The Tutor.com Blog

When Olga R.’s priorities shifted to focus on caring for her preemie twins, she said goodbye to her day job and became a stay-at-home mom. But with a degree in Math, she still wanted to put her expertise to work and joined the Tutor.com team in 2010. Three years later, she loves the satisfaction of helping students find their way and mentoring new tutors to be the best they can be.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in Northeast Ohio with my husband, our three daughters, and our very crazy wire-haired Fox Terrier. I went to John Carroll University with the intent to become a Computer Programmer.  Just because I liked math so much, I decided to major in that also.  Four years later, I realized that Computer Science wasn’t really for me, so I was very thankful for the Math part of my double-major.  I worked as an analyst for an auto insurance company after graduation and really enjoyed my job.  However, when our preemie twins were born, my priorities shifted and I decided to be a stay-at-home mom.

I’ve been tutoring with Tutor.com since 2010, tutoring Elementary Math, Mid-Level Math, Algebra, and Algebra II, and mentoring since 2012.

How did you find out about Tutor.com?

I’ve always enjoyed tutoring when I was in college, and when I started thinking of some part-time jobs that would be feasible with young children, tutoring automatically came to mind and I came across Tutor.com.  It seemed too good to be true at first, but after some research, I decided to give it a try.  It was the best decision ever!  I get to spend time with my girls, I get to watch them grow, and witness all the little things they do, and I get to work–from–home when it’s convenient for me. And I get paid!

What makes it a great fit?

I really enjoy both tutoring and mentoring for various reasons. For tutoring, I love the anticipation of a new session, the unknown of what the student is going to ask and how it will all go— it’s quite addicting actually.  I love when my sessions go well and I get to help someone figure out a problem or understand a certain topic.  The feeling that your work truly matters and that instant gratification are pretty amazing!

I enjoy mentoring because I get to support other tutors.  I think it’s great that Tutor.com provides so much coaching and support at all levels: tutors have mentors, mentors have senior mentors, etc. 

Any study tips?

Best homework or study tip I could give is go through your class notes and read the material in the book before attempting to do the homework.  And the one thing I think every student should do in order to become a better student is don’t be afraid to ask questions!  Tackle the problems when they are little hills instead of waiting until they become huge mountains.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love being outside with my family.  I also enjoy photography and I’m hoping to take a digital photography class (or two) in the near future.

Tutor.com is pleased to welcome Katherine Vander Vennet to our library team! As our new Sales Director for Libraries, Katherine has been enjoying getting reacquainted with folks she knew at public libraries from the days when she worked at Information Access Company (now part of Gale and Cengage Learning). Katherine has a strong background in working with organizations to achieve their goals and is excited about getting back to libraries after working in the B2B world with Hoovers, Earthlink, and other technology companies.

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts, Communication/Visual Art from the University of California, San Diego and a Master of Arts, Visual Arts/Business Management from New York University.  While working in the technology sales world, she also consulted for corporate and private art collectors. When you meet her, be sure to ask more about her love of art and her experience in the visual world.

Katherine says she is energized by the opportunity to bring online on-demand tutoring to all students regardless of their ability to afford help outside the classroom. She sees Live Homework Help through libraries as the great equalizer in educational success and in helping to build stronger communities through a better educated population. On a personal note she says, “As a mom of two teenage boys whose homework is beginning to far surpass my personal knowledge, Tutor.com is an amazing tool I wish I had know about for years!”

We hope you’ll have a chance to meet Katherine soon. Look for her at the Tutor.com booth at ALA Annual in Chicago!

To celebrate Valentine’s Day we’re sharing the top 5 reasons we and our students love our tutors!

5.  Patience, Patience, Patience: Yes, it’s a virtue that our tutors have in spades! They take their time to really understand what a student needs and work with him/her until they get it.

4. Enthusiasm: It may be 10:00 p.m., but our tutors are downright cheerful! They never miss a chance to say “great job!”. Their enthusiasm makes that looming calculus test seem not so bad.

3. Expertise: We work hard to recruit great tutors and every day they prove just how much they know from helping students write an A+ essay to working out that tough chemistry equation.

2.  Personal: Learning is a very personal endeavor and we <3 how our tutors personalize every session to what a student needs. They are not afraid to try a few approaches to ensure a student understands the problem.

