9 helpful tips to start becoming a part-time tutor

With SPM coming to an end, many students find themselves bored with nothing to do.

However, students with an entrepreneurial mind know that this is the perfect time to become a part-time tutor for younger students who might be their juniors, neighbours or family members.

Becoming a tutor is not only lucrative, it also prepares you for university life and career by helping you to sharpen communication skills, gain patience and ensure that you do not forget what you have learned in secondary schools which will still play an important role as basis for your university years.

Here are 9 tips to help you get one step ahead for the sake of your future:

1. What do you love?

Begin by choosing to teach subjects that were your favourite in school. HINT: subjects that you felt were easy As will not only make it easy to teach, but your confidence will also become infectious and motivate your student to also believe that the subject is easy! Plus, parents would definitely trust you to teach that subject more.

2. Always be aware

You will need to be updated on the changes in the current education situation such as syllabus, exam format, etc. What and how you studied this year, may not be 100% the same with what the students after you will go through.

3. Revise

Go through the latest reference and revision books or guides that are available to refresh your memory on what you've learned and what questions were expected of you. The free Revision Guide by Afterschool.my should be a great start.

4. Use your experience

It's important that you find the best books to not only understand the topic you will be teaching but also find guides on how to become a better teacher/tutor. Use your past experience as an SPM student and think of how your teachers could have made the subject more interesting!

5. Find a mentor

Always try to seek advice from friends or other adults who have had experience in becoming a tutor. There are also seminars and workshops on how to become a good and creative tutor. Volunteering as a teacher's aide would greatly help.

6. Start small

Being ambitious is an honorable trait but do start your life as a tutor with limited number of students instead of taking on a whole class! Offering one-on-one tutoring sessions not only help you focus on improving your communications skills, it is also very much in demand among parents. Find students that are closer to your age so you can better relate to their problems.

7. Get connected!

The internet is a treasure trove for knowledge. You can find teaching resources online and find other people sharing their tips in becoming a great and relatable tutor.

8. Make friends

Networking is a skill and you will find this invaluable in university and later after graduation. Start early by finding friends who share the same passion so that you can exchange ideas and experiences as well as to motivate each other.

9. Diversify your style

Be creative. Use TedTalks videos to make the subject more interesting or research games that can help you make your students understand better. For example, a lot of teachers are now using Minecraft to teach the basics of computer programming.

It may seem difficult at first but you will discover that teaching others is the best way to become a better student yourself!

Did you know that those with teaching skills and experience are sought out by employers? Find the best career to suit you here.