Sharing what I’ve learned and looking for advice!

Question

Sharing what I’ve learned and looking for advice!

Hey everyone,

I’m Jake, a new Wyzant tutor in Denver, Colorado. I just completed my first month of full-time tutoring on the platform and wanted to share some thoughts in case they’re helpful for those just starting out – and also get some advice from more experienced tutors here!

I tutor high school math (Algebra to Calculus - space waves), and a little SAT/ACT prep. I’ve tutored informally in college, but this is the first time I’ve done this on a regular, paid basis – and honestly, it’s been a great experience so far.

Challenges I’ve faced:

Some students drop out after just 1-2 sessions. I’m not sure if it’s motivation or if I’m not meeting expectations.

I started low to attract students, but now I'm wondering when and how to increase the price without turning off prospective students.

I have a very bright middle schooler who loses focus between classes. Do you have any tips for managing that?

How do you encourage students to commit to regular classes, especially when they don't have a clear deadline like an upcoming test?

Do you have any strategies for keeping younger students engaged in online classes?

I'd love to hear from you. Honestly, the Wyzant community seems like a very supportive place, and I'm grateful to be a part of it.

Thanks in advance,

Jake R.

Math Tutor | Denver, CO

Answer 1

The distracted student suffers from too many external stimuli and needs physical, mental, and social blinders. Take physical distraction for example. A hungry child focuses on food; a thirsty child focuses on drinks; a tired child focuses on sleep; a handicapped or diseased child focuses on the organic problem; that child needs a specialist or technician. Mental distraction are cultural. External pressures include war, bombs blasts, buildings. burned, screaming children screeching from napalm, limbless people linger in tented medical centers as hospitals lie torched as drones fly above, traumatic troubled teens tense up in cynical mental alienation as artificial intellectual machines manufactured machined produce false fictions of fun, fame, and fantasy, and women weep as the values of legacy. morality, and ethos wither up like a rotten apple.