Private Tutor - Kentucky, USA

The Student

The boy is 8 and in 2nd Grade.  Having attended a British international pre-school and a project-based progressive school for kindergarten, he then spent one year at a specialist dyslexia school.  He joined a collaborative home school with some other students and a Tutors International Tutor in 2020 and has been taught privately at his home by another TI Tutor over the past year.  The benefits of the move to a home school setting were to meet desired safety requirements of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to allow for the potential to travel in the future.  Prospective travel plans may include stays both in the United States and abroad.

The student is a fun and kind boy. He is helpful, considerate and well-liked by teachers and peers. He appreciates truthful teachers who entertain and are good listeners. He finds usual classes dull and needs to be inspired and engaged away from the norm. He benefits from consistent, structured instruction and practice to strengthen his maths and English skills, but in other subjects appreciates more creative approaches to learning.  Daily homework is welcomed but should not exceed 30 minutes.  He relishes extra playtime and taking occasional local field trips, as well as teachers who will surprise him and engage in his sense of humor.

The boy is animated and playful, with mature manners and compassion for others.  He flourishes in calm, positive environments.  He has a great sense of humor and a close relationship with his mother.  He is an only child in a single-parent family, and is generally  well-adapted in a socially diverse, laidback, and communicative household.  The enjoys exploring the woods and caves and learning about machinery used around the farm.  He has a charming manner of communicating his ideas and is articulate and expressive. 

The boy is a lively storyteller with a vivid imagination.  He enjoys singing but is also learning to play keyboard, guitar, and the djembe drum.  He is curious to understand how things work and are put together, and can follow instructions to build simple machines.  He is also increasingly tablet-/computer-savvy.  He is athletic, and enjoys swimming, cycling, trampolining, and playing baseball.  He relishes the opportunity to develop his culinary skills and always looks forward to cooking lessons each week.  Role play has also proven to be an effective learning structure.

The boy’s struggles with reading progression and pace, along with working memory, led to a diagnosis of dyslexia.  He also shows traits of dysgraphia and ADHD.  These learning differences doubtless affect his ability to develop certain skills, along with affecting his confidence and fear of failure.  A lack of concentration, focus and a tendency towards non-linear thinking are also detrimental.  Despite these hurdles, he works well at school and continues to make great improvements. 

The boy has a great, artistic imagination and loves to make things.  He enjoys building structures out of Lego and whittling with wood.  He is a nature-lover, accustomed to spending time outdoors on his family’s farm with plentiful animals.  

Role of the Tutor

The right candidate for this role will be independent and able to deliver a varied and well-balanced education.  They may travel with the boy and his mother on occasion, optimizing geographical locations and experiences to ensure a diverse education and access to an abundance of useful life skills.  They will nurture a positive attitude towards learning to inspire his future endeavors.  In-depth knowledge of the US educational system is preferable, along with SEN specialist skills. 

It is essential that the Tutor understand the challenges that the boy faces in his access to coherent learning.  Expertise and dominance of strategies to facilitate academic success, knowledge retention, concentration, and physical coordination for those experiencing elements of dyslexia, dyspraxia, and mild ADHD, are fundamental to the role.  A familiarity with both the Ron Davis Method and phonics-based instruction techniques (Orton-Gillingham or Lindamood Bell) would be highly beneficial. The goal is to maintain and enhance his happiness and enjoyment of school, whilst in turn aiding his academic discovery. 

The Tutor will be responsible for deciphering tools and designing tailor made resources for the boy.  Subjects should include English, math, science, social studies, Spanish, art, music, Health/PE and computer/technology.  The Tutor must always explore fun avenues to maintain interest and spark a love for learning. 

The ideal Tutor will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, respectful of the family’s health and safety, and mindful of their social bubble.  They will encourage play and healthy social interaction with other children, recognizing that the past two years have significantly restricted opportunities for socialization.  They will deliver a bespoke blend of academic and project-based resources, fostering a fun, interactive learning environment, where academic progression and a thirst for knowledge will develop in parallel. 

Any shared interests would be welcomed, along with a love of the natural world, an interest in farming and animals, and knowledge of tools, weapons, and machines.  The Tutor will limit screen time and channel this towards educational avenues.  The flexibility offered by home schooling, means that the Tutor will be largely autonomous in their approach to planning and execution of classes and projects, therefore, well-documented progress tracking will be essential.

Hours and Holidays

This is a full-time role.  The Tutor should expect an average of 30-40 hours contact time per a week, with preparation time in addition.  The Tutor will adapt to changes in schedule when travelling between different home locations and beyond.

The Tutor is entitled to an average of two consecutive days off per week, which are not guaranteed to fall on weekends.  The Tutor will be advised of any changes to weekend days off up to two weeks in advance. 

Accommodation and Travel 

The role will start on the family’s farm in Kentucky.  Whenever possible, future travel will include their home in New York and visits across Europe and Asia. 

In Kentucky, The Tutor will be provided with accommodation either in a separate farmhouse, which also houses a school room and shared kitchen, or in a separate, private, house in nearby Louisville.  The Client will provide a car if necessary and will cover all bills relating to the role, except for the Tutor’s personal phone and food bills. 

Miscellaneous

The Tutor will be hands-on in their manner of teaching philosophy, play and practical activities.  They may be a Spanish speaker, offering the language as an additional subject. 

The Tutor will be energetic, healthy and a non-smoker. 

The family lives on a farm in the countryside so candidates who have allergies to domestic and farm animals, grasses, or flowers, should not apply for this role.

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

tijobs.net/532