From Screen to Classroom: My Journey from Virtual Tutoring to In-Person Tutoring

May 2026
Jenny Jourdain  

When I began tutoring middle school students virtually in New Jersey, I quickly learned that a strong session does not depend on being in the same room. Building trust, consistency, and improvisation helps. Virtual tutoring demands focus and intentional relationship-building with students from day one. A few lessons from my time as a virtual tutor include: 

• Start with a genuine check-in. A few minutes at the beginning of each session with a “how are you doing?” or “what are you looking forward to this week?” goes a long way before jumping right into the lesson. Middle schoolers, even elementary school students, need to feel seen before taking on the math or ELA lessons ahead.
• Celebrate small wins! A virtual reaction, thumbs-up, or declaring “awesome job!” or “so great to see you working through that problem – proud of you!” in a chat can help build the confidence needed in the moment and transform the way the next problem is tackled.  
• Leverage the digital whiteboard. It is such a helpful tool to be able to demonstrate in real-time and work on a problem together. Visual aids like the digital whiteboard complement the lessons.

The experience with New Jersey students helped me refine my skills as a tutor in the virtual space and served as a reminder that learning is in the relationships you build, which has definitely helped me as I continued my journey as an in-person tutor in Virginia. 

In the winter 2025, I came across a new role to tutor in-person as I wrapped up virtual tutoring with New Jersey students. Becoming a part of the GO Tutor Corps launch of in-person tutoring in Alexandria was an exciting opportunity. Walking into a school building, meeting educators, and hearing students in the hallways was a different energy altogether! The enthusiasm of a new school day is unmatched. 

Seeing students go from struggling to figure out a problem or to confidently share their work to solving another during a tutoring session is a reminder of why the work you do is important. A few lessons learned, and tips I would share for in-person tutoring are: 

• Establish routines from day one. Your presence is valuable. Being consistent with students supports them and anchors their expectations of you as a tutor. This builds trust in what students can expect when they walk into a tutoring session with you.
• Build a relationship with classroom teachers. Being embedded in a school means you are part of a team supporting students’ learning journey. Make connections and align your sessions or examples used with what students are learning about in class to maximize the impact.
• Read the room and let students lead sometimes. In-person tutoring lets you pick up on restlessness, frustration, or excitement in real time and adapt on the fly. Invite them to explain a concept back to you, teach a “mini-lesson,” or choose the order of activities. Ownership builds confidence.

What I carry from New Jersey to Virginia is that tutoring makes an impact on academic success. It happens when a student feels connected to someone who genuinely believes in them, whether the person is on a screen or sitting right across from the table. My commitment to tutoring is reinforced by welcoming school staff and the energy each student brings to their tutoring sessions. From virtual to in-person, I look forward to continuing to show up to tutoring sessions and seeing students shine!