Private Tutor – Sydney

Students

There are two students, a boy and a girl. The boy is a 17-year-old junior in high school. He is looking forward to exploring Australia for three months, but knows that the junior year is important regarding university applications, where he wishes to study business. He is a good student, but has a weakness in math. He plays tennis and pickleball, and enjoys skiing, golf, and other outdoor activities. He loves cars and wristwatches, fascinated by the mechanical principles in both. He enjoys literature and likes to hear different opinions. In Australia, he wants to build upon his feelings of independence; he enjoys making new friends in a new environment, creating a different world and social space for himself. He looks forward to spending time with his Australian family members.

He tends to be more engaged with learning about practical, real-world topics, and does not always fully engage with more abstract academic topics. Naturally empathetic, he is an even-keeled de-escalator of conflicts. He is easy to talk to and is interested in other people. He takes his aggression out during constructive activities like tennis. He takes medication for an autoimmune condition that can affect his emotional balance, but he is aware of this and moderates these side effects well. 

His favourite teachers push him to learn, but also help him with questions, whether with homework or something tricky in class. He likes teachers who get to know him and are relatable. His prefers hands on learning, prioritising practical projects. Teachers who only have one approach usually don’t reach him; especially in math, he needs multiple ways of learning a concept to come to grips with it.

His 14-year-old sister is currently in 8th grade and is also excited about her Australian adventure. She enjoys playing tennis and snowboarding and likes hands-on arts and crafts as well as reading fiction. She is a well-organized, responsible student: the kind who makes to-do lists, always knows when assignments are due, and proactively does her homework. She is driven to do well, both by internal and by social motivation. Her biggest challenge is math. She will be happy if she is on par with her peers and can seamlessly blend back into school, but the opportunity to explore her education in nontraditional ways is exciting. She loves animals, but is not exactly keen about the reptiles, insects, and spiders of Australia. 

She is skilled in understanding the temperature of a room and understanding her own emotional states. She is mature and can handle her emotional ups and downs, though she tends to have stronger emotional experiences than her brother. The siblings are very close and are generally very good to and for each other.

Her favourite teachers are kind and engaging with the students. They are enthusiastic about their subjects and encourage that enthusiasm in their class. Teachers who make her scared to ask a question or just put work in front of her without engaging are her least favourite.

Role of the Tutor

The students’ mother is taking them to Australia for three months to spend time with family and to explore. The purpose of this tutoring role is to ensure that the students can continue studies in their American curriculum. Since they will re-integrate into their schools in America, they need a Tutor who can enable them to keep up with their peers and give them a deeper educational experience than they would have back home. The Tutor is expected to travel with the family, providing a learning environment that is free-thinking, inspirational and enjoyable, but also provides structure. Blended tutoring that mixes subjects and makes use of the local environment should be the norm. Enriching the curriculum using the opportunities available in and around Sydney will enable the students to take greatest advantage of their adventure.

The boy is taking English 11 Honors, Intro to Economics, Rhetoric, Precalculus, French 4, Intro to Chemistry, and Psychology. A Tutor with experience in supporting this range of material will be critical to his success in keeping up with his peers. The boy anticipates taking the SAT or ACT after his Australian sojourn, and will have begun his preparation prior to leaving America. Weekly time spent with him preparing for these tests is essential to ensuring that he will have the best outcome possible. Prior experience in coaching students with these tests is important.  A French-speaking Tutor will also be at an advantage.

Both students have limited experience of Australia, and the opportunity to explore this new country is an excellent way for a Tutor to expand their educational journey by using the local surroundings. Tutors who are Australians or have experience living in Australia will be at an advantage in applying for this role. Local knowledge will also prove helpful in assisting both students to participate in volunteer activities. 

The role requires a resourceful, intelligent, and knowledgeable educator who can use their environment to make lessons come alive, and who has the experience of teaching across the age and subject range involved. They should have excellent subject knowledge and infectious enthusiasm for every topic they cover. The Tutor must be fully versed and experienced in the American curriculum. 

The Tutor must be organised, flexible, and adaptable. Although the family will try to maintain a routine, there may be occasions where the decision is made to adjust plans at short notice. It is important to roll with these interruptions, even to join in with the family, and certainly never to complain. The Tutor must remain professional, respectful of the family’s privacy, and aware of the confidential nature of the assignment.

The students’ home state has various legal reporting requirements for home schoolers, which is how these children will be classified while in Australia. The Tutor must meet these requirements, proactively researching them, and filing the appropriate evaluations, forms, and reports on time and in thorough detail.

Hours and Holidays

The Tutor is expected to work for an average of 40 contact hours a week. Teaching will predominately take place Monday-Friday, but there may be occasions when the Tutor is required to work weekends in lieu of a certain time throughout the week. A degree of flexibility will be required on the Tutor’s part.

The Tutor will be entitled to two consecutive days off per week, usually at weekends. As far as possible, the Client will give the Tutor at least two weeks’ notice of when their ‘weekend’ break will be. The standard vacation allowance does not apply to this contract.

Accommodation, Travel and Miscellaneous

The Client will provide accommodation with Internet for the Tutor, which may also act as the schoolroom. This accommodation will be clean, safe and secure. The Client will be responsible for all bills on this property except private phone calls. The Tutor is responsible for their own meals except any that occur during tutoring time. 

The Client is responsible for necessary travel expenses. The Tutor is responsible for arranging and funding their own health, possessions, and travel insurance.

The Tutor must be fit and health-conscious, an adult able to set a good example for the students. 

For more information and instructions on how to apply, please visit: 

tijobs.net/587