1. Wow Factor: Check out our Tutor of the Month posts and you’ll say “wow” too. Our tutors are also NASA scientists, Hubble Space engineers, author and professors. We’re lucky to have them.

Have a few more reasons to <3 our tutors? Share them here or on Facebook or Twitter!

As soon as we hopped off the plane in Seattle, we were ready to start talking! Discussing market trends, brainstorming new solutions for clients’ challenges and showing off our new outreach materials dominated our time at the ALA Midwinter Meeting which featured the theme The Conversation Starts Here. This past weekend kick-started many conversations that will continue well through 2013. Check out our recap of the hot topics below!

Building Stronger Communities. The recently released Pew Internet and American Life Project report, Library Services in the Digital Age found 91% of Americans age 16+ say public libraries are important to their communities. And access to the Internet for research and school projects is a big reason 16+ year olds go to the library. Libraries play a pivotal role in providing lifelong educational resources across diverse populations. From online tutoring and free classes to maker-spaces that support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), libraries are being creative about supporting their communities. Tutor.com is finding more students continue to access live tutoring from their libraries too.  In 2012, our community of tutors completed close to a million sessions with students coming from their libraries’ websites using their computer, smartphone or tablet.

Get Back to Your Life. New for 2013, Tutor.com launched a series of fun, engaging outreach materials that encourage library patrons to get their homework/work done and then get back to their busy lives. Thanks to all the clients who gave us great feedback!  If you want to see some of our favorite outreach materials and programs check out the Tutor.com Connecting with the Community page on Pinterest.

Protecting the Freedom to Read. This year it was amazing to see so many librarians taking a stand together.  The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom declared Sunday, January 27^th, Sweater Vest Sunday at ALA Midwinter to defend the freedom to read. OIF encouraged everyone to don sweater vests for the day and discuss the importance of reporting challenges of library materials to ALA OIF. We dove right into this conversation by bringing along our very own sweater vests to wear at the Tutor.com booth and show our commitment to the freedom to read!

Now that we’re back in the office we are already thinking ahead to our next stop, ALA Annual in Chicago this June. We can’t wait to join that conversation, Transforming Our Libraries, Ourselves!

One of the great things about the holiday season is the spirit of giving it brings out in so many people. It’s a time where we can all be thankful for what we have and are glad to lend a helping hand or some holiday cheer.  We’re lucky enough to work with people who carry that spirit with them throughout the whole year. Learn more about the work they do below!

TEAM X-T.R.E.M.E.
We’ve written about the amazing work that this organization has done before, but one of the wonderful things about TEAM X-T.R.E.M.E. is how dedicated they are to their mission of honoring and empowering wounded veterans. From participating in the Annual Bataan Memorial Death March in New Mexico, to honoring a wounded warrior and his family in Hawaii, the team goes full force in everything they do. We are proud that one of our own team members, Military Families Client Services Manager Meg Sauvé, is an active and integral part of this certified awesome group. And this year, to show their support,  fellow Tutor.com members Pamela Brehm and Ty Woolfolk joined Meg and Team X-T.R.E.M.E. to distribute Christmas packs to Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed.

Movember
Charity can come in many forms. You can make a monetary donation, you can organize an event, but sometimes the best option might be to grow a mustache. Movember started in Australia in 2004 to foster discussions and raise funds towards prostate and testicular cancer research initiatives. When our Creative Services Director, Duane Romanell, took the initiative to create the Tutor.comb group we were excited. And when three more Tutor.com team members joined, we were thrilled. Together they were able to raise over $800 and grow four fantastic ‘staches.

Gifts for the Homeless
Sometimes the people who need the most help are the ones within your own community. Our SVP & General Manager, Bart Epstein, lends his expertise and giving spirit to the Washington D.C. based organization Gifts for the Homeless. A wholly volunteer-run organization, GFTH brings together over 300 volunteers every year to help out during their annual clothing drive. Each year they are able to donate clothing to over 70 shelters, soup kitchens and transitional homes. The great work they are doing is making waves as they’ve recently been featured on NBC 4’s 12 Days of Giving segment. Check it out below!

What’s your favorite way to give back?

By Duane Romanell, Tutor.com Creative Services Director

It’s the middle of “Movember,” and a few of my Tutor.com colleagues and I have been doing our small part to bring awareness to diseases that affect the health and well-being of men around the world.

