In order to become a calculus tutor, you must first be very well-versed in mathematics. At the very least, you should have taken some college-level courses in calculus and performed well in them. Having a background in education is also very helpful, but many tutors do not have degrees in education.
It is common for college students to work as tutors for students in junior high school and high school. If you want to become a calculus tutor, one of the best ways to get started is to begin working as a tutor while you are still in school. Some high schools even have programs called peer tutoring programs during which students with advanced skill sets help students who are a grade or unit behind them.
If you want to become a calculus tutor, it is important to be able to communicate ideas clearly and to work with students even when they are feeling frustrated. Being able to keep students focused on the work and encouraging them to continue even when the work becomes difficult are both important skills. Time management and organization are also important. You may only have a limited amount of time to work with your students, so be sure to have a handle on what needs to be accomplished in each session and try to stick to that schedule.
Additionally, calculus tutoring requires being adept at academic calculus. Some new tutors believe they can transfer knowledge from some branches of math, like geometry or algebra, into calculus, but it isn’t that simple. To help a student succeed, you’ll need to know calculus inside and out. It’s also ideal to get a sense of how professionals teach calculus classes. This knowledge will help you consider the common questions your students might want to ask during tutoring.
If you think that you have all of the skills required to become a calculus tutor, the next step is finding students to tutor. There are some schools and after school programs that hire people with your skill set to work with the students in their programs. You may try looking for a program like this in your area and inquiring about job openings.
Another good way to find students is to hang flyers in your area in places frequented by students and parents of high school aged students. Once you have developed a group of students, ask the students and their parents for letters of recommendation that you can present to potential students and their parents. Also, be sure to ask for referrals.
Once you have been tutoring for a while and have become a calculus tutor in a full-time capacity, consider building a website. On your website you can detail your services and your rates, and write about success stories. You can also post information about your availability and how people can contact you to schedule tutoring sessions.
If you want to get a better idea of what being a calculus tutor entails, consider working with another online calculus tutor for a couple of sample sessions.
