Tutor Center office staff will give you the name, phone number and e-mail address of your tutees. Phone or e-mail your tutee as soon as possible to arrange a date, time, and where you will meet. Be specific and sensible; describe yourself and what you will be wearing. It's always recommended that the first meeting be in the Tutor Center. Be punctual. Your student will be nervous anyway so try not to add tardiness to an already anxious situation. Each tutee is allowed three hours of tutoring per week.
Greet your student with a smile and allow some time to just get to know each other. Begin by giving a little information about yourself - major, hobbies, family, etc. Find out about mutual interests and gather a little background about previous educational experiences and problems. These facts can help you later when you try to explain academic problems. For example, if the student likes to travel - you might relate math problems to mileage, distance, cost per day.
Review expectations with the tutee. Let your student know that you will not do their homework or give them the answer to math problems. Ask the tutee what they expect from the sessions - do they want an "A" in the class? Do they want to learn study skills? Do they want strategies for taking tests? Be realistic with your tutee about expected results. If the student did not ask for help until the end of the quarter there is probably little you can do to help them pass the class. If the student is in a class for which they have not met the perquisites, tutoring may not help. Let the tutee know that you don't have all the answers. You are not an expert, you are there to help the student find the answers. Tell your tutee that you expect them to be prepared for each session - which means they will have pencil, pen, paper, book read and homework done. Be sure they bring their textbook, syllabus, class notes, assignments, and past tests to the session. Lack of class attendance on the part of the tutee negates the tutor contract.
Try to determine the tutee's learning style. This is the individual's preferred method of learning. Some of us are auditory, some are visual, and some of us are tactile. How you conduct your sessions will vary depending on how the student learns best.
Establishing a Schedule
You will find that most students are having difficulty with organization and time management skills. At the first tutor session create a calendar that shows the students requirements for the quarter. Put down dates for tutor sessions, homework due dates, quizzes, mid-term, class projects, and final exam. It is best if the student use one calendar or planner for all quarterly activities; both school, work and home. Leave room for additional information such as e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, locations, etc.
Do an exercise with your tutee using the "weekly time management" form. Using different colored pens, have the tutee sketch in the hours for class, work, meals, sleep, regularly scheduled activities like church or clubs. Then, look at the schedule with your tutee and ask him or here to sketch in study time. You will probably notice that there is little time left for study once all the other daily requirements are colored in. Then, work backward to eliminate some of the activities and add in study time. You might want to repeat this exercise several times during the quarter just to be sure the tutee keeps organized.
Be sure to let the tutee know how much time they have and when the session will be over. Remind them at least once during the session that you have "X" number of minutes left.
Regular Tutoring Sessions
Open each tutor session with a review of what was covered in the previous session. Close each session with having your tutee give you a summary of what occurred during this session. If concepts are involved, have the tutee paraphrase the ideas in his/her own words. This will give you an idea if its time to move on to the next area or stay with the present topic.
Using silence as a tutoring tool
Most tutors like to talk. They love to explain and engage the tutee in conversation. They do this do make the tutee "comfortable". A great tutoring technique is to use silence as a teaching tool. Pose a question - wait 8 - 10 seconds and, if no response, rephrase the question and try again. It is a difficult tool to implement but an effective one. This will allow your tutee to think critically and become more independent.
Gauging your tutee's understanding and comprehension
Don't assume your tutee understands everything you say and do. Before you start working with the student on a problem be sure they understand the vocabulary and can articulate the meaning of words associated with the task. Keep a dictionary and resource materials handy. Use lots of positive reinforcement - both verbal and nonverbal
Be sure your student is doing their own work.
Remember! Your pencil/pen never touches their paper. Your hand is never on the mouse or keyboard. Use words to explain the process. You want to student to experience the journey toward success. This can be very frustrating because the learning process will be slow and tedious - but in the long run, the student will succeed.
Tutoring Techniques
- Explaining vs. Lecturing
If your student has an auditory processing disorder or is English as a Learned Language (ELL), you may find yourself lecturing instead of tutoring. Try to be aware of when this happens and keep your explanations sort, clear, and to the point. If the student didn't understand the instructor's lecture, s/he won't understand you either.
Make your tutee aware that you are not the only resource available. Mention other tutoring options such as forming a study group, going to the drop-in tutoring rooms and/or using the librarians.
- Questioning and Listening (Socratic Method)
One of the key elements in tutoring is asking questions. Here are some examples of good questioning techniques for your tutor session:
- Ask open ended questions (not "yes" or "no"). This will draw out the student and get them to verbalize their problems.
Where do you think we should start?
What are the steps to solving this problem?
What is the definition of .?
- Ask probing questions. Probing questions follow up on a student's contribution.
What will happen if what you said is true?
What made you think that?
What is the opposite of this position?
You're correct; the answer to this question is false.
What would be needed to make it true?
- Rephrase questions
- Try repeating your question in a slightly different manner
- Reword your original question
- Break your original question into smaller parts
- Change the inflection in your voice when repeating the original question
- Use Drawings, Diagrams, Graphs, Visuals
The key to effective tutoring is to present the material in as many different formats as possible. Classrooms are equipped with white board and you can check dry erase markers from the office. Tutors can also make visual aids and enlarged print items in the Tutor Center office. Flip charts, large paper, and materials for making diagrams are also available. This is especially helpful for visual and tactile learners!
- Mnemonics
A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering is called a mnemonic. One of the most popular ones is "every good boy does fine" for learning the musical scale. You can help your tutee develop mnemonics for their specific problems. There are several websites that will give you mnemonics for specific subject areas.
Group Tutoring
Peer study groups are one of the more effective ways to study for a class. Many students who participate in study groups find it enjoyable, build new friendships, have a feeling of support in the class, and are more productive. The Tutor Center has a brochure that explains how students can form study groups. If you have a group of students who you feel would benefit from a group tutoring situation, contact the Director.
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