American Sign
Language: Tutoring
In a message dated 1/15/2006 5:04:44 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, lwilt@
.net writes:
Hi, Bill - I haven't asked for your help in awhile, not that I don't
have questions but I don't want to bug you! Thank you for the help
you've given in the past. Now - my story - I originally became
involved in sign language because my 29 yr. old daughter has been
interested for years and signed up for ASL 1 at the local community
college - I took it with her so we could practice together - not
knowing that it would lead me to a wonderful, close friendship with
the deaf instructor. For the past year I have studied on my own,
reading about deaf culture, increasing vocabulary, watching videos,
so that I can communicate more fluently without Karen having to
always and only read my lips - and I've come a long way, we're
almost at a normal pace of conversation, yay! Not ASL, but our own
conversational style. Anyway, my daughter in interested in becoming
an interpreter, but the nearest school is Gallaudet, about 70 miles
from here. Since she works full time I thought of asking Karen to
give her private lessons until she can arrange to go to D.C. for
their Summer/Saturday program. I went on the internet looking to
find what a reasonable hourly rate would be to pay for private
lessons. It turned out that the answers I found were written by
YOU. Not the hourly rate, but your idea that it's not necessary to
go for credit classes as long as she can pass the certification
exam. So now I'm thinking she can do allot of the work right here,
with Karen, and become involved with some of the deaf population
here and maybe that will all work out. We don't have any certified terps
here, but we do have a handful of uncertified ones. Anyway, now my
question is - do you have a feel for what the hourly rate would be?
I don't want to underpay her. She has a masters degree in social
work with focus on ADA policy.... unfortunately there are no jobs
for her here unless she drives to D. C. and she has 2 babies now...
so teaching is perfect for her. I was thinking around $25/hr. but
gosh, the voice teachers around here get $30/half hour... Have you
had experience with private lessons?
Sorry this is so long...smile...take your time answering...
I hope you and your family are well...
Linda Beth Wilt
Hello Linda,
I can see how you are concerned that since you and Karen are
friends she might feel unduly influenced to say yes to a rate of
pay that is less than what she feels she is worth.
If it were me I'd simply approach your friend with a question:
"Karen, I'm looking for an ASL tutor for my daughter. I'm
wondering if you know anyone in the area and have any idea of
how much they might charge?"
Then if Karen were even remotely interested she would likely
volunteer herself and suggest a rate of pay with which she was
comfortable.
There are many factors that influence how much you should pay an
ASL tutor.
I'll list off some things to consider:
1. Does the tutor have to commute? If it takes the tutor a
half-hour to drive to your house then a so-called one-hour
tutoring session will take 2 and a half hours of the tutor's
time. (1/2 hour driving there, 1/2 hour driving back, few
minutes filling up gas, an hour of tutoring, a few minutes
getting dressed to go out side, 15 to 20 minutes preparing the
lesson, etc.) So, paying a commuting tutor $25 an hour is
actually only paying them $10 an hour since it takes two and a
half hours out of their day that they could be doing something
else.
2. Who is prepping the curriculum? Have you bought a book for
yourself and one for the tutor. The tutor needs access to
whatever curriculum you are going to use. If you are relying on
the tutor to provide the curriculum that puts an additional time
burden on the tutor. Tutors that already have a curriculum
ready to go are more valuable than tutors who show up at your
door and ask you, "so, what do you want to know?"
3. Are you willing to commit to a series of sessions?
You should get a price break if you sign a contract for a bunch
of tutoring sessions instead of just piecemeal.
4. Are you willing to pay in advance?
Back when I did tutoring I required people to write me sign up
for multiple tutoring sessions and write me two checks. The
first check was for half the total cost of the tutoring and was
payable immediately. The second check was for the other half
of the payment and was postdated to the day of our last
scheduled tutoring session. Both checks were given to me prior
to my doing any tutoring.
5. Are you willing to forfeit the session if you are sick or
busy and can't make it?
What I used to do was set up a ten-session contract. I informed
the student that they could miss one session and I'd let them
reschedule it. If they missed any additional sessions, they
would forfeit (lose) that session and I would be paid the same.
If I missed one session we would simply add an additional
session to our schedule. If I missed more than one session I
would owe the student DOUBLE time to make up for each additional
session missed. That was fair. If the student flaked out more
than once, he lost money. If I flaked out more than once, I
lost time and effort. Such a policy helped to make sure
that both of us consistently showed up when we said we would.
6. Get creative. How about instead of hiring the person as a
tutor, you instead ask the ASL tutor to let you buy them a
series of regularly scheduled dinners (or breakfasts). For
example, I regularly host an ASL breakfast at the local Denny's.
