Has Anyone Ever Tutored for Kaplan?

[koalabear]

Hi y'all,
I was thinking of maybe trying to get a job tutoring for kaplan. Has anyone ever done this and know if it's hard to get a job there? Thanks!

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[psiyung]

Do NOT work for Kaplan. You can't even teach what you want the students to learn. They give you this ridiculous T.E.L guide that you're suppose to follow. It's a crummy job

 

[ascrimmins]

I taught for The Princeton Review. Pretty formulaic - they've worked out what works and want you to teach that way. Easy, good money though. Flexible hours. Not too bad.

 

[aliendroid]

If you interview for the Kaplan, don't present on something complicated like science or math. Present on something really stupid, like how to make a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich or how to tie your shoes. The people they hire to interview you are really stupid and if they don't understand what you teach they will reject you. They choose the worst teachers, which shows in class, and don't ever take the Kaplan class! Spend your money elsewhere.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Whats the minimum score you have to achieve to get a job at Kaplan, TPR? 13's for the sections you want to teach?

 

[topdogg82]

I've heard 11 on a section qualifies you but I could be wrong.

 

[ahd929]

If you interview for the Kaplan, don't present on something complicated like science or math. Present on something really stupid, like how to make a peanut and butter sandwich or how to tie your shoes. The people they hire to interview you are really stupid and if they don't understand what you teach they will reject you. They choose the worst teachers, which shows in class, and don't ever take the Kaplan class! Spend your money elsewhere.

ouch. well, i took the kaplan course and improved my score 10 points from my first diagnostic to the actual test. and shortly after taking the test, i "interviewed" for a job (they actually call it an "audition", where you get up and teach on a particular subject for five minutes.)

to address aliendroid's point, the instructions for the audition clearly state that you are to teach a "non-academic" subject - that is, not science or math, but rather something simple. the idea is that they assume your score will demonstrate your mastery of the subject matter, while the audition is just to show how you conduct yourself in front of a group of people and how clearly you can present material. the audition topics for the group of people who were hired along with me included: how a toilet works, how to deal with a mistake on your phone bill, how to set a table for a dinner party, how to talk to the media, and how to take your pulse.

and to answer someone else, to teach any test, you have to have scored higher than 90th percentile in the last five years. on the mcat, that's about 33 - 11's across the board.

by the way, i do agree that the TEL (the teaching edition of the lesson plan) is a bit rigid, but they've figured out what works apparently.

 

[Shrike]

To clarify the OP's question, I doubt Kaplan allows one to tutor right away -- at TPR, you aren't even considered for a tutoring position until you've taught two terms of that test type. I assume that the original question, and the answers thereto, relate to teaching, not tutoring. No big deal, just don't want anyone to be confused.

(If Kaplan does allow people to step right into tutoring -- well, I just don't know what to say about that that wouldln't sound snide.)

Re formulaic teaching, it's appropriate for begininng teachers. Once the teacher gains experience, he or she will begin to deviate from the prescribed methods. Again, I speak from experience at a different company, but it's certainly similar on the dark side of the road.

 

[aliendroid]

ouch. well, i took the kaplan course and improved my score 10 points from my first diagnostic to the actual test. and shortly after taking the test, i "interviewed" for a job (they actually call it an "audition", where you get up and teach on a particular subject for five minutes.)

to address aliendroid's point, the instructions for the audition clearly state that you are to teach a "non-academic" subject - that is, not science or math, but rather something simple. the idea is that they assume your score will demonstrate your mastery of the subject matter, while the audition is just to show how you conduct yourself in front of a group of people and how clearly you can present material. the audition topics for the group of people who were hired along with me included: how a toilet works, how to deal with a mistake on your phone bill, how to set a table for a dinner party, how to talk to the media, and how to take your pulse.

and to answer someone else, to teach any test, you have to have scored higher than 90th percentile in the last five years. on the mcat, that's about 33 - 11's across the board.

by the way, i do agree that the TEL (the teaching edition of the lesson plan) is a bit rigid, but they've figured out what works apparently.

They told me I could present on a topic in science and/or math. Didn't mean to offend you, just an opinion.

My score went up 8 points, but I credit all 8 to my own perseverance and hard work, zero goes to Kaplan, and on another note, you base your increase on one of Kaplan's diags, which are not even close to accurate.
(29->37). I went from 4->10 on VR, but the VR on the diag was .

