The Tutor.com Blog

Tutor.com has a network of 2,500 tutors spread across North America, and about 10% of our tutors are affiliated with the military. Since our tutors are remote, we rarely get a chance to meet them face-to-face. That’s why our Tutor.com for U.S. Military Team was thrilled to meet Lara P., a tutor and military spouse, at the 63^rd Army Reserve Support Command (RSC) Yellow Ribbon Reintegration event in Los Angeles. Our team was there to introduce Army Reserve families to Tutor.com’s one-to-one, online tutoring service, which  military families have access to 24/7 at no cost thanks to funding by the Department of Defense.

Lara is a busy Army Reserve spouse, mother of two and an English and essay writing expert for Tutor.com. A former middle school teacher in both public and private schools, Lara wanted to find an education position that would match her mobile lifestyle due to her husband’s military position and allow her to spend more time with her young son. Lara found out about Tutor.com from a friend. Now her commute is up her home staircase, to an office where she works one-to-one with students online.  Lara’s older son, a college freshman, used Tutor.com to get help with high school geometry and chemistry. Lara spoke to us about the challenges she had encouraging her teen son to use the program and why Tutor.com is a great service for adults too.

Tutor.com: After spending 14 years teaching in a classroom setting, why did you decide to become an online tutor?

Lara:  I love teaching, but as a military spouse I need a flexible career.  My family has moved twice in the past five years due to my husband’s military career.  My husband, an Army Reservist, was deployed for the past year and I wanted to be home with our two sons.  Now, my husband is back from deployment, but we live on a pretty remote military base. A friend told me about tutoring online with Tutor.com and I loved the idea of working with students from my home. I set my own hours and just go upstairs and log on my computer when I’m ready to tutor. It is a great fit for me and my family.

Tutor.com:  Besides the flexibility, what else do you like about being a Tutor.com tutor?

Lara: In a classroom setting it’s hard to reach everyone on an individual level.  When I tutor online, I have the opportunity to reach a student right when they need help and to work with him or her directly with no distractions.  I feel very successful when I’m able to connect with a student and help them. It’s a great feeling!  And I especially enjoy knowing I’m helping other military members and families.  (Note: Tutor.com is an anonymous service.)

Tutor.com:  What types of students do you help?

Lara:  I’d say that about half of the students I work with are in college.  Some are adults who are going back to school.  People think that Tutor.com is just for middle school or high school kids, but it’s really for everyone.

Tutor.com:  Why did your son start using Tutor.com?

Lara: My son was always a good student and any help he needed I or my husband could provide.  That all changed in high school. When he started taking tougher math and science courses, I realized he needed extra help, and it wasn’t going to come from me!  At first, he was resistant to trying Tutor.com. I think he was a bit intimidated by the idea of tutoring. That all changed after his first session with a tutor.  He loved it!  Soon he was using Tutor.com regularly to get help with geometry and chemistry.  He liked being able to select his favorite tutors so he could see which tutors were online and plan his schedule around them.

Tutor.com: What advice would you give other parents whose children are wary about trying online tutoring?

Lara:  I’d encourage parents to help their child log-in the first time, even if they are a teenager!  Once your child uses the program and understands how the tutors can help him or her, they will love it and probably not ask for your help again. You just need to get them to try it that first time.  It is also a great tool for military families who are often moving and need a resource that is available 24/7 and all around the world.

If you are a member of a military family, please go to www.tutor.com/military to find out if you are eligible for the program.  The Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families program is funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program, Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, Navy General Library Program and Army General Library Program. Tutor.com is proud to be a member of the Military Spouse Employment Program.  Approximately 10% of Tutor.com tutors are military spouses or military affiliated.

Marine Corps Reservist, Lieutenant Colonel Brad Lanto has been part of the military for 20 years. While he works in the Pentagon as the Marine Corps Liaison for the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) in Reserve Affairs, his wife and two children are back in North Carolina. We caught up with the Lt. Col. and his wife, MaryBeth, who is a middle school counselor, to see how Tutor.com has been making a difference for their seventh grade son, Zac. We also learned how the challenges Reservists face may be different than other military members. While Reservists don’t move nearly as much, they too face long deployments, which put many miles between them and their families back at home.

