Will people take me seriously?????

[Bekah]

Hello, I just wanted to bounce an idea off some home school parents. I’m 19 and just graduated from a home schooling program myself. For the past school year (05-06) I helped a family with their daughters home schooling program, I did all of the instructional, grading, record keeping , and planning work. I will be moving to Michigan in a few weeks and I was wondering if there was a possibility that I could pursue the same kind of work there.
I guess what I’m asking is, do any of you think that people will take a 19 year old girl seriously about helping teach their children?

[Mark]

interesting thought...

someone might indeed take you seriously on that one.


mark

[Lenethren]

For me its just matter of meeting the person. I'd be ok with the age as long as I'd met you and felt comfortable about it.

[Theodore]

Depends what level of teaching you're trying to do, and what you're charging per hour. Regardless of how brilliant you are, you won't have the same teaching experience as someone twice your age, so you won't be able to charge as much as they could. Still, I think most people will reserve judgement until after your first lesson, and assuming you do a good job, you can use references from the first few families to help you get clients later on.

Incidently, $20-$25 / hour seems to be fairly standard for undergraduate-level tutors teaching a single student, + a bit extra per mile if you have to drive more than a few miles.

[Aspie]

Good luck.

[merkelbonds]

I had someone ask me just the other day where they could find someone to teach their children at home. I thought the idea absurd because I didn't think they could find anyone. Guess I was wrong. Good luck. I hope you find a great family.

[maherwoman]

As for myself, personally, if I encountered a woman your age, and she had good references, examples of her work, and the background that you do, accompanied with being a good, hard-working, motivated, genuine person, I wouldn't have any problem hiring/using her abilities in my homeschooling.

I am a firm believer in giving a person a chance, especially if they are young. When I was your age, I was in my second year at a corporate job, making $1700/month, had my own place, and was a mother shortly before my 20th birthday. I know what a woman can accomplish...no matter what the age!

You sound like a highly-motivated and responsible person...wish you were moving to Southern California instead! I'm just starting out and could use the help in at least giving ideas and breaking me in to the homeschooling scene!

I think it's wonderful that you have this work under your belt, and hope that someone takes it as seriously as I would. Good luck and my best wishes to you!

[milehimom]

I think it's a great idea. If you enjoy teaching, I would advise going to school while homeschool-tutoring in order to get a teaching credential. That would certainly cause parents to take your more seriously, and it would make your more marketable in the future, or provide your more options should you tire of the homeschool setting. In addition, the classes might give your some great ideas about learning styles or strategies for teaching!

In my state, Colorado, a homeschool parent or tutor with a teaching credential doesn't have to comply with the mandatory annual testing of her children!! I do have a credential and I like that I have an option to have my kids tested or not!

Good luck to you!

[suzie]

I thought I'd share from my experience, I taught private violin and piano lessons for four years during home high school, was making $20/hr without even a high school degree, and my clientele grew from 4 students/ week to nearly 30 per week, with recitals twice a year. I think the most important thing to people is that you're good at what you do, enthusiastic, and able to "connect" with their child as an individual person, learning how to motivate them according to their individual learning styles. Yes, experience and credentials are valuable, but if you do your job like a professional there is no reason you shouldn't be respected as one, regardless of age.

Good luck!!!

[Theodore]

I did programming work as a consultant when I had only a high school degree. Nobody cared. So long as you do good work and are self-employed, very few people will ask about your degree. Degrees are just a way of weeding out job applicants when it comes to getting a corporate job.