Thinkster Math Review Summary

Thinkster Math offers online 1v1 math tutoring to K-12 students in 30+ countries. Pay is $20-$35/hr depending on the grade, and you must have 2 years of experience and commit to 10 hours a week. While curriculum is provided, duties exceed delivering live sessions, and there is a dearth of positive tutor reviews.

Thinkster Math Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Covers 30+ countries
• No formal qualifications required
• Curriculum provided

Cons:

• Only caters for math tutors (no other subjects)
• Must have 2+ years of teaching experience
• Lots of duties beyond tutoring live sessions
• Minimum 10 hours a week long-term commitment
• Only child students (not suitable for those preferring adult learners)
• Must have access to a touchscreen laptop or tablet, e.g. iPad generation 5 or newer
• Very few reviews from tutors who have worked for the company

What Is Thinkster Math and Is It Legit?

Thinkster Math is a legitimate online mathematics tutoring company that was founded in 2010 originally as Tabtor Math. While based in New Jersey, USA, they operate in 30+ countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, India and South Africa, with over 70,000+ registered users worldwide. Their legitimacy is reinforced by being STEM.org-certified, receiving the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, and having featured in leading news outlets such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Below is a video introduction to the company:

How Does Thinkster Math Work?

The Thinkster Math program is aimed at children in grades K-12, having added a Thinkster Math high school provision in 2019 on top of their original K-8 offering. This is built around their foundational ‘Thinkster Math 7 step method‘:

1. Teach children mathematics in a way that will make them remember it for life
2. Hyper-personalize content for each child
3. Provide a dedicated elite tutor to monitor, coach, and provide daily feedback
4. Achieve mastery and accelerated learning by providing insights into each child’s performance
5. Provide timely assistance to help the child when they solve math problems
6. Ensure children remain engaged
7. Make learning math convenient

Once a child’s starting level has been assessed, they will be assigned two dedicated math tutors/coaches to work with them and provide a personalized Thinkster learning plan. The curriculum is already set up, and Tutors are expected to:

• Provide daily grading for Thinkster Math worksheets submitted by students
• Assign work to students once every two weeks to once a month depending on the student study plan and how much work they do
• Conduct live one-on-one tutoring sessions with students
• Complete phone/conference calls with parents
• Send Weekly Reports and Progress Reports to update parents on their child’s work
• Attend to email communications with parents, answering questions regarding progress/assignments/school work help, etc
• Attend all tutor meetings
• Keep up with all changes implemented in processes, operations, content, and communication with parents

This video provides a quick overview of how Thinkster Math works, including some of the tutors’ responsibilities in supporting students:

Thinkster Math Tutor Salary

Thinkster Math tutor pay is determined by the grade level being taught:

• $20 per hour for K-5
• $30 per hour for grades 6-8
• $35 per hour for high school tutoring, Algebra 1 and Geometry sessions

Tutors are hired as 1099 contractors, on either a part-time or full-time basis.

Thinkster Math Hours and Schedule

Thinkster Math tutors can work full or part-time. There is a minimum requirement of 10 hours a week, though the company says that the most successful candidates commit to between 15-20 weekly hours.

While schedules are flexible, most live 30 or 60-minute one-on-one sessions are conducted after-school, between 3-10pm (EST) on weekdays, or between 9am-3pm on weekends. Furthermore, there are additional tutor responsibilities that must be factored in, including:

• Daily grading of worksheets (can be done any time of the day)
• Assigning work to students once every two weeks to once a month depending on study plan (can be done any time of the day)
• Completing phone/conference calls with parents (can be prescheduled with parents between 12-10 pm EST)
• Sending Weekly Reports and Progress Reports to keep parents updated
• Attending all tutor meetings (once a quarter or on a per need basis)

Thinkster Math Requirements

To become a Thinkster Math tutor, you must possess:

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in elementary, middle or high school teaching
• Strong math skills and confidence in providing solutions to math problems
• Strong communication skills to share insights into why students make errors
• Awareness of the Common Core and curriculum across the US or region you are applying from
• Confidence and comfort in using and learning new technology
• Excellent communication skills with parents and students
• Ability to handle process changes and work in an adaptive environment
• Ability to teach the subject matter as well as assessing the student’s knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis
• A proven track record of dependability and professionalism
• Good interpersonal and rapport-building skills
• A touchscreen laptop or tablet, e.g. iPad generation 5 or newer
• Commitment to provide at least 10 hours a week long-term

Thinkster Math Hiring Process

You can apply for Thinkster jobs through the Thinkster Math careers page. At the bottom of the page you will find an application form where you will submit the following information:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Physical address
• Are you a certified teacher?
• Select the state from where you are certified
• Teaching experience
• Work experience in companies
• What areas of curriculum are you skilled at?
• What grades are you comfortable teaching?
• Are you technologically savvy?
• Can you teach Math without preparation?
• Are you looking for a short term or long term positions?
• Are you available for at least 10 hours/week?
• How did you hear about us?
• Review the 7-step method on www.hellothinkster.com and send a short summary on how this commitment to parents impacts your role as a potential Thinkster Teacher/Tutor/Coach.
• Attach Your Resume

If no suitable roles are currently listed, you may also send your resume and cover letter directly to [email protected].

The Thinkster Math interview has received mixed but limited reports, either being fairly straightforward with basic questions about the candidate’s background and interest in the job, or involving confusion and poor communication. Thinkster interview questions that have previously been asked include:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why Thinkster?
• Explain adding fractions.

Training consists of a 10-hour ‘Certification’ process, spread across 2-3 weeks, where new hires will conduct live Skype sessions with a Certification Leader, and complete independent exercises and assignments.

Thinkster Math Reviews – Is Thinkster Math Good to Work For?

The Thinkster Math Glassdoor page offers a mixed score of 3.3 out of 5, with 70% willing to recommend them, though this comes from just 8 Thinkster Math employee reviews and none since August 2022 (at the time of writing). I have collated the comments left by tutors, with there being positive talk about the schedule, hours, staff, program, and minimal session prep required, though more heavy criticism is aimed at the management, declining pay, unpaid training and duties, and demands placed on teachers:

• Advantages:
  • “The schedule and the kids
  • Work from home, little prep time needed for sessions, helpful staff
  • Remote, hours were pretty flexible
  • Hours are easily adaptable to the person’s schedule
  • It’s a great place to work
  • Seems to be a good program”
• Disadvantages:
  • “They used to pay you better but a lot has changed
  • It’s become toxic
  • Long and unpaid training, pay has decreased since staring, higherups do not value the tutors; only the bottom line, lots of unpaid time like when you contact parents, onboard new students, edit work provided etc.
  • A lot of demands placed on the teacher
  • Dishonest and unreliable management”

Conclusion – Is Thinkster Worth It for Tutors?

The relative absence of positive tutor reviews does make one cautious when considering Thinkster Math. Though a curriculum is provided that minimizes prep time, the additional responsibilities outside of tutoring sessions appear demanding compared to many tutoring positions that offer similar pay.

Thinkster Math competitors that you may wish to consider as an alternative to Thinkster include Mathnasium and SplashLearn. A full list of other online teaching companies can be found here, or you can apply for Thinkster Math jobs on the company’s website.