The Tutor.com Blog

Terrific Mentors are a big reason why Tutor.com is the highest-rated tutoring service in the U.S.  This month we had the chance to learn more about Allison S., a teacher, mom and dog lover currently living in Missouri.  After tutoring with us for two years, Allison’s hard work and expertise were put to use as a Mentor, and later as a Senior Mentor. We are happy to have Allison S. on our team!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am currently living with my husband, son, and two dogs in southern Missouri, but I am an Iowa girl at heart.  I have been with Tutor.com for almost 8 years.

What were you up to before you started working with us?

Shortly before starting with Tutor.com, I graduated from college with a degree in elementary education and special education: moderate, severe, and profound mental disabilities.

How did you find out about our service?

I actually found Tutor.com by accident when I was searching for tips on tutoring students in-home.  I am so happy to have found Tutor.com, and I cannot imagine doing anything else! I absolutely love working with our students, tutors, and mentors, and I am so grateful for the flexible schedule which allows me to stay at home to raise my son.

How long have you been a mentor?

I have been a mentor for about 6 years and a senior mentor for 5 years.  I currently cover elementary and mid-level math, English, social studies, elementary science, essay writing and college essay writing.

What is it like being a mentor with Tutor.com?

Being a mentor means I get to work closely with many different tutors.  I love being able to see the different tutoring styles and how each tutor has his/her own way of helping the students understand concepts.  I also enjoy watching new tutors grow and develop their skills as tutors.  Some of my tutors have been on my mentoring team for years (with one who has been with me since the start!), and it is wonderful to see the strong tutors they have become.

This month, we asked our tutors to nominate a mentor of the month. Guiding our tutors and providing them feedback, our mentors are an integral part in maintaining our high tutoring standards. We are pleased to introduce this month’s Mentor of the Month, Sarah S!

From volunteering to biking to playing the piano, Sarah S. loves to pursue a variety of interests. With her schedule changing each week she found that working with Tutor.com allows her to make time for all of her different activities and still be proud of the work she does through tutoring and mentoring. Find out below what her favorite part of her job is and how she stays sharp in a variety of subjects.

Tutor.com: How long have you been with Tutor.com?

Sarah: I started tutoring for Tutor.com in 2006 and fell in love with the job! I became a Mentor in 2007 and a Senior Mentor in 2008.

Tutor.com: What sparked an interest in becoming a tutor?

Sarah: It is my hope that through my tutoring and mentoring I can help those I work with to feel proud of themselves and feel accomplished.

Tutor.com: What do you enjoy most about being a mentor?

Sarah: What I love most about being a mentor is the opportunity to be a resource to other tutors and mentors. I enjoy watching each of my tutors and mentors grow in their skills. They are the foundation of our business, and it is a pleasure for me to be instrumental in their development and by extension in the experiences of each of our students.

Tutor.com: What subjects do you tutor and mentor?

Sarah: Although my background is in Communication, I tutor Algebra through Calculus. In addition to those subjects, I mentor Elementary Math, Midlevel Math, Statistics, English, and Essay Writing.

Tutor.com: That is quite the variety of subjects! How to you stay up to date on all of them?

Sarah: In my spare time, I like to work through calculus textbooks to stay sharp on my math skills and I compete with my sister in weekly writing prompts to keep my English skills and creativity sharp.

Tutor.com: What is your favorite part of working with Tutor.com?

Sarah: With a 9 to 5 job, I wouldn’t be able to focus on my dreams or give back the way I can with Tutor.com. I am always looking for opportunities to learn something new and Tutor.com lets that happen!

Tutor.com: What sort of hobbies to you pursue outside of work?

Sarah: Outside of Tutor.com, I bike through the Colorado trails with my husband, play the piano, flute, and clarinet, and experiment with Gluten-Free cooking and baking. I also spend several hours a week volunteering at a couple organizations here in town. Tutor.com gives me the flexibility to pursue my many interests.

This month, we asked our tutors to again nominate a mentor of the month. Guiding our tutors and providing them feedback, our mentors are an integral part in maintaining our high tutoring standards. We are pleased to introduce this month’s Mentor of the Month, Sarah O!

Both a Tutor.com tutor and mentor, Sarah O. has been working double duty with Tutor.com for 5 years. Her expertise in English and Writing have set a high standard for the group of tutors she oversees, but her encouragement and warm personality make them eager to meet their goals. We are so glad to have Sarah on our team, and are very excited to be known as her “magic job!” Find out more about Sarah and her experiences below.

