Age: 23
Home: Minneapolis
Job: Math tutor, University of Minnesota
Salary: $10 an hour
Education: expected bachelor of science in math (graduating in three months)
Dream job: Cabana boy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, or any job where I don't have to wear a shirt.
How'd you get the job? I got an e-mail about this job. I knew that my grades were really good, and I had tutoring experience. I used to teach homeless kids at People Serving People how to do long division in my spare time. I also tutored English as a second language to Mexicans. I knew I was a perfect fit for the job. So I've been here for [three] weeks.
What do you do here every day? I sit down, grab a pen for myself and after that, anything goes. Then, I teach people math. I ask what class they're in, what problem they're doing. ... "Have you started the problem? Show me your work." And then I try to work them through it. It's nice because usually they're motivated -- they're motivated to come see me, so that means they're motivated to do their work, and I don't have to be like the mom. Sometimes they're too motivated, and I have to tell them to slow down. Especially if they get really stressed out about a problem or something, I tell them: "I got through [this class]. ... If I did it, you can do it."
What worries your students; why do they come see you? The classes they take are really hard, and the problems can be really far-out and sometimes there's no point in them, other than making you suffer. You either play the game or you don't. But I don't play the game anymore ... being a tutor motivates me more now than being a student, where you just have to squeak by. There are easy problems and hard problems, and the people that want to do the really hard problems ask me for help.
