Join Clarity Learning

Interested in tutoring with Clarity Learning?

Here's what we're looking for:

• Experience: At least six months of documentable tutoring experience in your subject
• Education: A year or more of college
• References: Three references directly related to your tutoring
• Your own transportation and insurance
• Availability: The prime tutoring hours are 2pm to 8pm, Monday through Thursday, so you would want to be available for at least some of those hours to build up a clientele. Also, once you start, you should be able to commit to your clients throughout the year
• Location: South Orange County, especially Aliso Viejo, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Dove Canyon, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Ladera Ranch, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
• Creativity and an ongoing interest in teaching and how people learn!
• Patience and a sense of humor!
• Reliability and an extraordinary sense of quality and customer service!

To discuss your qualifications and an interview, contact us at (949) 981-3001 or email Clarity Learning.

Frequently Asked Questions about Being a Clarity Learning Tutor

Q: I see that the interview is 1.5 hours. Will the interview session last the whole 1.5 hours or can we just show up anytime
during that period (say from 7:30 - 8:15 to provide time for questions)?
A: Yes, the interview does take all 1.5 hours because we go over a lot about the company and stop often to ask questions. This meeting is as much a training session as it is an interview.

Q: I've never been to Rancho Santa Margarita before, and the Yahoo maps directions said to take the Toll Road 241 South. I've never driven on this road before and I was wondering what the toll would be and what type of payment it accepts (quarters, etc).
A: The toll road is an easy drive and you can pay cash (about $2.00 in bills or coins) to the person at the tollgate. There is no charge at the off-ramp you need (Santa Margarita). Or, you can take Alicia Parkway up to Santa Margarita Pkwy, turn right and follow SM pkwy around to the Lowe's shopping center. There is not charge for that route, but the toll road is a faster drive.

Q: Approximately how many hours would I work each week?
A: The number of hours you'll tutor depends upon many things:
a) Your schedule. If you're not available much in the afternoons/evenings, when most students are home from school and need help, you can't work many hours. Also the number of days you can tutor each week will affect your hours. About 50% of our families want once a week. Another 40% want twice a week, and usually M/W or T/TH. The last 10% want 3-4 days a week. You can accept or decline any of the clients we offer you, and you set your own hours.

b) The students' schedules. If they need you at times when you're not available, that won't work.

c) The students' subjects versus your subjects. We never know who is going to need what, but most of our clients want math and science. However, some want an all-around tutor who can help with any of the homework. While we work with many elementary students, we don't have enough to fully book a tutor who can't do at least ninth grade algebra, especially since many algebra concepts are taught in fifth grade now.

d) Your personality and teaching style. Different tutors are good with certain kinds of kids. The more ability you have to work with kids with attitude and learning issues, the wider range of kids you can take, opening you up to more hours.

e) How good you are at tutoring and customer service. If we get great feedback from your clients, we'll be eager to put you with more and more students.

f) As a general maximum, if you could tutor Monday through Thursday, from 2:30 - 9, your schedule might be 2:30-3:30, 3:45-4:45, 5-6, 6:15-7:15, 8:30-9:30. That's five sessions, four days a week, for 20 hours a week. Some high school and homeschooled kids can start even earlier, and occasionally some will want weekends. So, that gives you an idea of a maximum. It all depends on when you want to work.

Q: How long is the commitment for each family?
A: The commitment is usually for the whole school year, or from the time the client starts to the end of the school year. When parents find an effective, fun tutor who relates well to the students, they want him or her to stay. We realize that college students change their schedules with each semester, and we deal with that. But we like tutors to go into this planning to be around for the whole school year. When clients are extraordinarily happy with their tutors, they ask you back year after year to help with all of their kids.

Q: What is the driving like?
A: The driving depends upon your starting point. We don't really recommend this job for tutors who are commuting over 30 minutes; they often drop out and that creates customer service problems. We try to book tutors in a way that reduces driving time. You would NOT go from Newport Beach to Coto. That would waste 45 minutes in driving time, and neither you nor Clarity is earning money while you drive. You MIGHT go from Irvine to Mission Viejo to Coto. That's at least a straight-ish line. Usually, though, tutors get several families in Coto de Caza and only drive a few minutes from house to house.

Clarity Learning has built up a steady clientele in Coto de Caza, which is just east of Mission Viejo. Dove Canyon is right next to that. We are growing in Portola Hills, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Las Flores, and Ladera Ranch. We are also growing in Nellie Gail, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Niguel. We have a few students in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. While we have a few students in Irvine, we haven't developed a significant presence there and can't guarantee a steady clientele.

Here are some general addresses to plug into Yahoo Maps and estimate your drive:
Going to the north part of Coto de Caza: Coto De Caza Dr At Vista Del Verde, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
Going to the south part of Coto de Caza: Coto De Caza Dr At Oso Pkwy, Coto De Caza, CA 92679
Going to Dove Canyon: Dove Canyon Dr At Sycamore Canyon Dr, Dove Canyon, CA 92679
Going to Portola Hills: Saddleback Ranch Rd At Alder Way, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
Going to Nellie Gail: Oso Pkwy At Nellie Gail Rd, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Going to Ladera Ranch: Crown Valley Pkwy At Sienna Pkwy, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694
Going to Mission Viejo: Alicia Pkwy At Olympiad Rd, Mission Viejo, CA 92690

Q: I don't have any tutoring experience but I am willing to meet with you on my own time to do any training you offer.
A: Great! Obviously it is nice to get tutors who have experience. However, your knowledge and personality are more important than your experience. Many of our best tutors have come without experience and have completely endeared themselves to their clients, resulting in referrals and more clients for the tutors and Clarity. In a few sessions, we can teach you study methods, organizational techniques, how to deal with "attitudes," and how to tailor your teaching to someone who has a learning disability. We can refine your communications methods to gear them to adolescents. (Lots of people understand pre-calculus, but it takes a special person to get it into the brain of a disinterested teenager) What we can't teach you is patience or how to be fun and "cool"; that you will need to bring on your own. In the case of upper-level math and science, we desperately need more tutors. So, you bring your knowledge, patience, and cool college-student-personality and we will bring the techniques.

Q: I am a math tutor, but I think I need to brush up on proofs. What do the students need to know?
A: We would LOVE to have you brush up on geometry, as we never have enough people to explain proofs. Apparently many college classes don't teach geometry with proofs the way that 10th grade high school math classes do, so our tutors have not been able to help as much as they should. You might want to visit the California State Standards website to see what is taught in geometry (../www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/mthgeometry.asp)