Tutor.com:  Lt. Col. Lanto, how long have you been away from your family?

Lt. Col. Lanto: I left for the Pentagon last October and I expect to be here for one year. While I’m gone, my wife is the primary caregiver and has to help with school work for our two children on her own.

MaryBeth:  Our son is a great student, but this year he’s in an advanced, honors math class and the pace is very fast. I’m never sure how to help him or if I’m offering the right techniques.  We’re glad to have access to Tutor.com.  Our son connects to tutors and also uses the resources Tutor.com offers, including the videos, worksheets and recommended websites.

Tutor.com:  That’s great. Sometimes we forget to talk about all the resources in the SkillsCenter Resource Library. When does he use those?

MaryBeth:  He likes to use the mobile app and check out the resources from his iPhone when we’re driving and then at home he uses his laptop to connect to one of the tutors for help.

Tutor.com:  We love to hear that kids are doing school work even in the car! With the app he could connect to a tutor from his phone too. Are there other features your son likes about getting help online?

MaryBeth:  Yes, he likes to review the videos of his own sessions that he has had with a tutor when he’s studying.  And it helps him with the math skills he needs. He’s a very busy student with a full course load of challenging courses and he plays in two soccer leagues.  So having help available 24/7 is really beneficial.

Tutor.com:  Lt. Col Lanto, how do you think Reservists will use Tutor.com?

Lt. Col. Lanto:  Many Reservists are going to school on the GI Bill and need help with their own work, such as having a paper proofread. Reservists who aren’t deployed may be working, going to school, and doing their drills for the military. Having tutors available around their schedule helps them get everything done.   Many Reservists also have families and multiple children who benefit from online tutoring.

MaryBeth:   Tutor.com offers so much and really is a relief for parents.  There are so many different  ways for children to learn – videos, worksheets and live tutoring.  It’s a great resource.

To learn more about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families and how it supports families of Reservists and National Guard service members, please go to www.tutor.com/military.

Working with the U.S. Military has led our team to some exotic locations (Hawaii!), but most importantly as we travel to events across the country we always meet amazing people. One of these inspiring individuals is Patty Barron, the Director of Family Programs for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). Patty’s energy and enthusiasm for supporting military families is legendary. It’s no surprise that she has a great family, including a son who regularly uses Tutor.com. Patty and her son Joe squeezed us into their packed schedule to share some thoughts about online tutoring, Eagle Scouts and what it means to be a military family.

Tutor.com:  Besides your role at AUSA, what is your connection to military families?

Patty:  My husband (Col. (R) Michael Barron) recently retired after spending 30 years in the Army. In some ways I grew up in a military family because I was just 22 years old when I got married and my husband’s first assignment was in Germany. We had our first child there and we learned quickly to depend on ourselves and our friends. We didn’t have family close by, but our military friends were there for us. I love how diverse the military is, and yet we share many of the same values, including pride of our country and of our families and the importance of education.

Tutor.com:  So Joe, you are growing up in a military family. How does that affect your school life?

Joe:  I’m in 11^th grade and I’ve moved five times.

Patty:  My older children moved eight times! They went to four elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools. That’s a lot of change. When you move so much you can’t request your teachers and you don’t know the lay of the land.

Tutor.com:  Joe, how have you handled all of the moves?  

Joe:  I make sure to be really active and join a lot of after-school events to meet people and make friends. I’m not a great runner, but I joined the cross country team. I’m also part of the stage crew for school plays and I’m working on becoming an Eagle Scout.

Patty:  I have to interrupt and brag a little about his Eagle Scout project. He just finished a 64-foot bridge to connect the Wounded Warrior Trail to the wildlife refuge to help extend the hiking experience. He was actually very sick that weekend. We had him in the Emergency Room on Friday and on Sunday he was out building a bridge!

Tutor.com:  That’s worth bragging about! Joe, we know when you’re not building bridges, you’re getting ready for the SATs or finishing homework for your tough schedule of Honors English, German, Pre-Calculus and AP Biology and History classes. Why did you start using Tutor.com?

