How to Tutor Coding and Programming
In today's world, coding and programming are already key skills to have, and this is only going to increase as the current generation of children grows up. By the time today's reception class students are looking for work, these skills could well be as central as the "three Rs". Many schools teach basic coding and programming, but there's a high demand for private tutors to take both children and adults to a higher level. So, if you have expertise in this area, could you make an income as a coding and programming tutor?
What Level of Students Will You Be Teaching?
Teaching coding and programming can span everything from explaining the basics to primary-age children to training older students in advanced techniques. Which do you feel more comfortable with?
In both cases, you'll need teaching skills as well as knowledge of your subject. When teaching beginners, however, you'll have to go right back to the basics, such as what an algorithm is. This will, of course, mean breaking down your expertise into levels you probably haven't thought about for many years, and that's a particular skill. On the other hand, teaching more advanced students is likely to involve an outcome-driven style of teaching, with the basics largely taken as read. Before you start looking for students, you'll need to think carefully about what kind of teaching you feel most comfortable with.
How Are You Going to Deliver Your Sessions?
There are many possible styles and venues to deliver tutoring on coding and programming. At the moment, of course, most tutoring in general is being carried on remotely, usually via Zoom or a similar online platform. Fortunately, this is a subject that's quite well adapted to online delivery. However, in more normal times you might prefer to teach face-to-face, especially with younger children, which can be done either at the student's home or at your home or office. This has the advantage that you can watch directly what the student is doing, but it does restrict you geographically, as well as potentially adding travelling time and costs. Another decision is what model of class you're going to use. For older, more advanced students, one-to-one teaching is probably better, but some young children may respond better to a group session, where they can work together with friends.
Understanding Your Students' Goals
Different students will have varying goals for study of coding and programming. As we've seen, young children may just need to understand the basic concepts, but even older students could be at very different stages of their learning. Does your student need to learn the fundamentals or undertake a particular project? Is their aim to pass an exam or to improve their skills sufficiently to secure a particular job. It's always as well to start with an exploratory session, where you discuss with your student and/or their parents (if appropriate) to establish both what they know and what they're expecting to get out of the classes. This will enable you to tailor the lessons to meet the student's particular requirements.
How Much Can I Charge Students?
Setting your hourly rates as a tutor can always be tricky. Charging too much risks putting students off, while charging too little means you'll struggle to make a decent living.In general, a reasonable price depends on how much in demand the particular subject is, your level of experience and where you live — although this is less of a factor if you're teaching online. Register with TutorExtra, where among many other benefits, you'll be able to find out what other coding and programming tutors are charging. Plus, of course, the students you're looking for will be able to find you.
