Tampa, FL (TAM 0522)

There are two children, a 15-year-old girl who is a freshman in high school and a 13-year-old boy who is in 7^th grade. The primary focus of this role will be the young man, an energetic boy with demonstrated talent in technology far beyond his years.

He has recently been diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder, ADHD and Dysgraphia. Due to his high IQ and learning differences he falls into the Twice Exceptional Range. His parents have chosen to go with a hybrid-school or homeschool option as a way for him to catch-up and learn how best he can learn in the classroom. The student is very smart, computer savvy, and in fact has hacked his teachers' email accounts as well as some big websites. He has recently been recruited by the National Security Agency (NSA) to take part in organized hacking competitions through a Florida university. Remarkably, though, he is not performing in school at all, and although school closures exacerbated the situation, it was already a concern before the pandemic. Once the learning environment turns to a teacher in the front of a classroom, he just stops trying. He has consequently fallen well behind in core subjects which just makes it more difficult for him to engage in class. He pays no attention, is often engaged in unrelated activities, and his formal academic progress has lagged. However, he also creates amazing ideas and executes them brilliantly in the tech world.

The student wants to learn a language like Japanese because he considers it to be more useful in the world of technology and is not interested in languages that he doesn't view as useful, such as Spanish which he must do. His ultimate university goal would be a tier one top 25 institution that has strong programs in computer science and computer engineering.

The young man is very capable when in front of adults explaining something technical but is a bit socially behind his peers. He has lots of friends and is very talkative, but still learning the soft skills of social interaction or executive functioning skills such as taking notes, organizing materials, how to study and keep up with assignments and schedules. He respects talented teachers who enjoy intellectual challenges and can explore theoretical topics with exciting practical applications. He respects someone with a degree from a well-known university etc. His parents are keen to ensure that his academic background will be strong to maximize the breadth of his future academic opportunities. The student is never malicious; he is well-behaved but can be crafty.

He enjoys golf, tennis, and basketball. He has no interest in becoming a professional, but rather enjoys them for their own sake — especially golf, a love that he shares with his father. He also enjoys strategy card games such as Magic: The Gathering, and can cheerfully explain them in great detail.

His sister is not the primary emphasis of this role, but there are several ways in which an excellent Tutor could help her to fulfil her own academic potential. She is very organized, works very hard, and loves working within a structure. She is very obedient and diligent. She enjoys being on her competitive cheerleading team. The young lady would benefit from a Tutor who would be able to cultivate her ability in standardized tests. Currently this is a weak area for her, and her results do not reflect her substantial native intelligence. The disparity between her test scores and her performance on normal school exams causes her anxiety, and someone who would be able to help her to demonstrate her abilities on university entrance exams would be of great help.

This is a complex and multifaceted role that will require a skilled and resourceful educator. Despite the young man's capability with technologies, it is essential that the deficits in core subjects are caught up and that he learns how to conform with the requirements of his school. The school is willing, keen even, to have him back and is open to making considerable accommodations. But he must play his part too and that means being attentive in class, respecting the rules of the community and keeping up with his studies. Despite his social uncertainties he is well-liked. He needs to learn, however, how to develop these connections into a more collaborative dialogue that makes room for others’ opinions. In short, the main role of the Tutor is to help the young man onto the path of a well-rounded, socially adept, academically responsible young man.

The Tutor will need to develop a structure and timetable for lessons at home. It is expected that a PBL approach will be the best way ahead initially as a vehicle for getting him to see the relevance of working on the core subjects that he needs to catch up on. Ultimately it is hoped that he will see the importance of working on these for his own benefit as separate subjects, or at least that he will do it because he appreciates that people are not asking him to do these things just for something to do. The Tutor will have the use of a well-equipped learning space and excellent resources at the family’s home, and the freedom to take the student out of his comfort zone on hikes or travel further afield, to help his development.

As for his sister, she needs considerable help with her standardized test prep; at present she doesn’t test well at all and is not getting the scores required for her college ambitions. She also needs to learn to be more confident – or at least learn how to appear more confident – because at present she can come across as being extremely shy.

This is a full-time job. The Tutor is expected to be available to the family for an average of 35 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Preparation time will be in addition to this contact time.

There may be some travel at weekends and if there is this time will count at 50% of the weekly tutoring time or will be compensated by the Client with additional pro-rated time off.

The Tutor is entitled to 9 weeks (45 working days) paid vacation per annum. These times are to be arranged directly between Client and Tutor. If the Tutor is given time off with less than 2 weeks’ notice this will not be counted as part of the 45 days.

In Florida, the Client will arrange accommodation, per the Terms, for the Tutor. This will be off-site.

It is very likely that the family will travel, and the Tutor will accompany them during those travels to ensure continuity of academic progress. The family will appreciate a Tutor who is able to utilize local venues to enrich education while traveling. During any periods of travel the Client will arrange accommodation for the Tutor. As far as possible this will be offsite and not shared with other staff.