For those of you that don’t know, the Movember movement was started in 2004 by a group of young men in Melbourne, Australia. It encourages its members to grow a moustache to foster discussions and raise funds towards prostate and testicular cancer research initiatives. The rules are simple: Start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month of November. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and donations are raised. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.

As their web site states: “These selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.”

Last year, the Foundation raised over $126M for several different charitable organizations in 14 different countries. Nearly 855,000 members participated, alone or as part of a team. They asked for donations via email, Facebook, Twitter, and in person. Those that collected $100 or more got to to show off their Mo at one of Movember’s Gala Partés in NYC and connect with others who shared their efforts. This year, funds are directed to programs run by Movember and their U.S. partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG Foundation. The three channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative programs involving awareness and education, survivorship and research.

This is a cause close to me. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago. Luckily, it’s something that can be managed if caught early enough. More times than not, men die with the disease, not from it. But the treatment is physically demanding, and the months following can be an emotionally exhausting experience. Being a part of his recovery process opened my eyes and got me on a healthier track of living. It’s that sort of “mo-tivation” that I hope will encourage others to take action, get examinations, and talk with friends and family members about their lifestyle choices.

If you can, join us in our efforts by becoming a member of the foundation (as a Bro or Sista). Please help spread the word via your social media outlets and raise donations. Every little bit matters. Knowledge is power. Moustache is king!

Our team URL: http://us.movember.com/team/755509

Tutor.com Sales Director, Tom Squillace, works remotely at his home office in Michigan. While he isn’t able to participate in the Tutor.com Reads Book Club, he did have his own summer book club meeting with his two daughters after surprisingly enjoying an unexpected book. Find out more below!

It isn’t every day that my job at Tutor.com gets to impress my two girls, but at ALA’s Annual Conference this past June I was able to do just that. In between catching up with old friends and meeting new faces, I made my way to a few of the events that ALA hosts during the conference. After pleasing the intellectual side of my brain at the John Irving presentation, I moved onto something a bit lighter and something my two daughters, Jacqueline, 11, and Colleen, 14, would totally “gleek” out over.

Chris Colfer, the Golden Globe winning actor who plays Kurt on the television show Glee, was at ALA 2012 to discuss his own book, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. The book itself was basically an afterthought to my decision to attend. Since my two daughters are huge Glee fans, I figured that I could use my video phone to connect with them back in Michigan so they could watch a portion of the event.

As I was sitting there, feeling a bit sheepish, holding up my phone so my girls could get a virtual glimpse of an actual TV star, I looked at a copy of the book in question and was a bit skeptical. It didn’t look like the type of book that my girls would like, but I brought a couple of copies home with me anyway, hoping that at least it would keep their noses away from their electronic devices for a few minutes. When I got home, what ensued was an affirmation of the power of the written word, as well as a realization that perhaps I underestimated my girls just a bit.  The book turned out to be an absolute hit, especially with Jacqueline, who has read and reread the book a few times.

A few weeks later, as I was selecting some reading material for our family vacation, I came upon The Land of Stories and decided that I would bring it along as a 4th string substitute. As it happened, our trip had a bit more rain than usual, and one rainy morning I picked up Mr. Colfer’s book. I was sure that I would get through a few pages, become bored, and go in search of a more substantial piece of writing. But the strangest thing happened. The book actually turned out to be a pretty ripping sort of yarn – a kind of reinvented fairy tale, with some pretty solid characterization (Goldilocks as a wanted fugitive!), a plot that hummed along at a favorable pace, and some surprises thrown in at the end.

While my enjoyment of the book was a surprise, the best part of it all was that I got to share my reactions with both of my girls. We kind of had our own little book club meeting while waiting for the sun to come out. It was a great part of our vacation, but now that I think about it, does this mean I have to start watching Glee?

We are pleased to introduce you to Jim Barnes, a new member of our K-12 team.  Jim is already out traveling the country to meet with schools interested in Tutor.com™ Online Tutoring and MyLive PD™ Online Coaching.  Passionate about education technology, Jim has worked in the industry for most of his 25+ year career. He is excited about having more of a direct effect on student achievement with Tutor.com services.

Jim worked for the University of Alabama in Birmingham straight out of college and a dozen years later was the chief business officer at Gallaudet University. Early on he recognized the cost-effective opportunities virtual education programs were offering states and students.  He spent several years at eCollege helping states, school districts and charter schools deliver high quality online education programs.

