Here's a great example of what can happen when you keep an open mind and an eye out for possibilities.
Last week I answered an ad on Craigslist, someone looking for drivers in Mississauga. Pick up a few kids in the morning, drop them off at a summer program, pick them up in the afternoon, drop them off at their home. $50 per kid per week, cash. I thought, hey, it's worth a look.
It turns out to be an ESL program. This is how I came to think about tutoring as a possibility.
I went to the office today. It's a one-woman operation, a former ESL teacher who started her own teaching and tutoring business. She seems to run a quality service, and she's thrilled to find me.
Next week I'll start ferrying some nearby kids to their summer program, earn $200 cash a week and have all day free in between trips. She groups kids together by location, so they'll be somewhat nearby.
Beginning in the fall, her clients contract for tutoring in packages of 8 hours, paid in advance. Tutors set their own fees; the company gets $5 per hour off the top.
This summer, I'll refresh my memory about materials and teaching tips. I imagine there's plenty of information online.
This might be a great compliment to notetaking, or possibly some income in between college terms.
Here's something that made me uncomfortable. The company owner is an Asian Canadian woman; her clients run the full spectrum of Mississauga immigrants. She told me that most parents want white tutors. She quotes them as saying, I didn't take my kids halfway around the world to get them teachers who sound like me. They want white teachers only, and the fact that I'm American will be a huge plus.
She made a big point of telling me that she disagrees with it, but found that her clients insist.
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I don't have much else to blog about right now. I'm so focused on my employment situation, and getting ready for wmtc2. It's this Saturday! If you're going to be in the area and feeling brave, it's not too late to score an invite.
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