North Dakota (NDF 0824)

The student belongs to a warm, family-orientated household and is the third eldest among five sisters. Although she and her siblings have always been home-schooled, the young lady is the primary focus of this search. Her elder sisters are 20 and 22 and serve as a great inspiration, given their notable academic achievements, professional focus and recognition. Two younger sisters, aged 7 and 10, will also continue their education at a private classical Christian school, and the Tutor should be aware of inevitable interaction. The student is ready to embark on her all-important Freshman year of high school; therefore, a sound knowledge of the American education system will be of great value, to cater for eventual university applications.

As an imaginative and thoughtful individual, the student enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, working on science fair projects, and participating in theater and the performing arts. She appreciates the importance of exercise and plays the violin. She reserves a special spot in her heart for animals.

The student is a sweet girl with a warm and smiley personality. She is a skilled, self-trained artist and is a master of the Rubik’s Cube. She responds well to suggestions and constructive criticism and takes charged matters in stride.

However, she is not always as self-directed as she could be and is a typical 14-year-old in this regard. She does respond well when given clear directives, but her father feels more academic rigor would be helpful, particularly in writing. The young lady also yearns for a wider social experience and has taken advanced classes at a local high school to this end. She enjoys math and problem-solving and will likely participate on a local debate team in the coming years.

This teaching role must combine traditional values and academic progression, with the freedom to explore curiosity and fuel the fire of independent thinking and reflection. The backbone of this practice will remain true to the Classical Conversations curriculum currently followed by the family. Working with the student's mother, the Tutor must maintain consistency and structure, along with providing time and opportunity for the young lady to develop her own interests, receiving constructive guidance and ample creative and explorative channels. This approach will inspire thoughtful, inquisitive thinking, giving her the confidence that she requires to follow her chosen path or paths in later life. Ideally, this person will serve as a mentor for the student, someone besides her parents she can approach with her big ideas.

The Tutor will respect the family’s approach to life and education, observing their dedication to family, faith and classical conventions. They form part of a dedicated Christian community which aims to instil values, good communication and skills of recitation, logical thinking and persuasive rhetoric. A Tutor who shares such values and world views will be able to promote the desired sense of accountability, structure and even fellowship, whilst striving to combine the importance of current culture and a global insight into the world around us. The family welcome exploration of other cultures and viewpoints; the Tutor is at liberty to incorporate any such valuable world knowledge or diversity into visits or other learning opportunities to assist the student in experiencing a well-rounded education, on both a high academic and personal level.

The family are open to incorporating elements from other curricula which may benefit the student to further enhance her progression and observation of the wider world, including business and travel, which are important factors to them all. GCSEs and A levels (from the UK system are under consideration, for example). The Tutor will make the most of what the incredibly versatile home-school environment has to offer, portraying innovation and willingness to compose or adapt material where possible, to cater for the student’s needs and development. It is imperative that she amplify her ability to think autonomously, actively debate complex topics and achieve solid foundations; these will form stable stepping-stones in later life, both academically and personally.

The young lady is surrounded by a fantastic support network who respect and champion her dreams and goals. The Tutor will also offer constant encouragement and mentoring strategies. In addition, they will be exceptionally organised, an unrivalled record keeper, track progress and set regular goalposts for next steps. Opportunity for self-assessment will serve as an invaluable tool for the student's own progressive awareness and ultimate elevation of self-esteem.

An underlying thread of this post remains loyal to confidence-building, particularly in maths and science, where the young lady currently feels an unworthy sense of underachievement. The Tutor will offer inspiring and exciting lessons and experiences, promoting questioning, inference and broad thinking strategies. The Tutor will strive to uphold an open arena for sharing thoughts, doubts or stimulating questions, offering constructive criticism, respecting one’s own time in consolidating concepts and always offering a calm, fair approach. She or he will be responsible for establishing a love of learning to appreciate its benefits on a personal level. The family are keen to uphold their current routine regarding electronic devices, limiting mobile phone time, yet upholding an appreciation of the relevance of technology. The Tutor is expected to use technology for educational purposes mindfully, as necessary, perhaps using video games or programs which promote critical thinking, problem-solving skills and reaction times.

This role will predominantly take place in the Client’s family offices in Fargo, North Dakota. This location offers various suitable classroom options, including a library. Not necessarily infrequent in their occurrence, will be visits to other destinations. These are expected to include Texas, Massachusetts, Montana, Alaska, and the Caribbean, with the potential to travel further afield much less likely at this time. In the event of travel with the family, the Tutor will always find opportunities to optimise their given location and incorporate them into the student's lessons.

The Tutor is expected to work for an average of 40 contact hours a week. Teaching will predominately take place Monday-Friday, but there may be occasions when the Tutor is required to work weekends in lieu of a certain time throughout the week. A degree of flexibility will be required on the Tutor’s part.

The Tutor will be entitled to two consecutive days off per week, usually at weekends. As far as possible, the Client will give the Tutor at least two weeks’ notice of when their ‘weekend’ break will be. The standard minimum 9 weeks (45 working days) of paid vacation allowance applies to this contract, with the Client able to request holiday allocation at certain intervals (with a minimum of two weeks’ notice).

The Client will provide accommodation downtown in Fargo, as well as a vehicle that is suitable for the year-round weather conditions.

While travelling, the Client will be responsible for making accommodation arrangements for the Tutor or will give them a stipend with which to make their own arrangements.