When he isn’t working you’ll find Jim out on the golf course. He just came back from his third trip to St Andrews, Scotland – the birthplace of golf. And while his passion is strong, the all star course records remain safe to those that hold them.

Jim works from his remote Annapolis, MD office. He is married and has three grown children. Once the children left the house, Jim and his wife welcomed in Chloe the Dachshund, Coors the Lab mix and Binks the cat. You can contact Jim at jbarnes@tutor.com.

Tutor.com’s headquarters have been in New York City for more than a decade. Our original offices gave us breathtaking views of the Brooklyn Bridge. And now we walkacross the street to be greeted by the New York Public Library’s (NYPL) iconic lions.  Not too shabby.  We were lucky enough to enjoy two unique and very different cultural experiences in our old stomping grounds and new neighborhood this month. We celebrated poetry with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and celebrated lunch at the NYPL.  One event had Bill Murrary, the other had automats. Check out the details below!

Poetry Walk: an annual fundraiser hosted by Poets House. On Monday, June 11^th, Poets House hosted its 17^th Annual Poetry Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge and celebrated their 25^th anniversary. Tutor.com’s CEO George Cigale is on the Board of Directors and invites several employees to accompany him on this cultural walk each year.

The weather was windy and chilly for a June night, but the walk and the poems kept us feeling warm. Kicking off in Manhattan, poems were read prior to the Brooklyn Bridge, at the first and second arch, and then the final poem was read overlooking the bridge in Brooklyn. For all 17 years the final reading of Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” has been done beautifully by Galway Kinnell, and this year he was honored Mr. Galway was honored with the Poets House’s Elizabeth Kray Award.

The walk was followed with a dinner and reception at Bubby’s Brooklyn restaurant. While the attendees settled into their seats, started digging into their meals and made friends with others at their table, everyone’s attention soon turned back to poetry. The night continued on with readings from Marie Howe, Thomas Lux, Sharon Ods and Tracy K. Smith. The special guest of the night, Bill Murray, cracked a joke before reading some more poems. The night then drew to a close with a video discussing the inspiring history of Poets House. We want to thank all of the staff members from Poets House that worked to put together such a great event! Check out this great article on the whole evening from the Wall Street Journal.

Lunch Hour: 2012 exhibition at New York Public Library. On June 21 the New York Public Library launched its 2012 exhibition detailing the history of lunch in New York City. The exhibit runs through February 17, 2013.

Did you ever stop to think about the history of lunch? No, we hadn’t either. But New York Public Library’s new exhibit makes you wonder why you hadn’t. From Horn & Hardart’s automats to the history of the power lunch, there was a wealth of information on the meal that keeps you going in the middle of the day. Some of our favorite takeaways were:

• Dinner was originally served in the middle of the day and lunch was a small snack between that and breakfast. Initially, a lunch was defined as much food as one hand can hold.
• Oysters were sold in carts on the street and were just 6 cents for “all you can eat” in the 1820s.
• Thomas Downing, a free African American man raised in Virginia, ran the most famous oyster cellar in NYC. Once he shipped some of his oysters to Queen Victoria in London and she was so pleased she sent him a gold watch as a thank-you.
• In 1900 peanut butter was considered an elegant treat to serve at teatime or an evening reception. Unlike most fancy foods, however, peanut butter was cheap, just 20 cents per pound and it appeared just as often on economical menus as it did in upper-class meals.
• Hot dogs were named so because “hot” was a term for something good and “dogs” because they weren’t quite sure what was inside of them. When they first debuted mothers often forbad their children to have a taste.
• Since 1960, the cost of a subway ride and a slice of pizza has been nearly the same.
• There was a group of people at the 1939 NY World’s Fair called the “Exalted Order of Hot Dog Fananciers” who wanted to make the hot dog a meal, not just a frowned upon snack.
• In 1917 21% of NYC School children were estimated to be underfed. In 2011-2012, 20.7% of NYC School children, K-8th grade, are obese.
• Some popular slang terms for food in the 1940s included: axle grease for butter, belly wash for soup, dress one pig for a ham sandwich, and graveyard stew for milk toast.
• New York Public Library has one of the largest menu collections in the world. You can help them transcribe the menus at menus.nypl.org.

Stop by the exhibit to find out plenty of more interesting historical facts about lunch! Just have something to eat before you head over.

