TTC Blog

Why can't I get a home-based tutor?

As with many industries, the tutoring industry is experiencing a tutor shortage at the same time as it is experiencing an increase in the number of students wanting a tutor. 

Home-based tutors are the hardest to employ and this blog explores some of the reasons for this. 

Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Tutor and How To Avoid Them

Choosing a tutor for your child can be a difficult process, but it need not be if you understand a few things about the tutoring industry.

The Australian tutoring industry is unregulated meaning that anyone can present as a tutor. This is quite a problem, especially given the current climate which has seen an explosion in the number of tutors, especially online.

Many people see tutoring as an easy way to make some extra money, especially if it can be done from home. Of course, some of these tutors are excellent, whilst others will not be so good. So how do you separate the good from the not-so-good?

How to help your child learn to read and love it!

It is normal for some children to struggle to learn to read at the same rate as others. Remote learning during lockdowns has made this even more difficult with many parents struggling to help their children.

This blog looks at some of the things parents can do to ease the stress and rekindle a love of reading in their children. 

How to help stressed and underperforming students

Are your children stressed about their classwork and remote learning?

Are they falling behind academically?

This is the case for many students who are really struggling with remote learning.

This article explores a few things parents can do to help. 

Not all Online Tutoring is the same: Comparing "apples with apples."

When parents are considering online tutoring, they need to be incredibly careful about three major aspects and to be sure that when comparing tutors and companies that they compare “apples with apples” to get a true indication of the quality and value of the tutoring.

How to find the time to run your business!

Whether you are a solo tutor or run a business that hires tutors, finding the time to do everything you need, and want, to do, can feel like an impossible task.

This blog outlines my favourite tools that help me manage my time and actually free up my time so that I can do what I really want.

Top Tips on How To Choose the Right Tutor

Choosing a tutor can be confusing but understanding a few simple things about the tutoring industry and how tutors work will make the choice easier.

Tutoring Contracts and Terms and Conditions

Understanding the difference between Terms and Conditions and Contracts will help you decide which is best for your business, your tutors, and your clients. 

How to Write a Tutoring Industry Business Plan

Many tutoring businesses fail or thrive to grow because the owners do not have a clear idea of the current state of their business and how they want to grow. 

A Business Plan is the necessary means to address this and this guide provides tutoring industry-specific guidelines. 

How To Start Your Tutoring Business

Starting a tutoring business is an exciting time. But, did you know that the majority of new businesses fail within the first 12 months? 

Avoid the many pitfalls with this guide. 

Jenny Pownall Interviewed on ABC Radio.

As an ATA Board member, Jenny was interviewed by Patricia Karvelos on ABC Radio regarding the Victorian Government announcement of the 2021 "Tutors in Schools" program. 

Career Planning for VCE Students

Planning for 2021 can be quite a daunting task for many VCE students, especially when they may not have had access to their career's counsellor. 

This blog looks at some simple things students can do now and who they can turn to for support and advice. 

The TTC Specialised Online Tutoring Platform

Online tutoring works most effectively when students are tutored in an environment that most closely resembles face to face tutoring. 

The Tutoring Company Online Platform is packed with features that do exactly that by allowing a student's private online classroom to be customised so that their classroom best matches their needs. 

Needs-Based vs Set Curriculum Tutoring.

Deciding to hire a tutor is only the first in what could be a lengthy and confusing decision making process. 

Not only are there many tutors to choosse from, but there also many different tutoring styles.

How do you choose which is right for you? 

How To Start a Home-Based Tutoring Business

Tutoring is a global industry destined for phenomenal growth over the next few years. Many people are interested in becoming a part of this fast growing industry but, like any business, there is huge competition. Therefore, thought and planning needs to occur prior to starting a tutoring business to increase the chances of success.

Understanding Assessment

 "Assessment" appears to be a buzzword within the tutoring industry. A quick look at many tutoring websites shows references to assessment. In particular, many companies advertise free assessments. But what are these assessments and how useful are they really?

How to best transition your business to Online Tutoring.

Transferring a tutoring business to an online environment can be difficult and frustrating, if not time-consuming. 

Follow these simple tips to easily transition your business.

Do you set homework?

This is a question we get asked a lot! The answer is "No."

This blog explains why we believe that it is not the job of a tutor to set additional homework, but to support students to be able to independently complete school set homework.

Managing knowledge gaps on returning to school

Students have varied considerably in their ability to manage home learning. The range of abilities within a classroom is likely to be much greater than before restrictions so how do school, students and families cope with this?

My top tips to manage remote learning

Jenny Pownall shares her most popular tips for parents struggling with remote learning.

Does your tutor record Online Lessons?

What are the benefits of recording online lessons? Should you insist on it?

Parent Support for Managing Children's Screen Time

Is your child being distracted by social media, notifications, games etc when they should be doing their online schoolwork? Understand parental controls and site restriction settings. 

The Tutoring Company announces partnership with The Smith Family

The Tutoring Company is a proud supporter of Learning for Life: a Smith Family education support program. 

Free Daily Activities

Scholastic Learn At Home program

Free Audible Stories

Audible has released an amazing number of FREE stories for both children and adults.

Activities to Keep Kids Busy!

What were your favourite indoor activities when you were a child?

What indoor activities do your children enjoy the most?

