Tutoring: what to charge?

[Creek]

I'm considering visiting local massage schools and offering private/small group tutoring in anatomy and physiology. I received a 98% on the A&P portion of our State Boards recently, and I was in the education field before becoming a massage therapist. I've taught study skills and tutored before at the college level (formal logic, mostly), and I know that I'm good at it. I don't feel right about offering tutoring in the massage portion, because our state just switched from Kellogg to Beck, and I don't have an intimate knowledge of the material they're teaching now.

I know there's a need, because only 55% of students across the state pass the exam (75% is the minimum to pass) in any given year. I think that's atrocious. Students are not getting the support they need from their schools.

My question is, what do you feel is a fair price for tutoring by a competent individual who does not have a degree in the subject area? I was thinking of $30 an hour, which can be used by one person who wants individual attention, or can be shared by up to 4 students who want to split the cost by getting group tutoring. My experience with leading study groups is that more people than that is too distracting.

$30 is what individuals tutoring at the elementary/middle school children are typically charging in my area. College-level tutors tend to charge more, but they also tend to have degrees in their subject areas. I'm smart and I know my stuff, but I don't want to rip people off.

For teachers: does this seem fair? would you recommend something like this to students who were struggling?
For students: would you pay for this, if you wanted help with anatomy and physiology?

Kat

 

[Eliundari]

Tutoring: what to charge?

I think $30 is pretty fair for private tutoring, especially if you allow groups to split the cost. I get paid $25/hr when I teach and our class sizes are limited to no more than 8. I think you're smart to limit it to 4 people.

I don't really have any input from a student perspective, I'm not sure I felt like I needed any extra help in any of my classes. Like you, I think most of the time I was the one helping my classmates out. You have a great idea though- one that I just might steal...

 

[johnb693]

Tutoring: what to charge?

I think I would have liked to have had access to an A&P tutor. I know there were a few weeks where I definitely felt out of my element... I don't know that I would have needed it every week but I think I would have taken advaneforum.xxxe of it a few times in the 6 and a half months of my MT training... and probably as a refresher before taking the National Certification Exam.

 

[martinduxbury]

Tutoring: what to charge?

Most schools offer a review class before taking the state exam.
Were you thinking of something like this?
Or were you thinking of tutoring to help the student complete and excel in their massage curriculum only?

Would you make any guarantees?

I think it's a great idea and the offer of a group session is great.

Sometimes people respond better to flat rate pricing though...so instead of $30/hr with no set session time, you may be better off coming up with a complete program...
Make a calendar up - each date covers specific things
each session costs this much
a package of 4 sessions costs this much
the entire program costs this much
class limited to 4 attendees per session.
Next session begins...

BTW - the pass rate in your state is horrible! Is there one school in particular that is bringing these numbers down?
I think that they list the numbers by school too don't they? I am pretty sure that COMTA approval requires a minimun pass rate...and I think it's higher than 50%.
I know states that require a practical have lower pass rates. But geeez!

I guess I got off easy only having NCTMB - but I am always surprised to hear when someone does NOT pass that one.

 

[Crimson Rebirth]

Tutoring: what to charge?

Sometimes people respond better to flat rate pricing though...so instead of $30/hr with no set session time, you may be better off coming up with a complete program...

I think squash_blsm makes a good point in that setting up a program may be quite useful. I'm just not sure why $30/hour wouldn't be regarded by people as a flat rate.

I actually do view that ($30/hour) as the flat rate.

 

[paulina]

Tutoring: what to charge?

BTW - the pass rate in your state is horrible! Is there one school in particular that is bringing these numbers down?
I think that they list the numbers by school too don't they? I am pretty sure that COMTA approval requires a minimun pass rate...and I think it's higher than 50%.
I know states that require a practical have lower pass rates. But geeez!

I guess I got off easy only having NCTMB - but I am always surprised to hear when someone does NOT pass that one.

My school has had a 90-100% pass rate for the last decade or so. A couple of other schools are the same. I know a young woman who is part of a class action suit against her school, because NONE of them passed State Boards. 50-60% seems pretty average. It's funny, because Ohio has higher teacher standards than many states (minimum of a B.S. in the subject area for A&P, and several years of practice as a MT to teach massage).

Most people who fail the exam fail the anatomy portion. From people who have taken both, it's much more difficult than what's required of RNs on their State Boards, probably because they're not fighting for legitimacy in the same way. I didn't find it that outrageous, but I'm scientifically inclined and know how to study effectively. Some of the questions (What's the most common location for herniation of the diaphragm?) did seem a little ridiculous, though.

Esophageal hiatus, by the way. Save everyone a trip down wikipedia lane. :altwink:

Kat

 

[Pompal 09.]

Tutoring: what to charge?

As a student there were times I felt lost. Like the information just wasn't making sense to me. I am a visual learner. And sitting during lectures, I would just check out at times because it didn't make any sense to me or I was just bored. But talking with other classmates really helped. Just getting the information from a different perspective was helpful. And hearing from them their ways of remembering.

Anyway.....before big tests we would get together with an instructor for a tutoring session. They had scheduled times that we could have an hour for free. And other times they would charge $30 for an hour. It could be just one person or 10. It didn't matter. So we could just split the cost. So to us it was worth it. If there was a group of us we'd have a list of questions and make sure that each of us got the time we needed. Usually we were confused about the same thing so it worked out perfect.

If you let a group of students split the charges it wouldn't be too expensive for them.

 

[globeweasel]

Tutoring: what to charge?

Most schools offer a review class before taking the state exam.
Were you thinking of something like this?
Or were you thinking of tutoring to help the student complete and excel in their massage curriculum only?

I was thinking primarily of tutoring for students to excel in school, but wouldn't be averse to doing pre-exam review if that's what a student wanted. Thing is, most exam prep courses are just that: exam prep. Practice tests, practice tests, practice tests. Study what you got wrong, then take another one. Work on getting the right answer.

I can do that for students, but tutoring is much more helpful while in school, because I can help you understand the actual concepts BEFORE you have to nail an exam. Lots of these students haven't had chemistry since high school, and all of a sudden they're faced with sodium-potassium pumps, ATP production, and the role of concentration gradients in passive diffusion. Or they just don't know the Latin root words that would make learning muscle locations so much easier. Or they haven't got the physics to understand how light bends, so they can never remember what causes myopia vs. hyperopia. Test reviews will teach you to get the right answer. I'd much rather help people understand what the hell those answers even mean.

Kat