Joe: My mom told me about Tutor.com, and for the first two months I didn’t think I needed it. Then during my final math exam I decided to get online and work with a tutor to study. I had the tutors help me with all the problems I got wrong during the year. I got an A on that final. Now I use Tutor.com pretty regularly for help with pre-calculus, and I work with English tutors to proof my papers and help with grammatical mistakes.

Tutor.com:  What do you like best about online tutoring?

Joe:  The tutors help show me the process to use and break down the problems. I like having one-to-one time to ask direct questions. No matter where I am, I can just get online and get help. I also like connecting to tutors on the iPad.

Patty:  My older kids were very bright, but they were at the mercy of what I and their father could help them with, which is mostly writing. Neither of us was great at math. Tutor.com would have really helped my older children.

Tutor.com:  We are always impressed with how military children seem to handle themselves and excel at school. Do you think there is something about being in a military family that supports this?

Joe:  All military kids are proud of their parents. We are so proud of our family and we never want to let them down. We want to make them proud.

Patty:  You have to be very well educated to move up in the military and our kids see that. We really value our families and a great education.

Tutor.com:  What advice would you give to parents and students who may be struggling a bit with school?

Patty:  I learned a lot from the experience of raising my two older children (now 29 and 27 years old). Parents need to know that their kids will be just fine. If they don’t go to Harvard, that is okay. You need to know your children and what they can do and really push them to be their best. I have a nursing degree and a master’s degree in counseling, and I always gave my children one mental health day a quarter. Just to give them time to sleep or catch up on homework or whatever they needed.

Joe:  Talk to your teachers and let them know you are trying. They will help you. It’s good to figure out the best way you learn. For me, working with a tutor online is the best way for me to get help.

Patty: I just want to add that it’s an enormous benefit for students to have access to Tutor.com to get help. I really love the program!

If you’d like to learn more about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families go to www.tutor.com/military .

Michaela and her family.

Sergeant Master Michael O. of the U.S. Marines has moved every four years of his 26-year military career.   During his last move, from Georgia to Virginia, he brought his wife and two daughters along.  Once his older daughter Michaela was enrolled in her new school she immediately found that the new curriculum was challenging and for the first time she needed extra help.   We caught up with Michael, his wife Marcia, and their eighth grade daughter Michaela to find out how Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families helped them during a difficult academic time.

Tutor.com: One of the reasons the Department of Defense wanted to provide online tutoring to military families is the very mobile lifestyle you lead.   How has that affected your family?

Michael:  I’ve moved many times during my military career, but often my family would stay put to give them stability.  But, for this last move before I retired, the family moved with me.  It was a big adjustment, especially for Michaela who found her classes in Virginia very different from those she had been taking in Georgia.  It really had an impact.  We didn’t realize how different the education systems were between states. 

Tutor.com:  How did you find out about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families?

Michael:  I was at a meeting at the Pentagon for new community members and someone happened to mention it to me.  I only wish we had learned about the service our first day!  It made a big difference for Michaela.  We loved that Michaela had access to tutoring whenever she needed it.

Tutor.com:  What subjects did you get help in Michaela?

Michaela: I worked with tutors mostly on math.  I would use it to study before a test.  I’d ask the tutor for extra problems that I could work on, especially word problems which are hard for me.  The tutors helped give me tips and then I could do it on my own.  I did better on my tests.   I also got help writing papers.  I really liked working with the tutors.  At the end of the year I had a high B in my math class.

Tutor.com:  What made math so tough?

Michaela:  Moving from my old school to a new one was hard because the classes were different and I didn’t know some of the information.  Tutor.com helped me with everything I didn’t know.

Marcia:  Yes.  I’d say that the tutors really connected the dots from one curriculum to the other.

Tutor.com: Do you have a busy schedule outside of school?

Michaela:  Yes!   I’m a cheerleader and I sing in the chorus.  I’m also in a mentoring program with my mom called Emerging Young Leaders.

Marcia:  Emerging Young Leaders is a program for middle school girls sponsored by a sorority. It helps girls get ready for college and provides culture awareness.  We also recently went to a weekend retreat put on by the Steve Harvey Foundation called Girls Who Rule the World. 

