Private tutor - Toronto, Canada

STUDENT

The student is in 10th grade and is currently being home-schooled while enrolled in National University Virtual High School (NUVHS). She is fluent in English, French and Russian. She is a talented tennis player who trained hard from an early age with the possibility of turning pro but then decided to redirect her focus towards academic study with a view to getting into Brown University in Rhode Island. Due to her having devoted so much time and energy to tennis, she had little to no time left to pursue other passions such as music or her love of animals. Now that she is being home-schooled and has greatly reduced the tennis, there is time to broaden her range of interests while maintaining high academic standards and preparing for Brown.

Academically, she is highly capable, attaining near-perfect grades across all her subjects when in school even though, at times, she was too tired to stay awake in class. So far, with NUVHS, her scores have been almost flawless.

Away from school and tennis, she is a charming young lady with a warm and friendly demeanour. She is easy to talk to, and her sense of curiosity and interest can be easily engaged by inspiring academic exercises. She is not afraid of debate or discussion and once her interest in a given subject is piqued, she lights up with enthusiasm.

She has a long abiding love of animals, and a particular interest in dogs. She currently has very few interests and needs to be encouraged and motivated into a wide range of new activities with the goal not being limited to the utility of volunteering and leadership that Colleges like to see, but rather to engendering genuine passions and interests that might become lifelong.

As a child, she was required to play the piano. While this forced practice has put her off the instrument, she still has musical talent and plays the saxophone to a reasonable level. She certainly has an interest in music in most forms and could be a talented musician if she felt motivated to practice more. Indeed, she is one of those rare people who, could genuinely be considered a skilled allrounder. She has an interest in learning to play the koto, for which a teacher has been found, and the intention is that she starts when circumstances allow. She is also interested in archery, has her own bow and is intending to pursue this once the pandemic eases. Koto and archery are both new for her and it is expected that these two new interests are just the first of many.

ROLE OF THE TUTOR

This role will be a balance of academic tutor, mentor and companion. Years spent focussed on tennis have narrowed the student's range of interests and one of the key requirements of the role, along with ensuring that all the NUVHS work is done on time and to a good standard before being submitted for grading, is to broaden her horizons, introduce new sports and other activities, and explore tangential lines of enquiry. The Tutor should help nurture and encourage a sense of academic curiosity and should foster a sense of pride in her academic achievements. In order to develop and support her university application strategy the Tutor should have attended a university of the standing of an Ivy themselves.

The Tutor should themselves be a well-rounded individual who has had experience of many activities (some to a high level). She or he should be interesting and erudite, excited by the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake and forever curious about the world around them. The Tutor should be able to inspire the student to open up and let new activities and passions into her life, whether by encouragement to give something else a go, or by simple propinquity. She or he should be proactive in terms of getting the student work experience or seeking opportunities to volunteer. Given her plans to have a dog, the Tutor should be comfortable with animals and happy to help research her options. 

The Tutor should have a stable personal life and be organised in the way they run their household to act as a good role model. The Tutor should be resourceful, unflappable and determined while nonetheless calm and measured. 

It would be helpful if the Tutor has excellent French, or at least one other language to a high level other than English.

The student is currently taking the following courses:

• English 11A

• Biology B

• World History B

• Algebra IIA

• Personal and Family Finance

The current intention is that she takes the following next, although this list is subject to change:

• English IIB

• English 12A/B

• Chemistry A/B

• US History A/B

• American Government

• Economics

• Algebra IIB

• Two courses in Physical Education

• Three additional electives

HOURS AND HOLIDAYS

The Tutor should make themselves available to the student as needed, but it is thought that this will typically be for an average of up to 40 hours contact time per a week, mostly during the normal working daytime hours, Monday to Friday. The Tutor should do his or her own preparation outside of contact hours. The Tutor will typically be off on Saturdays and Sundays but should make themselves available on Sunday morning if there is a significant work requirement. 

The Tutor is entitled to an average of two consecutive days off per week but should not always expect these to occur at weekends or to be regular in their timing. As far as possible, a consistent pattern for academic learning should be established, but the Tutor needs to be aware that they also have responsibilities concerning the student's commitments, and as such the timetable here is flexible.

ACCOMMODATION, TRAVEL, AND MISCELLANEOUS

While in Toronto, the Tutor will be given furnished housing near to the family’s home. The Tutor will be responsible for their own mobile phone provision; the Client will cover all bills on the accommodation other than private phone calls. Meals taken with the student and/or her family will be covered by the Client. All other meals will be at the Tutor’s personal expense. The Client will provide a vehicle for the Tutor for reasonable local use.

The successful candidate will be able to offer more than the minimum requirements of this position. She or he will not only be an excellent educator, but also a good role model: enthusiastic about their subjects, professional but also personable, with excellent manners and personal values.

The Tutor must be fit and healthy, a non-smoker.

For more information and instructions on how to apply, please visit: tijobs.net/526