Example Career: Tutors

Career Description

Instruct individual students or small groups of students in academic subjects to support formal class instruction or to prepare students for standardized or admissions tests.

What Job Titles Tutors Might Have

• Academic Coach
• Academic Guidance Specialist
• Professional Tutor
• Tutor

What Tutors Do

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

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.