Mathnasium Review Summary

Mathnasium provides 1v1 in-person and online math tutoring to mainly K-12 children in 9 countries. Higher qualifications and experience are not mandatory, and they recruit from 16 years up, but pay is not the highest, hours are only part-time, you must pass a competency test and be able to travel to a learning center.

Mathnasium Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Many positive tutor reports
• A degree, teaching certificate and experience are not mandatory
• Minimum hiring age of 16 years and above
• Presence in 9 countries across 5 continents

Cons:

• Only for Mathematics tutors
• Relatively low pay
• Must be located near a learning center
• Mainly focuses on in-person instruction, and online tutoring sometimes has to be conducted from a learning center
• Must pass a 50-question competency test

What Is Mathnasium and Is It Legit?

Mathnasium is a legitimate math tutoring company that began in 2002 when it opened its first learning center in Los Angeles, California. Since then it has grown to more than 1,200 franchise locations spread across five continents, having grown outside the United States into the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. The organization has helped over 100,000 K-12 children, and its legitimacy is reinforced by being named in Franchise Business Review’s ‘Culture 100‘ list of the top 100 franchises with the best culture.

Teaching at Mathnasium – How Does Mathnasium Work?

Mathnasium tuition aims to go beyond private tutoring by being more proactive in building mathematical skills methodically and comprehensively through a foundational curriculum. Each child receives a fully-customized learning plan following their initial assessment, which targets strengths, weaknesses and learning goals, and from which Mathnasium instructors will tailor their instruction to meet personalized needs and styles.

While the majority of students are K-12 schoolchildren, Mathnasium for adults is also an option for those returning to education later in life.

Below is a video introduction to Mathnasium tutoring:

Mathnasium Online Tutoring

While the majority of tuition takes place in-person within Mathnasium learning centers, the company also offers an online provision through ‘Mathnasium@home’, to allow more flexible scheduling for its students to attend regularly. It is important to note that this flexibility does not always extend to the tutor, who may still have to login from the learning center.

What Is the Mathnasium Method of Teaching?

The Mathnasium Method is the company’s propriety pedagogy that builds from the ground up, establishing a firm foundation by going back to the fundamentals of what the child already knows, before addressing any gaps in their knowledge and introducing new concepts in a systematic order. It does this by developing ‘Number Sense’, an understanding of what numbers mean and how they work together, whilst encouraging students to gain confidence in thinking for themselves using Socratic Questioning.

The Mathnasium Method is explained further in this video:

More About the Mathnasium Curriculum

The Mathnasium Method supports its own curriculum. Within this, there are 7 Mathnasium levels to progress through before moving on to Algebra and other higher math disciplines, and 5 key concepts that are built upon between each of these levels:

• Counting
• Whole and Parts
• Quantity and Denomination
• Proportional Thinking
• The Law of Sameness

Mathnasium materials meet Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), local and state standards, and most international standards.

Training is provided to instructors in both the Mathnasium Method and its curriculum.

Some time may be set aside for homework help, at the family’s request.

Mathnasium Instructor Job Description

Mathnasium instructors are expected to:

• Provide effective and concise math instruction using the Mathnasium Method
• Deliver the Mathnasium methodology with confidence and energy
• Teach students the math they need to learn, in a way that makes sense to them
• Administer the Mathnasium curriculum
• Assist in tracking the progress of each student
• Ensure continued student motivation, progression and mastery
• Execute superior customer service
• Professionally interact with students and parents
• Communicate student progress to their line manager
• Treat every individual with dignity and compassion
• Contribute to the creation of an engaging and productive learning environment

How Much Does Mathnasium Pay?

As it operates a franchise system, the Mathnasium pay scale will vary between different learning centers. The organization states that ‘compensation will be based on education and experience’, with a ‘Big Plus for experience with Mathnasium Method’. Below are some Mathnasium hourly rates for different countries:

• For UK-based tutors, GBP£7-£15 an hour has been advertised in recent job postings.
• For US instructors, an average of USD$9.06-$19.23 has been reported.
• For Australians, the reported amount is AUD$24-$28.

Mathnasium Payment Method and Schedule

Mathnasium salaries are paid via direct bank deposit, either monthly or semi-monthly depending on the learning center.

Mathnasium Scheduling and Hours

Mathnasium hours are predominantly part-time. The precise hours will vary between learning centers, but shifts will be scheduled after school, mid-late afternoons and early evenings on weekdays, and late morning to early afternoon on weekends.

How Long Are Mathnasium Sessions?

Mathnasium classes last 60 minutes, with instructors tending to work 3-4 hour shifts.

Mathnasium Job Requirements

The Mathnasium hiring age is 16+, which is beneficial to those seeking a part-time job whilst studying, especially as the vast majority of tutoring companies only recruit adults of 18 years and above.

