The free Claude guide for tutors.

Set Claude up for your tutoring in about ten minutes, then use five copy-paste prompts every week. Works on the Free plan.

1. Account and one setting

Sign up at claude.ai. The Free plan is enough to start.
Open Settings, then Capabilities, and turn on Code execution and file creation.

That setting lets Claude run real calculations to check answers, and make Word or PDF files you can print.

2. A "My tutoring" project

A project keeps your instructions and files together, so you never re-explain yourself. Projects are available on every plan.

Go to Projects and create one called My tutoring.
Open the project's instructions and paste this profile, filled in with your details.

I am a private tutor.
Subjects: <e.g. maths and physics>
Levels: <e.g. ages 11 to 16>
Country and exam system: <e.g. UK, GCSE / Singapore, PSLE / US, Common Core and SAT>
Lesson length: <e.g. 60 minutes>, <in person / online>
Teaching style: <e.g. lots of worked examples, short explanations, frequent quick checks>
Tone with parents: <e.g. warm and brief, first names, WhatsApp>
Always: use my exam system's terms, verify every answer two ways, mark anything unverified with [CHECK].
Never: copy exam-board or school papers, invent facts, scores or quotes.

3. A file for each student

Add one short text file per student to the project. Claude reads it whenever you mention that student.

Student: <first name or initials>
Level: <year or grade>, <exam and date if relevant>
Goal: <e.g. move from grade 5 to 7 by June>
Strong at: <...>
Working on: <...>
How they learn best: <e.g. needs visuals, gets anxious with timed questions>

Lesson log:
<date> | <topic> | win: <...> | next: <...>

Privacy rule: first names or initials only. No surnames, addresses, school names, photos or medical details.

4. Five prompts for every week

Open a new chat inside My tutoring, paste a prompt and replace the parts in square brackets.

1. Plan a lesson

Plan a 60-minute lesson on [topic] for [student]. Use their student file.
Structure: a 5-minute warm-up that checks the skill this topic needs, 15 minutes of teaching with two worked examples, 25 minutes of practice that gets harder, a 5-minute exit check, and 10 minutes of spare time.
Use my exam system's terms. Mark anything you are unsure about with [CHECK].

2. Make a worksheet with checked answers

Make a 10-question worksheet on [topic] for [student], easiest first.
Then write an answer key with full working.
Check every answer a second way, using code for any calculation, and list any question you could not verify with [CHECK].
Write original questions only. Do not copy exam-board or school papers.

3. Write a parent update

Here are my notes from today's lesson with [student]:
[paste your 3 lines]
Write a short WhatsApp update to their parent: what we covered, one specific win, and what we will work on next.
Warm and brief, first names only. Do not add anything that is not in my notes.

4. Write a monthly progress report

Write [student]'s progress report for [month] from the lesson log in their student file.
Sections: summary, strengths with evidence, what we are working on, the plan for the next four weeks, and one or two ways to help at home.
Only use what is in the log. Recalculate any averages. Mark any assumption with [CHECK].

5. Brief yourself on a topic

Brief me on [topic] for [level] in [exam system], as if I am teaching it tomorrow.
Cover what students need to know first, the key ideas in plain words, common misconceptions and how to fix them, two worked examples checked a second way, and three quick questions that test real understanding.
If you can search the web, cite the official syllabus page you used.

5. The golden rule

Claude checks its work, but you are the teacher. Before anything reaches a student or parent, read it, confirm every [CHECK] item and spot-check two answers yourself.

Want this faster? The Tutor Skill Pack turns these prompts into installable skills that ask for what is missing and check themselves. See the skill pack.