One of the most effective ways to find a tutoring job is to rely on word of mouth. Each time you work with a student, ask the student and his or her parents if they would be willing to tell friends and family about your tutoring services.  If they are happy with your work, you will probably receive many referrals. You can also ask the student or his or her parents if they would be willing to serve as a reference. This way, when you market your tutoring to someone else, you can provide the potential client with a list of references they can contact to learn about the quality of your teaching skills and methods. Do not include clients’ contact information unless they provide their consent. Reaching out to teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, sports coaches, and advisors is a great way to promote your tutoring services. If you make a good impression, these individuals can refer students in need.  For example, if you specialize in teaching elementary school students to read, contact the elementary school teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, or advisors in your area. An introductory email with a copy of your references and resume is a good way to start the dialogue if you do not know the people you are contacting. Since many schools have strict visitor policies, it is best not to drop by unannounced. If you are hoping to find tutoring positions in your community, events such as festivals, fairs, and parades offer important networking opportunities.  If there are school-sponsored events open to the public, try to visit these since there will likely be many students and families in attendance who may be interested in your tutoring services. Sporting events, for example, are often open to the public. Offer to make a presentation at a school or community event such as a PTA meeting or service club. Make sure you bring some of your business cards, flyers, and brochures to these events so you can promote your services if the subject comes up in conversation. Posting flyers and handing out business cards promoting your tutoring services will help you find tutoring jobs. As a precaution, ask permission before posting your materials, but here are some ideas for ideal locations in your community:  Your neighborhood. School bus stops. Sporting arenas or fields. Public parks. Community bulletin boards. Public libraries. School bulletin boards or hallways. Coffee shops. Bookstores. Stores and restaurants close to schools or campuses. If you are planning to work independently as a tutor instead of working for a company, learning center, or school, you may want to create a website to advertise your tutoring services. A website will help you seem more established and professional, and you will likely receive job requests. Be sure to include your resume, contact information, a list of subjects you are prepared to tutor, and testimonials from past or current clients. Use social media accounts to spread the word about your tutoring services and recruit new clients.  Remember, if you are hoping to find tutoring jobs, you need to keep the content of your accounts and posts professional and focused on tutoring. If you are hoping to tutor privately, consider advertising tutoring discounts, contests, or specials using social media. This should help attract new clients and promote your tutoring services.
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One-sentence summary -- Rely on word of mouth. Contact teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, sports coaches, and advisors. Attend community events. Post flyers and hand out business cards. Create a website. Use social media.


Position the log horizontally in the carriage so that the blade can cut through its center. Slide the log down the carriage until one end is flush with the blade. Cut the log in half lengthwise, then turn the saw off. To maximize the amount of lumber you get from the log, you can now cut several wide boards from the bottom of one of the halves you just cut. Once you’ve cut the log in half, line one of the halves up along the blade. You will need to stand it up on its edge. Turn the saw back on and cut the half into 2 equal parts. Turn the saw off and remove these parts. If you haven’t cut boards from the other half already, place the remaining half log back in the saw carriage, turn the saw on, and cut this log into 2 equal parts. Always double-check that the saw is turned off when removing cut logs from the carriage to minimize your risk of injury. Place a quartered section on the saw carriage. Orient the saw blade near the open face so that you can cut a board off of it of a predetermined thickness. Turn the saw on and saw off a board. For example, if you want boards that are 1 in (2.5 cm) thick, align the blade 1 in (2.5 cm) away from one side of the log. Slide the quarter back under the blade so that the blade is positioned to cut a board of the same thickness as the first, and then saw off another board.  Repeat this last step until you have cut the log into as many boards as possible. Remember to turn the log 90° before sawing off each board. Use your quarter-sawn boards to build beautiful wood products! For example, you might build a cabinet or table, use long boards for flooring, or create small objects like boxes or cutting boards. Place 2 quarters next to each other. Then slide each quarter under the blade and cut the 2 quarters at the same time. Remove the 2 resulting boards. Pull the 2 quarters apart and rotate each quarter 90°. Place the quarters back under the blade, then cut another 2 boards. Repeat this process until you have cut all of the boards you can from the quarters. Freshly sawn wood typically has quite a bit of moisture in it, so your boards will need to be dried before you can use them. Find a storage spot outdoors where you can stack your boards away from trees (which can drop leaf litter and twigs) or soggy soil. To create the best air flow, elevate your boards on cinder blocks and line them up side by side.  If you have a lot of boards, stack them in layers separated by thin wooden slats, then weigh the whole stack down with more cinder blocks. Look for a spot where prevailing winds will blow through the side of the stack of lumber. Use a moisture meter to check the moisture content of the wood periodically. The goal is to achieve a moisture level of around 15-20%. Depending on the weather conditions and the original moisture content of the boards, it may take several months for the lumber to dry.
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One-sentence summary -- Line the log up on the portable saw carriage and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut the log into quarters. Saw a board of the desired thickness from one of the quarters. Turn the quarter log 90° and saw off another board. Cut 2 quarters simultaneously to save time. Air-dry your cut boards before you use them.


When scribbling on paper doesn’t work, sometimes you can get a stuck ball moving by rubbing the pen on a rubber surface. Scribble on a rubber eraser or even the sole of your shoe. Alternatively, some people find it helpful to scribble on a glass surface (such as a hand mirror) to get a stuck ballpoint pen going again. Sometimes a ballpoint pen will stop writing because there’s a space or bubble between the ink in the cartridge and the nib. Hold the end of your pen opposite the nib and give the pen several firm shakes, as if you were shaking down an old-fashioned glass thermometer. When you’re done, give it a scribble to see if it works. You can also try tapping the pen firmly on a hard surface, like the edge of a desk or table. If your pen has a wide enough cartridge, you may be able to push the ink down toward the nib. Unscrew the barrel of your pen and take out the cartridge, then pull the cap off the end of the cartridge. Push a cotton swab into the cartridge and apply gentle pressure to the fluid inside. Put your pen back together and test it again.  If the cartridge is too narrow to fit a cotton swab in, use a smaller object, like a paperclip. If the cotton swab gets ink on it, toss it in the trash right away so that the ink doesn’t spread around and stain anything.
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One-sentence summary --
Scrape the nib on a rubber surface to get the ball rolling. Shake the pen to move the ink down in the cartridge. Push the ink down in a wide cartridge with a cotton swab.