1. I do not have to grade papers.

Creating assignments was great. I would sit at my desk, imagining all of the excellent research and critical thinking that my students were going to enjoy. In my heart, I knew that my students really weren't that excited about any of the work I assigned because few students enjoy learning for its own sake. Then the finished drafts would arrive -- and if I was lucky, I would get maybe one that looked anything like what I had envisioned. I still had to grade all of them though.

It wasn't even the task of reading through sub-par writing and thinking that drove me crazy (although I used to stare at that pile of paper and dread the task). What drove me crazy was knowing that I had to assign a grade to each one. Now, the grading system is the best way I knowof to fairly assess students against standards in a time-restricted learning setting (aka a semester). Still, if we're being honest, all teachers know that grades convey very little information to the students themselves. The students who need the most help are generally the least likely to thoroughly reflect on the significance of their grades. So basically, a ton of depressing work that I know won't actually accomplish what I want!

With Tutoring, I still read plenty of rough work, but I do so in conversation with my students in a one-on-one setting. While some of them are still working under a time constraint, most want custom lessons, meaning that I can pace the work to suit their learning. In this context, I give each student my full attention and can walk them through the strengths and weaknesses in their writing in real time. There are no grades in tutoring because we don't need them; we have time to talk.

2. I never get bored.

Another downside to teaching in the classroom is the timing. The academic cycle is relentless; professors rarely have time to create truly new courses, especially since doing so involves researching textbooks, designing lesson plans,and  creating assignments -- all in the time between semesters (unless they are lucky enough to get sabbatical).

When tutoring, I either get to work on the assignments that other people create or I get to create smaller units for my custom students. In both cases, I get a lot of variety. I may not always agree with what my students write, what other professors assign, or what my students read, but I always love the challenge of thinking through a new concept. More importantly, I love talking to my students to help them think through their ideas on a deeper level. Sometimes, they even change my mind about a topic!

3. I can work anywhere.

As a professor, I spent most of my time on the road, not with the students. I still do that with tutoring, but I also now have only a single office space to maintain. Working at three different schools meant having three office spaces, three sets of email to check, and three sets of policies to remember.

With all of my tutoring students under one umbrella now, I have more time to focus on my students. I still travel to meet with them, but I can spend less time on the bureaucracy and red tape of multiple institutions and more time creating quality lessons, arranging diagnostics for new clients, and answering emails from current students more quickly.

4. I get to watch my students grow.

My college students inevitably finish my class at the end of the semester (whether they pass or not), and then they move on. Only a few students ever got the chance to take a second course with me since I taught introductory courses. I was proud to see them go, but it was bittersweet.

I still eventually say goodbye to students when they've learned all I can teach them, but I get to watch them grow for a little longer. Some students start working with me in high school and through college. Attending graduation and watching them walk across that stage are some of the most fulfilling moments in my profession. I see them grow from hesitant writers to high school and college graduates, and in between, I watch them struggle with the challenges of learning and growing up at the same time. Even my older students, adults changing careers or trying to learn a new skill, show immense growth over our time together.

5. I get to know my students as full people.

I rarely sought out personal details of my students' lives as a professor. I mentored them academically, but when they had other concerns, I helped them connect with other resources on campus. Most of the time, I didn't even notice if people in my class were dating each other!

With tutoring, I often encourage students to use their own experiences and lives as fodder for their writing. When discussing books or articles they read, students regularly begin their analysis with personal reflection. I'm certainly no therapist or life coach, but tutoring is definitely more intimate a learning environment than a classroom.

That intimacy helps me tailor my lessons and understand my students' motivation. Knowing who they are, what makes them tick, and what interests they have helps me create tailored lessons and meaningful feedback. That personalization is what makes tutoring so effective and what makes it so interesting as a profession.

So what about you? What have you enjoyed about tutoring, either as a student or a tutor? Reply in the comments below.