Welcome Linda Gordon, K-12 Trainer to Tutor.com! Linda joined the Tutor.com team a month ago and has already been busy traveling to schools to help make their Tutor.com online tutoring or professional development programs a success.

Linda is a teacher, curriculum specialist, and technology expert who has spent the last five years helping school districts and teachers integrate technology into diverse settings. She is passionate about using technology in education as a transformative experience for teachers and students.

Linda has  implemented many exciting cross curricular projects including the “This I Believe Project”, a multimedia representation of 10th grade English students’ personal belief statements; and the “Faulkes Telescope Project” that allowed gifted and talented students grades 3-5 to control telescopes in Australia and Hawaii via the internet enabling them to take pictures of the cosmos.

Other projects included introducing iPod Touches into an elementary ESL classroom and successfully delivering professional development to middle school and high school teachers who have severely disabled students in their classrooms to help them add podcasting, and SMART Board technology into their teaching.

No matter what technology Linda was helping introduce into the classroom, she also produced outreach materials to educate parents in the community. Linda brings all of this rich experience to Tutor.com’s clients who are learning how to integrate online tutoring and online professional development into their schools , classrooms and communities.

Linda earned her Masters of Education degree from Long Island University and a Bachelors of Arts degree in Child Study. She also has professional certifications in early childhood learning and children with disabilities.

In her spare time, Linda loves to travel, go to the beach or simply spend time at home with her husband and daughter.

Please welcome the newest member of our Client Care team, Jeremy Klein. Jeremy is filling a new role at Tutor.com—Client Services Manager, Analyst. Jeremy will be working closely with our library clients offering trainings and implementing new programs.  He’ll also be looking at the comprehensive data we get about our programs to help create reports and tools that clients need.

Aside from being part of a rare breed of native Los Angelenos, what makes Jeremy unique is the variety of experiences he brings to Tutor.com. In the past decade, Jeremy has been a private tutor, neuropsychological researcher, full-time traveler and hotel management expert. Here’s Jeremy’s path to Tutor.com!

While attending college at UC San Diego, I became fascinated with the brain. After graduating with a B.S. in Cognitive Science, I went on to do neuropsychological research at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute for three years.

On a three-week vacation to watch the 2006 World Cup in Germany, I fell in love with traveling and decided to put my career interests on hold. For the better part of a year, I explored South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. My traveling experience led me to a new passion and I mastered the art of guest services and event management for the Hilton Hotel Group in Los Angeles.

As a complete surprise one day, I came across Tutor.com. The concept and philosophy of the company immediately sparked my interest, partially as the result of being a part-time private tutor. I was sure my passion for education, unique skill set, and positive attitude would make me the perfect candidate for this new position. Tutor.com agreed!

Outside of work, I enjoy surfing and playing soccer. I still love to travel, but when I can’t leave the city, finding a place to eat some authentic, exotic food usually does the trick.

This year Operation Homefront declared April 13^th PURPLE UP day to show your support for Military Children. Once Tutor.com got wind of it, we knew we wanted to participate. So, today we got a few members of the Tutor.com team to wear their various shades of purple: eggplant, lavender, violet, etc. Luckily enough we were able to all pile into the picture behind the purple Tutor.com for U.S. Military table drape that you may have seen at an event near you!

Another way we wanted to celebrate Military Children this April was by sharing what they have to say. We receive thousands of post-session comments from students after they finish up working with a tutor, and many of these comments are quick to put a smile on our face.  Check out below what students from National Guard and Reserve families shared with us these last few weeks!

“I was having a bad night with math and I was really frustrated and not in the mood to talk with anyone. But when I got Alexandra, I felt way better. She helped me with my math and was so nice! She was really bubbly and fun. Thanks for everything Tutor.com!”  —7^th Grade Student in Army National Guard family

 “Thank you for making this free for the military I am very thankful. Doing homework is a pain when I don’t know how to do it. Luckily I have tutor.com to help me when I’m in need. Thank you!” —9^th Grade Student in Army Reserves family

 “This was the first time I had used this and the first tutor I got was of great use to me!! I now can look at my homework and know what to do!!! He was great!! Thanks!” —7^th Grade Student in Navy Reserves family

 “This has helped me so much and I can now understand my homework which helps me understand what is going on in class as well.” —10^th Grade Student in Army National Guard family

For more information on Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families click here.