Jan 30, 2018
I’m listening. Like thousands of teachers nationwide, Virginia math teacher Gina Parcells had enough of the administrative red tape and high-stakes, test-driven learning culture prevalent in many American schools. Instead of “burning out” of the profession altogether after 26 years of teaching high school math, Parcells decided to drop out of school and build her own tutoring business.
Right on! How’s she doing? Parcells’ tutoring business, Nerdy Math Girl, launched in 2016 and connects her, she says, “to teach math to students who want to learn” outside the “’multiple choice’ life” that she blames schools for fostering through their emphasis on high-stakes standardized testing. While she doesn’t see as many students now as a tutor, Parcells likes having a larger impact on individual students that tutoring provides: “Kids deserve to gain a love for and an understanding of the processes that math offers, processes that guide them to solutions.”
Parcells is also the author of 21 Ways to Improve Your Math Grade in 30 Days or Less: Nerdy Math Girl Tells All and, like any smart tutor, maintains professional credentials to set her apart from the pack: she is a licensed math teacher in Virginia, nationally board certified in math teaching standards, and a licensed educational therapist.
The bottom line for tutors… Educators have a viable alternative to the common stresses and problems of teaching at schools, and we won’t keep it a secret: it’s tutoring! With some forward-planning and taking onboard advice from other tutors, tutors can thrive as independent educators and get back to doing what they love: helping students succeed.
banner image from https://southsidedaily.com/business/2018/01/29/nerdy-math-girl-leaves-virginia-beach-schools-to-start-own-tutoring-company/