Kids Should See This

TKSST is an unprecedented collection of over 4,500 kid-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. Selections are grown-up-friendly, too. And thanks to our members, it's free for everyone.

Getting Ready For Remote Learning

How do I help with remote learning? Follow this guide and respond with your own questions!

COVID 19: How to cope with home schooling

Welcome to The Tutoring Company community blog to help parents and carers cope in this current crisis. 

Jenny appointed first female board member of The Australian Tutoring Association!

It is with great pride and excitement that I announce that I have been appointed as the first female board member of The Australian Tutoring Association.

This is an incredible honour and a wonderful opportunity to represent all Australian tutors and tutoring organisations.

The Australian Tutoring Association is Australia's peak national body representing tutoring organisations and educational tutors nationally. We represent members, act as a lobby group and raise the standard of tutoring in Australia.

Helful hints if your child needs to stay at home due to the Coronavirus.

With the Coronavirus beginning to impact schools, please find simple helpful hints to reduce anxiety amongst children and keep them busy if they need to stay home.

The best organizational tool for managing homework.

Managing homework is probably the hardest part of school for many students. A few simple strategies can take the stress out of homework and make it manageable.

Tutoring in the 21st Century: Is Online Tutoring the Right Choice for You?

With an increasingly busy life, many families are choosing online tutoring over home and centre based tutoring. The benefits are numerous, including no travel time and the saving on petrol. But, is online tutoring right for you?

The Tutoring Company receives global education award!!

In December 2019, The Tutoring Company was awarded a "Top 50 Organisations in Education" Award at the GFEL conference (Global Forum for Education and Learning) in Dubai. 

We are the only Australian tutoring organisation to receive this award!!

The benefits of explicit instruction

Explicit instruction continues to be at the forefront of improving students' academic success as explained in this recent article in The Australian. Explicit instruction is also what The Tutoring Company tutors are skilled in and is considered to be one of the main reasons for so many of our students achieving success. 

Education Award

It's Official!!

TTC is to be awarded a "Top 50 Organisations in Education" Award at the Global Forum for Education and Learning.

Jenny will be accepting the award at the conference in Dubai on Dec 16-18.

Can't thank my amazing tutors and lovely clients enough!!

Mr Eddie Woo sends a warning.

Celebrity maths teacher Eddie Woo said private tuition could help students with gaps in their knowledge but warned parents to be careful. "There are other kinds of tuition which are frankly just pumping out an industrial model of education," he said.

Simple strategies for improving maths marks.

Some students may have a very good understanding of math but frequently perform poorly on exams. Some simple strategies can improve grades significantly. 

ADHD and Anxiety

Anxiety among school children seems to be on the rise and the reasons for this are various. Among them is a greater awareness of anxiety and how it impacts children.

This article looks at the relationship between ADHD and anxiety.

Managing Social Media

Kids share a lot on social media, be it SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook or the latest platform you may not know about. But how do you know when your child is sharing too much, or oversharing on social media?

The Benefits of Educational Assessments.

We all want our children to do well at school and can be concerned when they are not performing as well as expected and nothing seems to be working. Parents and schools have a range of options to help get to the bottom of this.  

The pitfalls of an unregulated tutoring industry.

The Australian tutoring industry is unregulated. This means that there are no checks and balances in place to guarantee that tutors are capable of delivering a high quality service, or that they are actually who they say they are!! This is a perilous situation for parents, but there are a few things you can do to protect your children and  get the service you are paying for. 

Understanding the difference between English tutoring and ESL tutoring

When seeking either an English tutor or an ESL tutor don't risk getting the wrong tutor, as there is a vast difference between these two types of tutors and what they are able to tutor. 

Preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences

Turn a 5 minute Parent Teacher Conference from feeling like a speed date to valuable time spent by being prepared and staying calm and in control. 

Assisting frequently absent students through Online Tutoring.

With the help of modern technology, almost everything is possible on the Internet, including education. There are now numerous platforms available to cater to anyone's educational needs. Online education began with shorter skills and a few courses, but it has evolved significantly, and students can now access tutoring through an online platform. This can be especially useful for students with irregular school hours due to illness or injury, or to those that travel significantly. But are they using the right online platform?

Online Tutoring considerations for parents

With the help of modern technology, almost everything is possible on the Internet, including education. There are now numerous platforms available to cater to anyone's educational needs. Online education began with shorter skills and a few courses, but it has evolved significantly, and many students now choose to access tutoring through an online platform. But are they using the right online platform?

Organisation difficulties

Organisation is the key to success for students managing their increasingly busy school days. Understanding some effective organisational strategies can reduce daily stress experienced by many students. 

Why you should speak with an experienced Education professional when seeking a tutor.

The initial phone call from a parent enquiring about tutoring must do more than just determine costs and availability. There must be a conversation with an education professional about why tutoring is being sought and what concerns the parents have.

Our new Website is Live!

Welcome to our new website! This website also launches our Online Tutoring Platform! This is a very exciting development, enabling many more students across Australia to receive exceptional tutoring from The Tutoring Company. 

When you're thinking of hiring a tutor

The decision to employ a tutor is not one that parents take lightly. The Tutoring Company understands this and are very aware of the need to ensure that tutoring not only addresses academic concerns, but also fosters confidence and self-belief in students.