Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Houghtaling.
Alan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As with most things in life, at least mine, it has not been a point A to point B journey. After college, I had no clue as to what I wanted to do, and after doing some traveling and having a few jobs that were less than thrilling, I was at a loss as to what path I should venture down. I ultimately landed a job counseling at risk teens, and it was a decision that changed my life. Although it was supremely challenging, I discovered that connecting with kids, no matter their background, was something I was good at, and that it felt fulfilling.
After almost five years, I left that job to pursue some creative ideas I had, and more or less fell into tutoring when a friend asked if I could help some kids she knew with their homework. I connected with the kids, and before I knew it, parents were calling me and I had more students than I could take on.
Around 2002, I decided that I had formulated a philosophy around working with, and supporting, students. It was based on seeing them as whole people, not simply as struggling students. The relationship I formed with them was the foundation for all of the work we did, so it wasn’t solely about academics, but instead encompassed their entire life. I decided to form Evolve Tutoring, and began bringing tutors on board who were like minded. In some ways, the culmination of this story was our winning a Best of Boston® award this past year, which was very exciting for us.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Early on, one of the struggles was when I decided to move from being a tutor to a business owner. At that point, when parents called, they were expecting to be working with me personally, and sometimes there was resistance to the idea that they would instead be working with another tutor. This didn’t last all that long though, and was made easier due to the fact that the tutors I was bringing on board were outstanding.
Another challenge can be finding those outstanding tutors. There are certainly plenty of smart and accomplished people in the Boston area, but it’s vital that I find tutors who are comfortable not only with the academic piece, but with taking the time to connect with students in a meaningful way. This can be as challenging as teaching Calculus sometimes!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
In the Boston area, there is certainly no shortage of tutoring companies, and they all have their specific approach. What became clear to me early on, mostly from the feedback I received from students and parents, was that we were offering something unique. Above and beyond the academic progress students were making, it was the mentoring, role modeling, and relationships that were talked about and valued the most.
So, although we tutor all age groups and subjects, what truly sets us apart is that we do it while building a meaningful relationship with students that transcends the strictly academic. We help them to not be so hyper focused on results, but instead help them to develop and understand the idea of process, because if they can understand their own process, the results will take care of themselves. The word “holistic” gets thrown around a great deal these days, but that would be the word I would use to describe how we work with our students. Also, our tutoring is all done in the students’ home, which is not only convenient, but also gives us a unique view into the students learning environment and study space. We also offer individualized SAT/ACT prep, as well as supporting them through the entire college application process.
Working with young people is one of the most rewarding experiences there is. Yes, they can be challenging, even infuriating sometimes. But they are also passionate, curious, intuitive, and intelligent. What we are most proud of are the connections that are formed with them, and that they allow us into their lives so we can help them get to wherever it is they are going. On a different note, we are also humbled and proud that we were awarded a Best of Boston® award last year. It wasn’t the award itself, but more a nice validation that the work we do resonates on a larger level.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in the Berkshires, and spent a great deal of time outdoors, which I still like to do. I definitely had an up and down relationship with school, and tended to do better the more engaged I was. I think that this is one of the reasons I am able to relate to students so well, because I experienced some of the same struggles that they do in terms of not always seeing the relevance of what they’re learning, or figuring out what is important to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.evolvetutoring.com
- Phone: (877) 413-4769
- Email: evolve.tutoring@gmail.com
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