How to Become a Private Spanish Tutor for Kids

Imparting knowledge to others is respected and fulfilling.

If you have a passion for education, becoming a Spanish tutor could be an exciting and lucrative career. It requires a great deal of expertise and the ability to connect with students. Learning a new language is practical, but more importantly it is empowering. By becoming a Spanish tutor, you will have the chance to broaden the horizons of others.

Things You'll Need

• Spanish grammar books
• Flash cards
• Photos
• Dry erase board
• Dry erase markers
• Reliable transportation

Instructions

1. Become fluent in Spanish if you're not a native speaker of Spanish or are not completely bilingual. This could mean majoring in Spanish at a university, spending time in a Spanish-speaking country or working with a Spanish tutor of your own. If you are already fluent, simply brush up on grammar rules.

2. Develop some separate lesson plans according to ages and grades of people you will be tutoring.. Determine the objective of each lesson. Plan drills and other exercises, plan topics for conversational parts of your tutoring sessions and consider what props you might want to use.

   Using puppets and songs can be engaging for younger children, but most high school students and adults would not be receptive to puppets.

3. Buy all necessary materials for your lesson plans, remembering to save the receipts. If you are self-employed as a tutor,As a tutor, Items needed to do your job will be tax deductible.

4. Practice on a few non-paying students before you launch your private tutoring business. Ask friends and family if they know of any young people who need tutoring in Spanish, and offer to meet with them once a week for free to refine your skills. Communicate with the students after sessions to find out what works for them, what doesn't and how you can improve as a tutor.

5. You might be able to work for a company that specializes in giving language lessons. If you work for such a company, students will be assigned to you.

   If you are on your own, not attached to a company, you might make more money per hour because you won't have to split the customers' fees with a company. But you will have to find your own customers. Advertise your services far and wide. Create a personal website for your services (godaddy.com has easy-to-use website building software) and then create business cards. Post online at websites like craigslist.org on a consistent basis, and be certain to check your email or phone regularly to avoid missing potential jobs. Create flyers and post them at schools, libraries and bookstores. Call local schools and offer a cut-rate for students who get referred through their teachers.

6. Schedule your first appointments, setting them either at the home of the student or in a public location, such as the student's school or a public library. Show up on time, pay close attention to your student's needs and have fun with the process. The more engaging a tutoring session, the more likely your student will learn.

7. When a student ends the tutoring relationship, ask for a written testimonial if you believe he was satisfied with the experience. Create a "Testimonials" section on your website and include quotes there. This should help you get new clients.

Tips & Warnings

• Since tutoring gigs can often be short-lived, offer students a cut-rate if they purchase a package of several lessons at once.

References

• The Educator's Reference Desk: How to Develop a Lesson Plan

Resources

• Spanish Abroad, Inc.