As a parent, would you take grinds from an 18 year old?

Clearl

I´m doing my leaving cert this year and when i´m finished, i was thinking about putting an ad up somewhere advertising for primary school grinds.. as in, i would go to your house and help your primary school child with their work etc (i know it will be in the summer but i´ve heard of people doing this) anyway, i was wondering would people actually want this? my first choice on my CAO is primary teaching, followed by secondary teaching but would a parent be willing for their child to get grinds from someone who has just completed their leaving cert? (at a cheaper price than what they would get from a qualified teacher obviously)
anyway, thanks!

Tigerandahalf

It is hard to know but I think parents would be wary. I have 2/3 years experience and have advertised for grinds this year around various locations and I haven't got a single response. I think cash is tight with parents as well. I was only looking for €25 ph and still no response.
I think parents will only spend the money now at the LC level where they think it is really necessary.
You would never know. You may get lucky if you are in a high demand area.

rainbowtrout

Is there a demand for primary school grinds? Haven't ever heard of anyone doing them in my area. I'd imagine for the most part, primary school work being what it is that the vast majority of parents are able to help their children with their homework etc, and during the summer holidays I can't imagine too many doing extra work.

The main demand in grinds is for LC, and again like the previous post, people will only spend the money on grinds now if it is absolutely necessary.

delta_bravo

You're very unlikely to get anything in the primary school sector. However if you put an ad up saying you got an A1 in x subject in the leaving and will give grinds you may get something

dambarude

I'm not a parent, but I'd be wary of doing that Clearl.

I'm nearly finished a primary teaching degree, and a lot of things are done differently now to when you would have been in primary school yourself. The children who need grinds (or more likely, children whose parents think they need them) are the ones who could be confused by somebody telling them to do things in a different way to how they were taught in school. The most obvious example that stands out to me is subtraction. Many of us had to relearn how to subtract so that we would be able to teach in the recommended way (renaming).

I was asked to give grinds to a primary student during the summer a few years ago. Even though I had finished first year of my degree at the time, I couldn't say that I was very knowledgeable about what I should have been doing with her.

So don't do anything that you don't think you are competent enough to do.

smcgiff

I agree with dambarude,

Perhaps you could work with older high achievers - don't go near the younger struggling kids

gaeilgebeo

I am very experienced in giving grinds and have been doing so for the last 10 years. I give grinds in Irish at second level.
One thing I have noticed since the downturn, parents are a lot more reluctant to part with cash. Parents often ask me to recommend someone for grinds in another subject for their child. They will always ask that it is a qualified experienced teacher that I recommend. And rightly so.
You cannot give the same service as someone who knows the course inside out, the marking scheme, exam technique, notes, sample answers etc.....It doesn't matter how many As you got in the Leaving Cert.
Grinds are definitely still in demand, but parents are picky.
I would imagine that any parent wanting grinds for a primary school child would feel the same. Garda vetting could also be an issue.

byhookorbycrook

Children at primary who are seriously struggling will usually have something like dyselxia, discalculia or some other special need. They will need an experienced primary teacher at the very least to help, I don't think people will part with money so easily for anything else.