some parents come in, others wait on the driveway, some drop and go. I've only had two or three enquiries in three years that didn't progress because they wanted me to travel to them.

It is hard to change things when they're used to it being one way, but definitely doable, I've tweaked my ts and cs and timings so many times! It's only as you go that you realise what's going to work and the sort of tricky situations that come up. It's sometimes hard at first, coming from a teaching background, to be business minded, but I'm finding it does get easier.

I've met up with a few other tutors in my area, which has been nice for feeling I have colleagues. I also try to meet friends for coffee mid week when I can and to get out to an exercise class or for a walk or swim in the day.

that's really good you were firm about them coming to you to accommodate other students, I think I will try and adjust things as time goes on. in all fairness two of my students are literally on the roads surrounding me but of course time is still spent going to and fro.
also sounds lovely meeting tutors in the area. I definitely think I need to make a good go of doing it in a way that suits me but allows me to be successful with it too

@MrsBubble Parents have been a lot more open about online tuition since the pandemic. Have you looked at being listed on the online tuition websites?

For me, the social contact at school in a team of like-minded adults is as important as my work with children and I don’t think it’s strange that you would miss that.

Dont forget to factor in the value of employment benefits like sickness and maternity pay when making a financial comparison between tutoring and PT teaching, plus of course pension contributions. Are you paying into a pension now?

I don't currently pay into a pension but then I wasn't doing so when I was working in a school either so I'm not too concerned in terms of that but definitely interested in mat pay and ofc sickness will come in handy.I have a fair bit of credit card debt to clear before we try and get a mortgage and the inconsistency im getting with tuition funds is also swaying me towards going back to sch.

TBH OP this sounds like a bit of a no-brainer. You will almost certainly earn more PT teaching than you currently do tutoring. Once you have cleared your debt it is much easier to get a mortgage when you are salaried than when you are self-employed. Going back to the classroom does mean working hard but it doesn’t have to mean being extremely overworked, especially if you find a job share that works for you. I think you might also find the extra work is balanced by a benefit to your overall well-being from social contact with adults, and the camaraderie of working in a team.

thanks @ThanksItHasPockets I have been applying for 2 day a week positions from September so I'm hoping I will get one of them as it makes a lot of sense what youre saying and I will come out of it if the job share thing doesn't work out.

Good luck!

As long as your firm on immediate payment, cancelation costs etc from the beginning, parents will respect you and let others know about you. Referrals this way are a good source of traffic and advertising.

The better and more professional your approach to teaching children the greater your chances of securing their friendship, attention span, motivation and even stimulation.

I do both. I tutor for the 11+, so parents rarely miss a session. I charge a half-term's worth of lessons up front, and make it clear that if a session is cancelled, I will offer an alternative time where possible but it's not guaranteed. I don't do catch up lessons in the holidays, else I'd be essentially working for free and having to pay childcare twice.
However, now all my children are in school, I've gone back to part-time teaching, so I can earn most of my money while my kids are at school. I also really missed being part of a team.