There are two children: a boy of 12, and a girl aged 9. The family have long considered the possibility of home-schooling their children. Due to the school disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, they have now chosen to move forward, not only to provide stability in the midst of these disruptions, but also because a kind, attentive Tutor will be able to transform their children’s educational experience with engaging hands-on learning.

The boy is smart and energetic with a great imagination who always questions the world around him. He loves experiential learning projects and enjoys legacy technology. He keeps a collection of old mobile phones and iOS devices, and has a strong drive to understand how technology works at the most basic level. He loves shooting hoops, and the determination to mature from uncoordinated novice to skilled player reveals in his character a drive to succeed and flourish at anything he wants. This drive is balanced against the need for positive reinforcement. It is very important to him to receive approval from adults to encourage his work ethic and progress, and he is not yet able to keep up his drive to succeed independently of adult positivity.

He loves making people laugh, and he is a very sweet boy. He can sometimes seem to be oppositional, but this is not from true hostility — it is just the manner in which he currently relates to others and represents no malice. He is a very social chap, and a picky eater. He likes to believe that he is very good at math, and this is probably his best academic subject. He truly excels with technology. Getting him to read is hard.

Although he is very eager to please, he can be awkward in social circumstances. Likewise, his facial expressions do not always fit the social context and he uses tones of voice that do not correspond to the situations he faces. However, he has very deep empathy when he does perceive that others are suffering. He is good at factual observations, but not able to understand intuitively the emotional states of others. He has a very strong sense of justice and fairness, and he holds grudges when he feels he has been treated badly. However, he is also deeply loyal, even when he should not be, and is close with his friends, whose company he really enjoys. He is strong-willed and articulate, but has a hard time explaining his actual feelings. He has significant distaste for being made to feel embarrassed and refuses to participate in public performances at school or sing at church. In short, he is a likeable, funny and social child who hasn’t really found his place yet.

The girl is precocious and sharp-eyed. She and her brother have a good relationship, although normal sibling rivalries manifest from time to time. She is good at making a very positive impression quickly. She is more neurotypical in comparison with her brother and is generally at or above grade level in her academic pursuits. Although not as eager to please as her brother, it is important to her to establish and maintain pacific relations with others. Although she quarrels with her brother, she is instinctively protective of his feelings and her outlook reflects the loving and supportive family environment in which she thrives.

The focus of this role is on the boy. The form of education for this academic year has not yet been determined. It may be that he will use an online curriculum or that the Tutor chooses and implements one, or that the Tutor designs and executes their own curriculum according to the requirements of the State of Washington. The Tutor should keep detailed records of subjects covered, evaluative learning experiences, and marks earned, with the same rigor of a regular classroom. He thrives off structure, and a highly organized Tutor will bring out the best in the boy. It is also essential that the work done with the Tutor is comprehensively documented for any future school. Versatility and flexibility will be paramount for any prospective applicant for this role, albeit allied with a firm structure and thorough planning.

He is a rising sixth grader. Middle School challenges students in very different ways than Elementary School does, and the Tutor must ensure that his transition to this more challenging academic environment proceeds with a minimum of disruption, taking care that he experiences a supportive setting in which to explore learning. His sister is a rising fourth grader, and this year will give the opportunity to consolidate and expand her Elementary School experience to prepare her for the next level.

The boy has had annual EdPsych evaluations spanning a number of years. He experiences symptoms that suggest dyslexia, dysgraphia, auditory processing issues, attention deficit, and executive functioning difficulties. At age 6, he was diagnosed with benign rolandic epilepsy. He experienced developmental delays and has worked with a speech pathologist for ILS therapy. As such, the family wish to find a Tutor with proven experience in successful outcomes for students with similar SEN challenges.

He responds very well to raised expectations and learns best through experiential means: he must touch, feel, smell, and breathe his material. He must be allowed to ask many questions, and a Tutor who enjoys engaging a subject to the ends of its minutiae would relish the opportunity to teach him. One must keep his attention very directly and constantly in order to keep it. He really wants to learn and becomes much less oppositional when he realizes the teacher cares. He needs to feel loved, accepted, and believed-in to work well. His “love language” is most probably “affirmation.”

The girl has none of the challenges that her brother faces. She will be enrolled in school-provided online education and the Tutor will not need to be heavily involved in her instruction beyond making sure that she knows what is due each day, that she is logged in, on track, and delivering what is expected. While her brother is likely to require much more of the Tutor’s efforts, it is important for the Tutor to bear in mind not to neglect her education in any respect, and to ensure that fair time is given to her educational needs as well.

The family have a healthy and physically active outdoorsy lifestyle. It is expected that the Tutor will enthusiastically join in with these, as well as adding some of his or her own interests. The boy loves snow skiing, golf, shooting baskets, mountains and hiking. It would be ideal if the Tutor can add to this range.

The children’s parents closely monitor their use of technology and limit the time they may spend using their devices. While devices can be very useful for educational purposes, the Tutor should be careful not to over-use them because management of screen time is very important.

The Tutor will typically work 5 days each week from Monday to Friday for an average of 40 hours with preparation time in addition. The Tutor will be entitled to at least nine weeks off per annum of the contract.

The Tutor should follow a structured timetable as much as possible but should look to adjust this to fit with the children’s needs. It is essential that the Tutor collaborates with the Client in overall child management responsibilities. It would not be strange, for example, for the Tutor to take the boy to basketball practice, or generally to make the Client’s schedule flow more smoothly by helping to manage other aspects of the children’s schedules.

The Tutor will be provided with furnished accommodation nearby the family home. This may well be in a staff house with access shared by other members of the family’s household staff, but the Tutor’s private areas such as the bedroom will remain private.

It is likely that this role will include extensive travel. When the Tutor accompanies them, all travel and accommodation costs will be covered.

A car will be provided for the use of the Tutor.

The successful candidate will be able to offer more than the minimum requirements of this position and must have been raised in a socially appropriate background. He or she will not only be an excellent educator, but also a good role model: educated and polished, with excellent manners and personal values.

The Tutor should be fit and healthy, a non-smoker. They should enjoy staying active and should embrace opportunities to try new sports and activities with the children. The Tutor should be comfortable around dogs.

The Tutor will be asked to take random drug tests by the Client. Failure to do these tests when asked, or failing the tests, will constitute gross misconduct and allow the Client to terminate without further warning if they wish. In addition, due to Covid-19 the Tutor must comply with all national and state requirements in whatever jurisdiction might apply to their location. The Tutor is required to be tested for Covid-19, and to isolate or quarantine as requested by the Client or any of their representatives.