Tutor.com: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Sarah: I live in Wisconsin with my husband and three kids, ages 7, 5, and 2. We are currently expecting baby girl #4, so things are about to get a whole lot more interesting around here! I’ve been working as a tutor in English and Essay Writing with Tutor.com for over 6 years, and I’ve been a mentor for 5 years.

What led you to become a tutor?

While I was pursuing my degree in English at The University of Wisconsin Madison, I took a year off and volunteered with AmeriCorps NCCC, a national service program. During that time, I decided that any work I would do in the future would have to be meaningful and beneficial to the world somehow. I worked with an affordable housing facility for women for awhile, but I eventually found my niche tutoring/mentoring with Tutor.com because I could utilize my passion for English and Literature while fulfilling my need to help others.  I believe that interactions we tutors have with students are truly making a difference in their lives. And that, above all else, is what has kept me coming back to Tutor.com year after year.

What is your favorite part of tutoring with Tutor.com?

Like many tutors, I have found that Tutor.com has provided me with a way to balance work and home life in a way that allows me to be home with the kids but engage in the outside world as well. Sometimes I call tutoring my “magic job” — I get to go to work in my pajamas, at whatever time works for me, and do something I love!

You are also a mentor for Tutor.com, helping to advise fellow tutors, what has that been like?

Mentoring has been a wonderful experience — I have a very skilled team of tutors, and my own tutoring has improved so much because I’ve had a chance to see how other tutors approach challenging sessions.

What do you like to do for fun?

Outside of tutoring, I spend a lot of time with my kids (of course), but I’m always working to keep my own identity disentangled from theirs. Writing and yoga have become invaluable outlets for my own creativity, and some day, when there is a bit less chaos around here, I hope to write a novel. I also love working for a local organic vegetable farm, selling for them at the farmer’s market and taking home a bounty of beautiful (free!) produce — that’s my other “magic job”!

Once a month our team of mentors nominates a ‘Tutor of the Month’, but every so often we turn the tables on them and ask our tutors to nominate a mentor of the month. Guiding our tutors and providing them feedback, our mentors are an integral part in maintaining our high tutoring standards. This month, we are pleased to introduce our Mentor of the Month, Tonya A!

Just last year we celebrated our 10^th anniversary partnering with libraries. It was an exciting milestone to hit and also a great opportunity to take a look at all of those who have worked with us along the way. This month’s mentor of the month has been with us a little over ten years now. She has seen Tutor.com grow, expand and venture into new markets and opportunities, all while working directly with our students and tutors. With her degrees in English and Education, we are so glad to have Tonya on our team helping us to be the #1 online homework help and tutoring service.

Tutor.com: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Tonya: I live in Pennsylvania with my wonderful husband of nearly ten years. In college, I studied English at DeSales University and Elementary Education at Kutztown University. I have been with Tutor.com for slightly over ten years now and honestly, it is the best career opportunity I’ve ever had the pleasure of having.

What has it been like to work with Tutor.com for such a long period of time?

A decade ago, I started tutoring in the English, English essay and social studies areas and my work gave me the chance to see Tutor.com develop and grow into the marvelous service for students it is today. Eventually, I was given the opportunity to become a mentor and later, a senior mentor. I absolutely love having the opportunity to not only work with students, but also with a fantastic group of professionals on my team. I learn a lot from both of the roles I have at Tutor.com.

What is your favorite part of tutoring with Tutor.com?

I feel so fortunate being able to work from home, enjoy a flexible schedule, and most importantly, being able to do what I truly love. I firmly believe we never stop learning. Education and technology are two disciplines I enjoy and my work with Tutor.com merges those two elements.

What lead you to become a tutor?

In the past, I have worked as a traditional classroom teacher and also a tutor, which was work I started in my college’s learning center as an undergraduate studying for my English degree. In my undergraduate years, I thought my passion for writing would lead me toward a career in journalism, but through my tutoring experiences at college, I found that I loved working with students and found it even more rewarding to be able to work with them on improving their academic skills.

What is your favorite part of tutoring?

Even though I have been working with Tutor.com for over a decade, I still get inspired from those “a-ha!” moments I see our students get in the online classroom. Feeling that I have made a positive difference to a student and have helped them increase their confidence and hopefully incited a love for learning through working with them is reason why I remain enthusiastic about what I have the privilege to do in the online classroom!