So, I am off the day by day (as it's September) but have a few remaining topics to blog on
I have discovered that many parents share a common fear - their child isn't very good at maths and needs a tutor. From my limited experience, alot of this may be to do with the parent's personal fear of maths but what the hell, there's a goldmine here!
I may have low balled it to start with (£15 and hour), but am gradually getting my fees up to a level that could mean a lucrative top up to my vast salary. I would rather not think about the difference in hour rates between marketing consultancy and maths tutoring but at least it's cash in hand.
The impact you can have on an individual is remarkable. I noticed straightaway with my first client (can I call him that?) that he wasn't writing anything down at all. He tried to do everything in his head and, as the maths got harder, he couldn't cope with the complexity. I taught him to simply get his pen out and write stuff down!
Over the summer I concocted a little algebra intensive for three clients and all three have gone from that haunted look when the word 'algebra' is mentioned to actually enjoying the challenge of solving equations with brackets. Well, enjoyment may be too strong a word!
I now have BIG PLANS. I will definitely build up my client base to try and bring in some decent cash over the year but I have a kernel of an idea to set up some kind of summer school - one week of fun maths in the real world. More to follow on that.
Day 357 - Taking It Too Seriously
Thursday April 8th
As you can see, I lost the plot on this blog with a mere 9 days to go. Typical. I have never been a completer finisher.
It is now actually Friday September 3rd, a paltry 5 months after April 8th so the chances of recording what actually happened and what I was thinking on the day in question are minimal. As my previous entry suggests, the Easter break was a key moment on my journey. I had my assignment to do and for the first real time, it felt like really hard work. There is no doubt that I have taken on a big challenge but for the most part, it has taken a bit of courage, an open mind and the resolve to enjoy the experience, whatever is thrown at me.
I think the assignment was a turning point - the transition from an experience that I was enjoying in the moment to a career that I have chosen for the next x years. This has made me feel a little uncomfortable as it has been more enjoyable and easier to play the role of career switcher and 'isn't he brave giving all of that up to do this.'
I hope it doesn't mean I've started to take the whole thing too seriously....I really want to experience teaching for what it is, in the moment, in the classroom. I did take everything too seriously before and that affected my quality of life. We will see.
As you can see, I lost the plot on this blog with a mere 9 days to go. Typical. I have never been a completer finisher.
It is now actually Friday September 3rd, a paltry 5 months after April 8th so the chances of recording what actually happened and what I was thinking on the day in question are minimal. As my previous entry suggests, the Easter break was a key moment on my journey. I had my assignment to do and for the first real time, it felt like really hard work. There is no doubt that I have taken on a big challenge but for the most part, it has taken a bit of courage, an open mind and the resolve to enjoy the experience, whatever is thrown at me.
I think the assignment was a turning point - the transition from an experience that I was enjoying in the moment to a career that I have chosen for the next x years. This has made me feel a little uncomfortable as it has been more enjoyable and easier to play the role of career switcher and 'isn't he brave giving all of that up to do this.'
I hope it doesn't mean I've started to take the whole thing too seriously....I really want to experience teaching for what it is, in the moment, in the classroom. I did take everything too seriously before and that affected my quality of life. We will see.
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