Whether you are currently in high school, are in college or thinking about going to college, you might wonder if you need a degree in education to be a tutor. The simple answer is that there isn’t a simple answer. It depends on where you work, what you teach and even the age range or grades you tutor. Many centers and tutoring companies hire workers who have some experience working with kids but do not have a college degree.
Where Do Tutors Work?
Before you can become a tutor, you want to give some thought to where you might work. Tutors often work for tutoring centers. They work with smaller groups of students or with individual students. These centers and organizations often look for tutors who have some experience working with students or a certain age or those who have a degree or experience in a specific topic. A large number of tutors now work online as well. You can use Skype and other programs to work with your clients. Working online gives you more flexibility, lets you set your own hours and may even allow you to set your own rates.
Tutors vs. Teaching Assistants
A teaching assistant is a type of job that shares some similarities with a tutoring job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, teaching assistants make close to $24,000 a year and work with both teachers and students. Assistants often have more duties than a tutor does. Tutors simply work with students to help them better understand the topics they study and do better in school. Assistants may help teachers clean up at the end of the day, work with individual students and meet with parents.
Benefits of Tutoring
Many students enrolled in college education programs use tutoring as a way to make extra money for their schooling. Though you do not need a degree in education to be a tutor, you do need to be patient and relate well to children. Tutors often work with students in the same subjects they received high grades in while in school or in the subject they study in college. If you want to work as a teacher later, working as a tutor gives you some hands on experience that you can put on your resume when applying for teaching positions.
How to Become a Tutor
Though some college students think that they need a degree in education to be a tutor, others know that these jobs are available to anyone with a high school diploma or a GED. Whether you want to work from home as a tutor or work in a tutoring center, there are a few things you need to do. Create a resume that shows any and all experience you have working with children. Write a cover letter that highlights your skills and experience as well. Many of these centers let you apply online and will send you an email to schedule an appointment for an interview later.
Related Resource: Reading Specialist
Becoming a tutor is a great way to gain additional experience working with kids. You can work with elementary, junior high or high school students, and you can choose the subjects you want to work in as a tutor. Though you don’t need a degree in education to be a tutor, you do need to have a way with kids.
