Online Tutoring – A Tutor’s Perspective

A few months ago, I retired due to age. Yet I was very much physically active, and mentally agile. What bothered me was the fact that despite having such a wealth of knowledge, and being alert, I was idling around.

My wife and children asked me to start taking tuitions for children around the area. I was doing this already, and there was no charge for my tuition because I sincerely believe that education is priceless, and it cannot be bought or hired.

An advertisement caught my attention and it said it was looking for people like me because they wanted online tutors for different subjects, some of which I had been teaching. Although I had a vague idea about what it was, I stepped in to see what exactly this was about.

I saw a row of computers, and headgears over people having more white hair than I had! Two of them turned out to be contemporaries of mine, and they asked me to wait. Obviously, as I was not shutting my ears, I could hear persons talking to whom, I did not know then, telling them how to solve chemical problems, biological sciences, math, and even how to write in English.

This increased my curiosity. Just then a young boy of about 35 – if that be young – who asked me who I was and my purpose of my visit. As luck would have it, he came from the same school I had been teaching, and from there it led from one to the other.

He explained to me that while the level of education in India was high, there was a great demand for online tutors to help students in other parts of the world, especially the US. A large number of them needed help, even to write their homework! Further, because the cost of tuition was high, many of the good students lost their interest and low graduate scores were the result. So using the internet and the time difference between India and US particularly, students were able to interact with their tutors in India through a live ‘chat’ and also by using free PC to PC calls. And to my surprise it paid as much as USD 15 to 20 per hour. And he asked me to try it out.

I did. One of the persons who trying to teach biology to a student in Arkansas, was having some difficulty – not the tutor’s fault. I was well familiar with that topic so I expressed the desire to help him. One of the younger volunteered to help me on the keyboard. With his help, I was able to answer up to a stage to the student, where he sounded like getting it. It seemed that the student was satisfied. The student said that I had given him the understanding, and the basics to be remembered, and that next time, he would ask for me only! Frankly I was stunned.

The owner expressed his intention of taking me in as a regular tutor, but it would be at odd hours given the time difference. I told him that I was also doing it for free for the children in the surrounding areas. He countered by saying that other non-Indian tutors were charging as much as $ 30 and $ 40 for each hour! And cunning as he was, he said “Look, Uncle, take the money and use it for any purpose you like. Buy the indigent general student what they needed, and you can do on the money you earn”.

That appealed to my sense and logic. Well the next day onwards I found myself tutoring online on the Internet.

The institution that runs this is called transwebtutors.com, transtutors.com, and is founded by two young Indian entrepreneurs named Aditya Singhal and Nishant sinha, and they are pioneers in the field. They cater to nearly all parts of Europe, England, USA, and Canada.

I found, after a few days, tremendous satisfaction because not only the boys at the other end were serious, but I was also gainfully employed again. PS: the first part of the previous line is more important!

Well, I teach every subject I know: Physics, Math, Chemistry, some History, and of course I recommend texts that the students can use to profit.

I maintain a tight leash on my students, administer sudden tests, and of course once in a while, instead of teaching, we just discussed things like what was happening in their classes? How was the tutor? What they would like to become and blah blah.

One day I was surprised to find not my student, but his parent. Immediately I informed the manager. He asked me to talk with him! I did that, and asked him where my student was. His answer was “right next to me but I wanted to have a word with you”. He THANKED me for having helped his child to move from grade D to grade A!

I was extremely happy to hear that, and when I was offered a bonus from the father, I refused. I was already being paid a salary, and it is not in my principles to accept gifts from people whose children had I had thought. He understood that very well. He said he would commend transwebtutors.com to other parents. For this statement I was lauded by my manager!

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