Tutor.com:  You are a busy family!  Michaela, what’s your advice to other busy students who want to get great grades?

Michaela:  You have to be organized and follow your schedule.  Include enough time to study.  And if you have questions, ask during class or go to the teacher before or after school.  I used Tutor.com in the evenings and on the weekends.  It was really convenient way for me to get help.

Have a Tutor.com story you want to share?  Email jkohn@tutor.com.

In our ongoing Success Story series about how military families are using Tutor.com, we were lucky enough to meet Elizabeth and Kiara W.

Kiara and her family.

Elizabeth grew up in a military family as a self-described “military brat” and is now a military spouse living with her family on Edwards Air Force Base.  Her husband is currently serving a one-year deployment in Afghanistan.

Kiara is a junior in high school taking multiple AP classes and plays guard forward for the basketball team. An excellent student, Kiara found herself struggling with pre-calculus.  The family usually relies on Dad for math help, but with him deployed, Elizabeth started to search for tutoring options. A few months ago she discovered Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families and now Kiara’s C is an A. Here’s how she mastered pre-calculus.

Tutor.com: When did you first realize you needed help with school work?

Elizabeth: I knew Kiara was having a tough time with pre-calculus and her Dad is the one who helps with math, not me! So I started looking on the base and looking online to see what kind of help was out there and if there were any discounts for military families.  Everything was so expensive. We were glad to find Tutor.com. (Note:  Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families is free for eligible military families*.)

Knowing that Kiara can get help whenever she needs it eliminated stress for me and I think this option is better than a lot of the programs I researched.

Tutor.com: Kiara, how has online tutoring helped you?

Kiara: It’s really easy to use. The tutors are always helpful and nice. I’m using it most nights to help with homework or ask questions before a test. I mostly connect to a tutor from our desktop computer, but if I’m studying in my room late at night I just use my iPhone to get help. I like to take pictures of the blackboard or of my textbook and share it with tutor. It’s awesome!

Tutor.com: What’s different about online tutoring from learning in the classroom?

Kiara: At school the teacher usually shows one way of doing something. When I connect to a tutor, they show me a different way and I can understand it better. The tutors make it easier for me.  And sometimes the teacher is moving too fast for me. I know they need to keep on schedule. When I can’t keep up, it’s easier for me to ask a tutor for help.

With the tutors, I can get my work done faster and really understand it, too.

Tutor.com: You have straight A’s and participate in sports. How can other students achieve the same goals?

Kiara: You have to make sure your priorities are straight and don’t be too embarrassed to ask for help. Do your homework first and then worry about everything else.

Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families is funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. To see if you are eligible for this program, please go to www.tutor.com/military.

Chris L. makes movies but gets his homework done first.

We love hearing from students who are using our service. And we love it even more when students are so excited about having access to live, expert tutoring that they want to tell their friends about it.

A few weeks ago, we found out that Chris L. a Senior from Fort Sam Houston had made not one, not two, but five different videos to let his peers know about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families. From a hilarious romantic comedy to a horror themed video, they are all fun to watch (links to all videos below).

When Chris isn’t making movies, you can find him participating in the Student Council or helping out teachers and students with a range of technology issues as a tech intern chosen by Dr. Roland Rios, the Director of Instructional Technology at the Robert G. Cole High School. Chris is also one of just 20 students chosen to meet with base leadership to discuss how the base can better meet the needs of students.

We reached out to Chris and Dr. Rios to find out where Chris gets his inspiration from and how he is personally using Tutor.com to increase his math grades.

Tutor.com: We loved your videos!  Great diversity, music and casting.  Why did you decide to create all these videos about Tutor.com?

Chris: I’m a member of our Student to Student (S2S) program and I wanted to do the videos to show other military students that they could get online tutoring. I used iMovie from Mac to make all the movies.

Note: S2S is a popular and important program for military students run by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

Dr. Rios: iMovie is a great program that offers templates for different types of videos. Chris came up with the concepts and did all the work to put these videos together.

Tutor.com:  Chris, were you already using Tutor.com when you created the videos?