(near Cal State Sacramento) I go there almost every-Saturday at
7:45 a.m. I chat with whatever students or Deaf people show
up. It gives students an opportunity pick my brain for
free. I've done this for well over a year now.
7. Find out what the interpreters in your area are charging for
a one-hour interpreting session. That is a terrific yardstick
for how much to pay an ASL tutor. If the terps charge $50 for
the first hour and $25 for each following hour of the same
assignment, that gives you an good starting point to consider
what to offer your tutor. Such a rate card would indicate to me
that $25 an hour is a fair amount to pay if the tutor doesn't
have to commute or only has to commute a very short distance.
8. Many ASL instructors earn between $25 and $100 an hour for
teaching ASL classes. Some of them teach many classes a week.
I remember back when I was young, wild, and crazy, I used to
teach 13 classes per week. After I got so busy teaching so many
classes, the thought of teaching a single individual was
ludicrous. Think about it. 20 people paying me $5 each to
participate in a "community ed" class totaled to $100 an hour.
Compare that with someone offering me $25 an hour to provide
private tutoring!?!
Note: People look at the $100 an hour statement and think,
my heck, he must be rich! Hogwash. Not all classes had 20
people in them. Some only had a handful. Even so, 13 classes a
week, times a more realistic figure of $50 per class comes to
$650 a week -- but a third of that goes to pay business expenses
(advertising, office supplies, teaching supplies, gas to drive
to the teaching location, wear and tear on the car, nice clothes
to teach in, oh and let's not forget such items as medical
insurance. When you are an independent you foot the whole bill
yourself. Back when I lived in Layton, Utah I remember paying
over $1,000 a month for medical insurance. (Which was critical
considering one of my four kids is a "special needs child.")
Overhead expenses are why auto mechanics and plumbers charge so
much. It would be different if you were earning that much per
hour 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. But you are not. That's why
plumbers charge so much. If you look at any established
business person who provides personal, in-home services, he or
she charges $45 to $150 an hour or more (plus parts). If you
don't charge that much, you simply can't afford to stay in
business year after year and feed your family.
If you are teaching college classes, (adjunct -- which I was)
that helps quite a bit since the pay is pretty good and you
generally teach in blocks of time. Now I teach full-time and it
is so very much nicer.
9. Perhaps "semi-private" instruction would be a better way
to go than tutoring. If there are two or three other "wannabe"
interpreters in the area they might be interested in receiving
semi-private instruction. Four people contributing $10 each for
an hour of tutoring is much more financially rewarding for the
tutor than 1 person paying $25 an hour.
10. You mention that your friend has two babies and no local
job prospects. That would indicate to me that she would indeed
be grateful for the income. I'm sure the vast majority of people
would not be offended by being offered $25 an hour that they
would otherwise not have the opportunity to earn. She can
always turn it down or negotiate for a higher amount.
$250 for a ten hour contract over a period of five-weeks seems
reasonable considering the situation. But remember
this--whatever happens--do not let any aspect of the money or
the contract become a source of irritation that might harm your
friendship. Your friendship is worth more than gold. If Karen
flakes out or under performs, just kiss your money goodbye and
call it an "experiment" that didn't work out the way you planned
but one from which you learned a great deal.
I hope this has been helpful.
If you have other "tutor-related" questions, feel free to ask.
Cordially,
Dr. Bill
In a message dated 10/31/2001 12:19:39 PM Central Standard Time, a student writes:
Hello Dr. Vicars,
Do you have any suggestions on how I may narrow my search for tutorial services in San Francisco? Any help to guide me is greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Warm regards,
-- "Jane"
Dear "Jane,"
As far as finding a tutor, I suggest you track down an interpreter for the deaf. Then ask him or her where to find a deaf person who might be interested in tutoring you. The phone book might list interpreters in your area. Or you could call the state division of vocational rehabilitation services and ask them, (talk to a counselor who serves the deaf--the receptionist might have no clue.)
You might consider asking June Kailes for some advice on finding an ASL tutor. She is a Disability Consultant at the Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco, 70 10th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
415-863-0581, TTY 415-863-1367.
A sort of off the wall approach might be to contact the U.C.S.F. Center on Deafness
-- a mental health facility.
Outpatient Email uccd@itsa.ucsf.edu
Address 3333 California Street, Suite 10, San Francisco, CA 94143-1208
Phone (415) 476-7600 (TTY)
476-4980 (V) Fax (415) 476-7113
Location Served San Francisco Bay area Hours 8:30-5 Mon-Thurs
Who knows, they might let you come in and visit with the deaf patients?
They might even have a patient who would be willing to tutor you for free.
Plus you might contact the local colleges. Ask to speak to the disability services director. Ask him or her if there are any college students (deaf) who are good signers who would like to earn a few bucks doing some tutoring on the side.
Good luck on your studies and take care.
Bill Vicars
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