Local Tutor Business Helps Students Make The Grade

MANHATTAN, IL — Many people's lives were completely upended during the height of the pandemic last year, not least of all students who suddenly had to shift to remote learning as schools struggled to find a way for students and teachers to remain safe while continuing to learn and teach.

Flash forward to this year and many schools are still struggling with guidance and policies to fully reopen in-person learning, and some students are falling further behind their peers. That's where Tutor Doctor steps in, with franchises across the U.S. and Canada, and now available in the Lincoln-Way area and surrounding communities.

The process for linking students or adult learners starts with a free consultation to identify specific areas of need for the individual, said John Gutkowski, franchisee of Tutor Doctor for the Lincoln-Way area. From there, Gutkowski will place a student with a tutor based on that individual's goals.

"Everybody has a different I'll call 'pain point,' or need," Gutkowski said. "Whether it's somebody in early grade school who needs some help with improving their basic reading skills, to a high school kid at Lincoln-Way in calculus who is trying to go from a B to an A to get into a better college. We key in on exactly what the needs are of the family and child."

All tutors are thoroughly vetted and must pass a background check, Gutkowski said.

Gutkowski, a resident of Mokena for the past 25 years, started his own Tutor Doctor franchise in the Lincoln-Way area in April. He said part of the inspiration to bring the service to the area was his own experience watching his 15-year-old daughter Allie's grades take a slight dip during her freshman year at Lincoln-Way Central this past school year.

"I feel bad (for students)," Gutkowski said. "They've been tugged around. First, it was all virtual. Then it was A and B (hybrid) learning alternate days. Then some schools did go back to all in-person learning. But, during that time, some of those kids got lost. They lost motivation, or it wasn't organized in a manner that it would facilitate learning the best. We can at least help fill that gap."

Tutor Doctor offers face-to-face as well as remote tutoring options. It also offers ACT and SAT test prep. Gutkowski said he currently has about 40 tutors available in a range of academic subjects and is on the lookout for more tutors.

For more information, or to schedule a consultation, call Gutkowski at (217) 418-4746, or email him at jgutkowski@tutordoctor.com. More information about Tutor Doctor can be found on their website here.