Here’s some more topics for yall to present to Kaplan in your "audition ": How to hire good teachers, how to edit out typos from practice tests, how to teach the science correctly, how to use the class time effectively (not teach 20 min worth of crap in 2 1/2 hours).

I think the AAMC people are right, MCAT prep classes don’t improve your score, but they make it look like they do. MCAT prep classes only aid students in structuring their study time.

 

[Centinel]

Can anyone give ballpark figure for what Kaplan pays MCAT instructors?

 

[DrPain]

Can anyone give ballpark figure for what Kaplan pays MCAT instructors?

How much does princeton review pay per hour?

 

[Shrike]

How much does princeton review pay per hour?

Varies by region. In Texas, MCAT instructors start at $20/hour.

 

[QofQuimica]

Can anyone give ballpark figure for what Kaplan pays MCAT instructors?

It varies with your region and experience. You should contact your local center for more information. Generally you are expected to have an 11 or better on any MCAT section that you would like to teach. Many instructors specialize, but I and some others teach every subject.

Re tutoring: people do not usually train only for tutoring. In other words, almost all tutors are already instructors before they begin tutoring. I can't think of anyone offhand who was only a tutor and never taught classes first. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it would be unusual.

Re using the TEL: I can't stress how important it is that you make your OWN notes, not just read from the TEL to the students. Not only is that boring, but there are usually errors in it each time a new edition comes out, and you need to wrestle with the material yourself so that if someone asks you a question, you understand it well enough that you will be able to answer it.

 

[Centinel]

It varies with your region and experience. You should contact your local center for more information. Generally you are expected to have an 11 or better on any MCAT section that you would like to teach. Many instructors specialize, but I and some others teach every subject.

QofQuimica,

If you had to estimate, how many hours do you spend in preparation before each class? Do you have any instructing techniques that you like best?

 

[Peterock]

QofQuimica,

If you had to estimate, how many hours do you spend in preparation before each class? Do you have any instructing techniques that you like best?

I know this question wasn't aimed at me, but for TPR (which is quite different from Kaplan) I spent ~3 hours of prep time for each lecture. That means I read the ~30 page chapter and took notes + filling in outside sources for additional notes. Most of my notes for my class are ~10 pages long with diagrams etc and I *hopefully* lecture for about an hour and 40 minutes. We usually go over 2 passages in the in class compendium and that took an additional 30-60min depending on the difficulty.

kaplan and tpr teachers making 20-25/hr depending on the region. i think it's only worth it if you are going to teach a class more than once or you teaching verbal, which takes vastly less prep time than the sciences.

 

[ramblinwreckie]

Whats the minimum score you have to achieve to get a job at Kaplan, TPR? 13's for the sections you want to teach?

Kaplan: i was told you needed an 11 to teach the respective section.

i didn't get an 11 on verbal, and they still let me be a generalist. so, there is some discretion.

 

[koalabear]

Thanks for the tips y'all. Do you know if you make more $$ tutoring privately for kaplan/tpr vs. classroom tutoring? And if the hours are better? I feel like if you want to teach in a classroom you will most likely have to teach at night. I'm looking for a part-time job for next year that gives me freedom but also an income.

 

[QofQuimica]

QofQuimica,

If you had to estimate, how many hours do you spend in preparation before each class? Do you have any instructing techniques that you like best?

I have been teaching for Kaplan for several years now, so I don't have to spend much time prepping anymore. The first time that you prep for a class, it will take a long time if you do it properly. It will probably take a longer time than what the company is willing to pay you. But the good thing is that once you have taught the class once, you'll still get paid to prep for it in the future, and you won't need to prep as much. So I agree that you should aim to teach for at least two cycles if you want to reap all of the benefits of your preparation for teaching.

 

[Lindyhopper]

I'm a first time MCAT bio teacher for the TPR. I spend about 3-4 hours prepping for every hour teaching. Clearly, from a financial standpoint, it is not worth it, unless, one teaches for several cycles. But there is a benefit in getting super comfortable with basic biology. Can't get enough of that 5 prime stuff.

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm a first time MCAT bio teacher for the TPR. I spend about 3-4 hours prepping for every hour teaching. Clearly, from a financial standpoint, it is not worth it, unless, one teaches for several cycles. But there is a benefit in getting super comfortable with basic biology. Can't get enough of that 5 prime stuff.

I agree that no amount of studying in the world will teach you the material as well as teaching it to others will.