Apparently, graduating at the top of his class from Ryerson Engineering (his second degree, after the undergrad degree in Chemistry, of course) and landing a job in Ottawa designing microchips isn’t enough for Payam. . . he misses tutoring!

Just when I’m about to happily pass the one-year-retired mark, Payam has to resurface and make me nostalgic for the good old days. He asked me whether I’d be a reference for a tutoring job he’s applied to, but really, this guy is at the point where he doesn’t need to be working for someone else.  We had a nice long Skype chat about how to get started with his own clientele (after I made sure he couldn’t be talked into returning to Mostly Math in Toronto, of course!) and how to let people know that this math/science tutoring guru is available.

Payam is one of the tutors who was with me from the very beginning of Mostly Math, and he, like Julia who also dates from way back, has always humbled me as an employer.  I can remember how difficult it felt back then to let go and give up control to other tutors. (Would they explain it right?  Would they be able to handle the tough questions?  Could they establish a rapport?)

If it weren’t for them, I would have never been able to fully accept that yes, there are other tutors out there who know what they’re doing and who can be trusted to work with my beloved clients.  I think had I not worked with Payam and Julia so early on in my days with Mostly Math, I would have had a heart attack or mental breakdown feeling that I needed to be intimately involved in everyone’s tutoring experience.

That’s one reason why I believe so strongly in homeschooling: it’s the quality of the people that matter most, and what they choose to do, not what they’ve been trained to do.  None of us back then were certified teachers, but we were the best tutors you could find in the city.  Still to this day I see tutoring websites advertising positions available that require a teaching certificate, but say that tutoring experience is optional. (If you haven’t read this advice from me before, then heed it now:  if you’re evaluating a tutoring company, don’t look at “About our Tutors” — look at the “Employment Opportunities” page, or any of their job advertisements.  That will really tell you what kind of tutor you can expect!)

That’s also why I’m passionate about tutoring as a profession: tutors have made a conscious choice not to be “teachers” (in the school system) and to me tutors symbolize all that is right about teaching and learning: voluntary, individualized interaction on an as needed basis.  No “mandatory attendance” laws.  No minimum number of required hours of “instructional time.”  No obligation to come back if you no longer need or want the help. No confusion over who is the “client” or “stakeholder” in a family-tutor relationship.

For a trip down memory lane (and the best darn “About our Tutors” page I’ve ever seen on a company website, if I do say so myself!  Take that, “All our tutors are certified teachers” generic company BS!) visit the old MMEC “Tutors” page.  And, if you’re in the Ottawa area and need a top math or science tutor for high school, university, IB or AP, let me know and I’ll hook you up with Payam.  You guys are so lucky he’s moved to your area!