Reasons for tutoring  

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• Grades are good, but the student or their guardian wants the grade to improve 

• Grades are good, but the student or their guardian wants the skill set to improve (typically writing skills)

• Homework is challenging for the student and they need homework support from a tutor. Reasons included: too much work in other courses, a job, lack of skills in the subject developed up to that point, difficult assignments, moving from French Immersion to English-speaking public school, learning disabilities or other difficulties, etc). 

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My approach to tutoring

 

• During classes my goal is to help students find areas of weakness (i.e. what they aren't able to do effectively) and help them to complete assignments despite those weaknesses. During classes, I try and get students to do work themselves (the fewer hints I provide, the better). If they aren't able to do something, I attempt to point them in the right direction and give them tips and tricks when it comes to completing their work. I teach with the help of online resources and frequently point to readings in order to get certain ideas across. Lastly, I provide students not only with instruction but with online materials (links to articles, books, YouTube channel material, etc) in an effort to help them improve their grades and skills when it comes to English, especially writing. 

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Prices​

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• Online classes (Google Meet software) (prices are based on 1 hr/week; prices may come down a little if multiple classes are booked weekly, since less preparatory work is required on my end for such classes)

  • $43/hr for grades 1-8​

  • $60/hr for grades 9-12  

    • Overtime rates: if 1 hr of class is booked, and it takes me 1 hr 15 min (or longer) to finish the meeting/lesson (i.e. because of washroom breaks, technical difficulties, I'm trying to help the student finish an assignment that requires a bit more time, I'm trying to finish a lesson, etc) then the 2nd hour of class is $25/hr (15 min would be $4 for example). Sometimes it happens that a student needs to finish an assignment and I've completed the preparatory work, so the first hour is billed at $60 to account for my prep time, and then the next 2-3 hours are billed at $25/hr. Sometimes, if preparatory work is not required, I will not bill the full rate for a class, but that is up to my discretion. 

    • 2 hr classes: if you want to book a 2 hour class, the second hour will not be billed at the full rate. However, it may be billed at higher than the overflow rate. It depends on how much preparatory work is required to put together an engaging 2 hour class. 

  • a note about preparation time: the rate difference accounts for preparation time. I charge $17/hr for my research time before each class. So, a grade 8 student's 1 hr class receives 1.5 hr maximum of preparation time, whereas a grade 9 student's 1 hr class receives 2.5 hr maximum, hence the cost difference. 

  • a note about client expectations: 1 hour a week of classes is sufficient in some cases but not in others. If a student needs me to be able to help them with an assignment that requires many hours of reading, I will have to bill for many hours of tutoring. I will not, for example, read an entire Shakespeare play and prepare for a project and spend 20 hours of prep time for a $60 1hr class. Better tutoring results means paying for more classes. I do the best that I can with the prep time that I'm alloting for each student's class. 

• In-person classes (at your home, a library, or a coffeeshop)
  • The same rates apply as for online classes but a fee is added to cover commuting time and the time to travel to your home and set up my laptop there. For example, if you live a 45 minute drive from me in peak traffic (5-6pm), I charge 1.5 hr x $17/hr for commuting. Also, if you live in an apartment and I have to park 2 minutes walk away and come up there and it takes a while to set up, I'll add another half hour x $17/hr to the price. If I have to pay $10 for parking, that gets added to. A $43/hr class, can thus become a $87/1st hr class. If you want an exact rate for classes at your home, get in contact and provide your address.​
  • Other factors: if you have two children that need classes, a commute fee is only billed for one of the students if I can do both classes on the same day. 
  • Overtime rates: the same overtime rate applies. Whatever the cost of the first hour, the second and subsequent hours are billed at $25/hr (during the same meeting). 
  • a note about location: your home is the ideal location for in-person classes. Coffee shops are loud, noisy, and have poor WiFi, whereas libraries often can't be relied upon for study room bookings, which makes the alternate option (sitting near a computer and trying not to bother the people around us too much with our talking) not ideal. 

 

Payment policy

• Pay per visit: you're billed for the hour or multiple hours after each visit or online class. Payment should be made at best immediately after the class, and at worst, before the next class. At my discretion, I may choose not to keep to our tutoring schedule if I'm not paid in a mutually agreed upon and timely way (I'm referring here specifically to people who say they'll pay at a certain time and then don't do it and ask for more classes anyways).  

• Pay up front: you can pay for a number of hours upfront and I work them off. I'll keep track of the hours worked off. When possible, I prefer this system. 

• Payments can be made by cash or e-transfer with receipts provided on request 

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Cancellation policy 

• At this time, I do not charge students for cancellations (I wish I did, I don't have the luxury of it). The only time that I will charge for cancellation is if you decide to discontinue classes completely (which means I've done prep time for our upcoming class and you've decided not to come to it). In this case, I will ask you to pay the cost of the prep time for that class. While we are all busy and have shifting schedules, please try to understand that every time a class is booked, time is set aside and spent preparing for the class and daily schedules are adapted to these bookings. 

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Availability 

• I am available at specific times Monday to Sunday all year round between 10 am and 11pm. Get in touch with me to discuss available days and times for your classes. 

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