#tutoring

#tutoring

In a scene as idyllic as a Norman Rockwell painting, Elevate Tutoring fellow Mia Matute sat at a dining table with her 12-year-old tutee, Kaycie Grant, as golden hour light shone on the fractions of a paper worksheet as they worked together one Friday evening in the Oakland hills. Grant solved another problem in a series that had given her difficulty. Do you see the pattern, now? Matute asked.

While AI tutors can provide personalized feedback, they cannot yet replicate what human tutors do best: connect, empathize, and build trust. AI can simulate dialogue, but it lacks emotional understanding. Human tutors perceive tone, hesitation, and body language, nonverbal cues that reveal engagement and comprehension. They also navigate ethical and cultural complexities, exercising moral judgment that AI simply doesn't possess.

I turned my tutoring side hustle into a full-time business in January 2024. There was a push and pull for me in this direction.