Background screening is required: each coaching applicant is required to submit a copy of his/her State of CT Police Background Check, Connecticut Child Abuse Clearance, copies of all undergraduate and graduate school transcripts, and three personal references.
What is an academic coaching profile?
An academic coaching profile consists of information that a potential coach provides about his or her qualifications. Families review these profiles to decide which coach will best serve their needs. Families searching for an academic coach will see a coach’s first name, the subjects he or she teaches, teaching certifications, academic degrees, and the city the coach lives in. Families do NOT see last name, home address, phone number, email address or any other contact information.
How is a client matched with an academic coach?
We work with the family to understand the specific needs of the student, and we then try to match them with a coach that meets their needs.
Do academic coaches also tutor students in specific content areas?
Yes, most academic coaches are subject teachers during the school day however some coaches are clinical social workers. Inevitably, coaches will help students with content work but this falls under the umbrella of being an academic coach. A coach enters the client relationship understanding that he or she is more than a tutor but also a mentor that serves as a confidant. Hoffman Educational Group will help each coach learn the strategies below and provide each coach with the materials required to move forward with these strategies:
- Reading Comprehension: Constructing meaning from a text
- Memory: Retaining information in a more effective way
- Concentration: Suggestion on how to stay focused for longer periods of time
- Taking Notes: Organize notes into a meaningful, positive learning aid
- Learning Theory: What is learning? What methods produce the best results?
- Organization: Getting organized can make all the difference!
- Taking Tests: Effective test-preparation and test-taking techniques
- Co-teaching: Teaching something to someone else is one of the fastest and most effective ways to learn
- Time Management: Taking control of time by carefully planning and scheduling
- Motivation/Goal Setting: Setting realistic, achievable goals that in turn will increase levels of motivation (this is called a “positive feedback loop”)
How can I fill out an application to work with the Hoffman Educational Group?
Click here for an employment application
What ages and subject area do we work with?
We work with students of all ages and at all levels. Hoffman Educational Group prides itself on the fact that it can accommodate all types of students – from kindergarten all the way through adulthood. Additionally, our network of tutors can work with most subject areas.
How many contact hours with students can I expect?
This depends on many factors, including where coaches are willing to travel, what subjects a coach can tutor, the time of year, your performance, and so forth. A typical tutor averages between two and ten hours per week. Some of our more seasoned tutors work between twenty and twenty-five hours per week.
Will I be reimbursed for travel expenses?
There is a certain amount of travel that coaches are expected to do on their own time. However, we do offer travel reimbursement for exceptional cases that are more than twenty to twenty-five minutes from a coach’s home.
Do you offer training?
Yes, initially a coach will be required to meet with Marc Hoffman to go through the materials used in the coaching relationship. For example, Marc will walk each coach through the planner used to help with time management. Also, throughout the year each coach will be required to attend workshops to go over new research on the student/coach relationship. In addition, Hoffman Educational Group will provide all the materials necessary to facilitate the coaching relationship.
How much time is involved with coaching and what does it cost?
Families can invest as much, or as little, time and money in coaching as they feel they can handle. It is hard to say how long a relationship will last because much of it is based on the individual needs of the student. Daily coaching check-ins by phone may often be a part of the process to help establish new habits. Keep track of the time you spend on the phone when working with a student.
What is the difference between academic coaching and tutoring?
The main difference is that a tutor instructs in an academic subject area, either one-to-one or in small groups. An academic coach demonstrates, engages, and gives feedback to a learner who is acquiring a skill or practicing a process for improvement. Along those lines, academic coaches also help students with content work in a given subject. Coaches, at the middle school level, are expected to be able to help students with all their subjects. In all cases, coaches are expected to help students with their expository writing. Every effort is made to match a student with a coach who has strength in the area with which the student is struggling.
Are you required to provide feedback about a student’s progress?
Yes, monthly progress reports are required to be submitted via email. They need not be time consuming, and they greatly help Marc Hoffman advise families. Coaches need to be accessible to answer any questions that Marc has about their work with clients. In some cases, Marc works with families on a very comprehensive level; please refer to the packages to see the specific work Marc is doing with families. Such feedback about student progress is crucial for the work Hoffman Educational Group does with its wide range of clientele. |
