Lessons From The Classroom: My First Mentor As A Teacher

Lessons From The Classroom: My First Mentor As A Teacher

When I was a teacher in a classroom I was given a mentor. An older teacher, who’d been around the block a few decades and was there to give me the support I needed as a new teacher.

Or so I thought.

A little back story is needed here.

I did not plan to teach, never went to school to be a teacher nor did I have a degree in teaching.

What Skills Make the Best Tutor?

What Skills Make the Best Tutor?

Recently, I sent out a Scoop email about my mentor and his favorite question - Who Are You Being?

Well, this question resonates in everything I… you… do.

Who we are being determines our doing.

See, if you don’t feel like someone who can be an awesome tutor, you can’t do the job of tutoring.

It will feel fake.

And that’s normal.

If you don’t believe you can tutor, then chances are it won’t come easily to you.

Why Teaching Kids How To Make Quick Decisions is Important to their Happiness and not Just Their Future Success

Why Teaching Kids How To Make Quick Decisions is Important to their Happiness and not Just Their Future Success

I just made a quick decision.

Throw your hands up in the air, wave ‘em like you just don’t care.

Yes, I’m celebrating. Why? I never learned how to make quick decisions. Instead, I’m a natural analyzer and a worrier.

Oops, I want to rewrite that. I was a natural analyzer and a natural worrier. I am turning over a new leaf and words have power. So let me use my words here with the utmost care…

A Life Lesson That Shaped My Tutoring

A Life Lesson That Shaped My Tutoring

I was never going to be a lifer.

A lifer is a teacher who stays in the system till retirement in 30-35 years.

Yikes.

I guess a career like that, with benefits and paid holidays and tenure, felt more like a life-sentence to me than something I’d enjoy.

And when something is a life-sentence, how can you really keep doing it?

I couldn’t…

[PART 1] Is Education Ready For A Make-Over Or In Desperate Need Of A Do-Over?

[PART 1] Is Education Ready For A Make-Over Or In Desperate Need Of A Do-Over?

Lately (and for more than a decade now) there have been a host of examples of teachers utterly dissatisfied with the public school system.

Teacher of the Year, Kim Cook, who was given an unsatisfactory grade from her school principal for one, a teacher who gave his video resignation via YouTube and Ed Komperda who wrote a lengthy post on “School Today…What they don’t tell you.”

Back in 2012, when I first launched my online program teaching teachers, homeschool parents and retirees (well, anyone interested really) how to start a tutoring business and grow it to 5 and 6-figures (if they wanted to), I started noticing a trend.

[PART 3] How To Run A Tutoring Session For Maximum Results: Jill's P.O.P. METHOD

[PART 3] How To Run A Tutoring Session For Maximum Results: Jill's P.O.P. METHOD

In Step 1 of the P.O.P. Method, we discovered just how important the PERSON is who sits in front of you during a tutoring session.

In Step 2 of the P.O.P. Method, we went over how important OPPORTUNITY is and just how impactful it can be in opening up new avenues for learning life skills.

And that leads us to Step 3 and the final “P” in P.O.P. - and that’s PURPOSE.

So, without further ado, let’s jump in with both feet and get you popping!

[PART 2] How To Run A Tutoring Session For Maximum Results: Jill's P.O.P. METHOD

[PART 2] How To Run A Tutoring Session For Maximum Results: Jill's P.O.P. METHOD

This is the second part in a series of three. For step one, click on over to this post now.

Let’s have a little recap before we dive into the Second Step of the P.O.P. Method that has played a huge role in taking me from tutoring hobbyist to rocking a multiple 6-figure income…yep, tutoring kids!

P.O.P. stands for PERSON, OPPORTUNITY and PURPOSE.

It’s a simple method I have used over and over during each tutoring session whether it’s with one student at a time or a group of kids.

[PART 1] How To Run A Tutoring Session For Maximum Results: Jill's P.O.P. METHOD

[PART 1] How To Run A Tutoring Session For Maximum Results: Jill's P.O.P. METHOD

P.O.P. doesn’t stand for quizzes anymore.

In fact, as a former teacher, I really never liked POP Quizzes. They seemed to be sneaky things meant to make sure one did one’s work. And not really a method to determine true understanding or mastery of knowledge.

I mean really, is there a boss out there (if I’m preparing students for the real world, a boss is what they will encounter) who will give a POP Quiz?

I think not.

Productivity Hacks All Students Should Be Taught (Regardless of Age)

Productivity Hacks All Students Should Be Taught (Regardless of Age)

Today’s article is going to be short and sweet, yet full of actionable items you can take as you need to use yourself, with your child or in your classroom - or, in your tutoring session.

Love me some multi-purpose writing. It’s good for ALL MANKIND… echo echo echo.

Okay, now that I’ve stopped play-typing, I know Jessica is secretly laughing at the first line and specifically the word short, so she’s my motivation for NOT making this a novella but an easy post that’s digestible right now.

Diving in.

Fact: Kids aren’t taught productivity.

[52 Life Lessons] #4 Journaling should be a life requirement

[52 Life Lessons] #4 Journaling should be a life requirement

I’ve already mentioned how important writing your thoughts down will be during these 52 Life Lessons. But writing or journaling is point blank the best thing you can do for yourself.

Seriously, I sound like a broken record and yes, I am also naturally a writer, so you might be thinking Yeah, this is easy for her.

But it’s not.

Not always.