Mathnasium tutor qualifications and attributes should include:

• Exceptional math skills (e.g. an A-grade in GCSE Mathematics for UK tutors)
• Passionate about teaching mathematics, online and in person, to children of all ages, with an ability to communicate that passion professionally to students and parents
• Always patient
• Focused on each student’s learning plan
• Exceptional customer service focus
• Energetic, fun and confident personality
• Generally available during operating hours with the ability to handle a flexible schedule
• Willingness to learn the Mathnasium teaching method through on the job training

Previous educational or tutoring experience is an advantage.

Mathanasium has recorded a recruitment video for prospective applicants, featuring the views of some of its instructors:

Mathnasium Job Application Process

To inquire about Mathnasium tutoring jobs, email one of their learning centers with a copy of your resume/CV and a cover letter. To find your nearest center:

• US-based tutors can visit the Mathnasium.com homepage, click ‘Find Location’ and enter your city, state or ZIP code.
• If in the UK, visit the Mathnasium careers page and enter your city, county or postcode in the ‘Learning Centre Opportunities’ box (most are concentrated in the Greater London area).
• Tutors in Australia should visit Mathnasium.com.au and click on ‘Locate Centre’.
• Tutors in Singapore visit Mathnasium.sg and click ‘Find a Centre’.
• Other countries provide a central email address to send enquiries to:
  • Bahrain: [email protected]
  • Mexico: [email protected]
  • Saudi Arabia: [email protected]
  • United Arab Emirates: [email protected]
  • Vietnam: [email protected]

The Mathnasium Indeed pages for the US and UK also advertise specific vacancies periodically.

Mathnasium Employment Test

There are usually two stages to the Mathnasium interview process:

1. A screening telephone interview
2. An in-person interview at the Mathnasium learning center you applied to

At the in-person interview, you will be asked to take a Mathnasium instructor test to demonstrate your competency in mathematics, which will take around 1 hour to complete. It consists of 50 questions, and you will require a score of 75% or more to pass without use of a calculator. These flashcards have been created to help you prepare for this and provide an indication of the types of question you may face.

Mathnasium Interview Questions

Below is a list of Mathnasium interview questions that have been asked of candidates over the past year. You may wish to prepare answers in case they come up again for you:

• What was your experience with math growing up?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What do you know about this company?
• Why do you want to be a math tutor?
• What qualities do you possess that would make you a good math instructor?
• What is a strength you possess that makes you qualified for this job?
• What is your previous experience tutoring kids?
• Why do you like working with kids? What are some challenges you faced while working with them?
• Where have you previously worked?
• What is your education level?
• What’s the highest level of math you took and how fresh is your knowledge on that subject?
• Why do you like teaching math?
• How would you engage a student who did not want to work?
• How would you approach a difficult situation with a student?
• What would you do if a kid is not understanding a concept (e.g. fractions)?
• How would you help a student with ‘what is 7% of 300’?
• Can you explain division to me?
• How would you communicate this topic differently to a third grader versus a high schooler?
• How would you handle a question you don’t know?
• Give me an example of being patient.
• What hours would best suit you? Are you able to work flexibly?
• What are your career goals?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• Tell me something about yourself that isn’t on your resume.

Mathnasium Training

Successful candidates will have to complete 10 training modules, including assignments. Study flashcards have also been prepared to help with this too. You will sit with experienced Mathnasium instructors to witness how they interact with students, before undertaking 10 hours of instruction practice shifts over the first month of being hired.

Mathnasium Reviews – What Is It Like Working at Mathnasium?

The Mathnasium Glassdoor page currently gives the company an overall score of 4.2 out of 5 with a high recommendation rate of 83%. Below is a summary of comments from Mathnasium employees, where they talk positively about the rewarding work with children, the relative lack of stress, and flexible hours and schedule, though the pay rate, mental exhaustion, part-time nature of the work and lack of hours all attract complaints:

The Indeed Mathnasium page offers an identical rating of 4.2 out of 5 (at the time of publication). Some Mathnasium negative reviews complain about management, though this will understandably vary between the many learning centers and you will equally find many reviews of Mathnasium that praise the management:

Conclusion – Is Mathnasium Worth It?

Whilst technically a provider of online tuition, Mathnasium is not the best option for tutors wanting more location independence due to the fact you will be tied to a particular learning center requiring you to conduct some in-person tutoring. For those living near a center, many find the work rewarding, while it is especially beneficial to 16-17 year olds looking to earn some money and experience, which can be difficult at tutoring companies who only hire 18 years plus. Still, the pay rate and limited hours may not be enough for more experienced teachers.

You can apply to Mathnasium by contacting your nearest learning center.

A full list of alternative online teaching companies can be found here. Other math specialists to consider are SplashLearn and Thinkster Math.