Chris:  Yes. I was using Tutor.com regularly last school year for pre-calculus. I had a pretty low grade but I raised it to a high B, low A by connecting to the tutors. I mostly used it to prepare for quizzes and exams. I also use it to have my essays proofread.

Tutor.com:  What do you like about getting help from online tutors?

Chris: I like that it’s a different type of learning environment. It’s private and I don’t feel embarrassed asking questions.  That’s why I thought it would be great to use videos to tell other students about the program as part of Student to Student.

Tutor.com:  Did you get help or tutoring before the introduction of Tutor.com?

Chris:  We have great teachers. They are always available to help after school. But sometimes I’m working later at night and need help then. I got an iPad for my birthday and now I use it to connect to a tutor. I love that tutors are always online to help me.

(Note: The Tutor.com To Go iOS app is available at tutor.com/mobile)

Tutor.com:  It’s your Senior year. What are you planning on doing after graduation?

Chris L: I’m applying to a few  military academies and schools that have ROTC. I want to join the Army like my dad after I graduate from college.

Tutor.com:  You are a really busy and really successful student. What advice do you have for other students struggling at school and trying to balance all of their activities?

Chris L.:  School always comes first. Keeping your grades high is really important. After you take care of homework and school then you balance everything else – activities and friends. When you have problems, make sure to ask for help. Go to a teacher or find out what else is available to you.

Watch Chris’s Videos about Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families

• Horror  
• Romantic
• Male Lead
• Female Lead
• Documentary

Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families is funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.   To see if you are eligible for this program, please go to www.tutor.com/military.

Tutor.com is proud to offer tutoring to U.S. military families around the world 24/7.*   Many students growing up in military families move frequently throughout their childhood and often attend several schools. Over the last decade about 2 million children have been affected by the deployment of one or both parent(s).  Moves and having a deployed parent can make school work difficult.  That’s where Tutor.com comes in.

Since the service is available around the clock from anywhere and now any device, students can always get the help they need.   Recently we spoke to Kennedy, an 11^th grader whose father is an Army service member deployed in Israel.   She has been using Tutor.com for a few years and is taking an extremely challenging course load including AP U.S. History, AP English Language & Composition, AP Calculus, and Physics Honors.   She does four hours of homework daily.  And somehow squeezes in gymnastics.  We are beyond impressed and so glad to share her story with you.

Tutor.com:  Why did you first start using Tutor.com?

Kennedy:  I’ve been taking advanced math classes since sixth grade.  Success in my sixth grade math class meant I could take Algebra in seventh grade.   Connecting to tutors through Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families has been really important in helping me make it through tough math classes.

Tutor.com:  What are you using Tutor.com for this year?

Kennedy:  AP Calculus! I have an A in the class.  Tutor.com really helps me succeed in math.  I’m also going to use it to help with my college applications.

Tutor.com:  Why do you think online tutoring helps you?

Kennedy:  It’s great that I can use the program anytime.  It’s always accessible.  I’m usually on between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., but I’ve also had a few 1:00 a.m. sessions!  My favorite part about using the service is that I don’t have to fall behind or wait until the next day to ask the teacher for help.  I’m much better prepared for my classes.

The tutors are very patient which can never be taken for granted. They explain everything really well and they always work with me until I get the problem.

Tutor.com:  If you didn’t have access to Tutor.com, how would you get help?

Kennedy:  I probably couldn’t afford tutoring without Tutor.com.  My Dad would help if he was here, but he’s deployed now.  I always tell my military friends about the program and I know my one friend is using it right now for Organic Chemistry.  I do a lot of homework.  Usually four hours a night and Tutor.com helps me spend less time on math homework.

Tutor.com:  Now that you are halfway through high school, what advice would you give other students who may be struggling with math or other subjects?

Kennedy: My advice is work as hard as you can. Doing the homework is the key to success and finding help when you are struggling. Everyone reaches that point in math class where they just don’t get it.

Honestly, I’m so grateful for this program.  To me, it’s the best benefit for the military and I wish more people knew about it.  I try to tell every military family I know!

Thanks to Kennedy for a Certified Awesome interview.  If you are a member of a military family and would like to try the program, go to www.tutor.com/military.

*This program is funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.