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As some of you may know, I've recently moved to the DC area, and will be attending Georgetown in the fall for my Ph.D in economics. Since I still have a summer to go before classes start, I've been looking for work, particularly work that can be continued part-time into the fall.
I just got a job working as a mathematics teacher/tutor at one of those learning centers for high schoolers. The pay is great, I get paid prep time, and I know that I enjoy tutoring. I have many years of experience tutoring math, so I'm not worried about the one-on-one tutoring I might be doing. But I'll also be teaching at least two classes this summer alone - one on the SAT math section, and one on the SAT Math IIc. I have to develop the curriculum & syllabi for these courses as well...
And I'm a bit scared. I've never done front-of-the-classroom teaching, and I've certainly never developed the material and structure for courses. I know we have a lot of current and ex-teachers here on the boards. If anyone has advice, or words of reassurance I'd be glad to hear them.
(I'm also really excited about this opportunity - it'll be great experience for being a TA and eventually a professor, and my boss & coworkers seem pretty awesome.)
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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I used to teach SAT math and Verbal for The Princeton Review. They have a good program. I think they have some books out, or you could do the unscrupulous thing and simply take their teacher training and steal ideas wholesale. Posts: 3354 | Registered: May 2005
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Remember that the students want you to do well every bit as much as you want to. They're a sympathetic audience; don't be afraid to tell a dumb joke. They'll laugh, even if it's just out of sympathy or because they want to suck up, and thus you will break the ice.
Posts: 794 | Registered: Aug 2000
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You'll love it by the time it's over. That, or the kids will try to lynch you ;-).
Make sure to warn all the kids about the Barron's book for Math IIC, btw. It frightened the heck out of me the night before I took the test, and I did great regardless.
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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Thanks for the words of encouragement. I was looking over the Barron's book today, actually (in order to remind myself what's on the test), and I realized it'*much* harder than the math portion of the GRE, which only covers the first two years of high school math classes. Bit silly, IMO.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Tell me about it. My friend was panicking the night of the test and calls me over; I come, and realize that I can barely do any of the problems myself. Fast forward to 2 AM with my heart pounding at an unhealthy pace, and the test starting in about 6 hours -- a rather enjoyable night!
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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