Example Career: Tutors

Career Description

Provide non-classroom, academic instruction to students on an individual or small-group basis for proactive or remedial purposes.

What Job Titles Tutors Might Have

• Academic Guidance Specialist
• Educational Advisor
• Learning Services Coordinator
• Tutorial Laboratory Supervisor (Tutorial Lab Supervisor)

What Tutors Do

• Provide feedback to students using positive reinforcement techniques to encourage, motivate, or build confidence in students.
• Teach students study skills, note-taking skills, and test-taking strategies.
• Review class material with students by discussing text, working solutions to problems, or reviewing worksheets or other assignments.
• Provide private instruction to individual or small groups of students to improve academic performance, improve occupational skills, or prepare for academic or occupational tests.
• Assess students' progress throughout tutoring sessions.
• Schedule tutoring appointments with students or their parents.
• Monitor student performance or assist students in academic environments, such as classrooms, laboratories, or computing centers.
• Organize tutoring environment to promote productivity and learning.
• Participate in training and development sessions to improve tutoring practices or learn new tutoring techniques.
• Develop teaching or training materials, such as handouts, study materials, or quizzes.
• Maintain records of students' assessment results, progress, feedback, or school performance, ensuring confidentiality of all records.
• Prepare lesson plans or learning modules for tutoring sessions according to students' needs and goals.
• Collaborate with students, parents, teachers, school administrators, or counselors to determine student needs, develop tutoring plans, or assess student progress.
• Prepare and facilitate tutoring workshops, collaborative projects, or academic support sessions for small groups of students.
• Research or recommend textbooks, software, equipment, or other learning materials to complement tutoring.
• Communicate students' progress to students, parents or teachers in written progress reports, in person, by phone, or by email.
• Identify, develop, or implement intervention strategies, tutoring plans, or individualized education plans (IEPs) for students.
• Travel to students' homes, libraries, or schools to conduct tutoring sessions.
• Administer, proctor, or score academic or diagnostic assessments.

What Tutors Should Be Good At

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

What Tutors Should Be Interested In

• Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

What Tutors Need to Learn

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.