Trigonometry tutoring: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What trigonometry tutoring is

Trigonometry tutoring teaches triangles, the unit circle, identities and graphs, using visuals and practice to help students apply formulas. Students and parents book it when a trig course starts, when the unit circle becomes a wall of memorization, or before a test on identities or graphs.

Signs you need it

  • The student memorizes sine and cosine values but cannot say what they mean on a triangle
  • The unit circle is a list of points the student cannot use
  • Identities feel random, and the student does not know which one to try first
  • Graphs of sine and cosine are hard to shift, stretch or read
  • The course is moving fast and the student has gaps in right triangles and algebra

What the pro does

  • Checks the student's understanding of right triangles and basic algebra before the trig starts
  • Teaches the unit circle with a diagram the student draws, so the values have a meaning
  • Works through identities one step at a time, with a plan for which one to use
  • Teaches graphs by changing one feature at a time, such as amplitude or period
  • Gives practice sets and reviews the mistakes the student made at the next session

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Length of each session and how many sessions are in a series
  • The level, such as high school trig, precalculus or a college course
  • Whether sessions are in person or online, and whether a graphing tool is used
  • One-on-one tutoring versus a small group
  • How much identity practice versus graph work each session needs
  • Whether the tutor works from the course's textbook or their own materials

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of sessions, session length and start date
  • Whether sessions are in person or online, and what graphing tools are used
  • Whether practice sets and progress notes are included
  • Cancellation and make-up policy
  • Whether the tutor will share progress with a parent or teacher

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Do you check right triangles and algebra before we start the unit circle?
  • How do you teach the unit circle so the student does not have to memorize every value?
  • What is your plan for identities, so the student knows which one to try first?
  • How do you teach graphs and transformations with a graphing tool?
  • Will you work from my child's textbook and the teacher's method?
  • If my child is under 18, have you passed a background check?
  • What should the student be able to do before the test?

Red flags

  • Teaches the unit circle as a list to memorize with no diagram
  • Does the identity proofs for the student and does not check their steps
  • Promises a grade change without checking the student's skills
  • Does not ask about the course, the test or the textbook the class uses

What you can do yourself

A student can draw the unit circle with a compass and ruler, use a free graphing tool to see how a sine wave changes, and redo identity problems the next day. Ask the teacher for old tests and the list of identities the class uses. Hire a tutor when the unit circle feels like memorization, when identities keep stopping the student, or when a test on graphs is close.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to tutor trigonometry privately. If the tutor works in a school or program, that program may have its own rules. Ask whether the tutor has a degree or teaching experience in math, and check with your state or local licensing agency only if the tutoring is part of a school or program with its own requirements.

Trigonometry tutoring questions

Do I need to memorize the whole unit circle?

Most courses expect you to know the common values. A tutor can teach you to work them out from the triangle, so you only memorize a few and rebuild the rest.

Why are identities so hard for my child?

Identities need pattern recognition and patience. A tutor can practice one identity at a time and show the student how to pick the first step by looking at what is on each side.

Is trig tutoring useful for other courses?

Yes. Trig shows up in physics, engineering and calculus. Ask the tutor to focus on the skills the next course will need, not only the test.

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