Welcome to the
SASS Tutoring Orientation:
Spring 2016
An opening thought…
• Few will have the greatness to bend
history itself, but each of us can work to
change a small portion of events…Each
time a man stands up for an ideal, or
acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes
out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny
ripple of hope, and crossing each other
from a million different centers of energy
and daring those ripples build a current
which can sweep down the mightiest
walls of oppression and resistance.”
Robert Kennedy
A presentation in five
parts
• SASS Overview
• About the SASS Tutoring
Program
• Academic Tutoring
• Mentoring
• Conclusion
If you’d like a copy of this
presentation…
It will be on the For Tutors
section of the SASS Web page
on Monday.
Before we begin…
Please make a name card:
Use a marker to write your
name in BIG LETTERS on a sheet
of paper so I can see who you
are.
Thanks yous and
introductions!
• Thanks to SASS volunteers for their
help!
• Current SASS tutors: Please tell us a
bit about your student and your
tutoring experience.
• Prospective tutors: Please
introduce yourself and tell us why
you’re interested in this program.
SASS Mission Statement
Sequoia Adult School Scholars provides
financial support, tutoring and other
assistance to Sequoia District Adult
School ESL and GED students—the vast
majority of whom have minimum wage
jobs—so they can enroll in community
college to continue their education,
expand their career options, and serve
as role models and advocates for their
children.
Who does SASS serve?
• You’ll find the answer here:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=QsOR4XKEzIA&feature=youtu.be
Part 1: SASS Overview
• We started in 2010 with 2 students;
this semester we’re supporting
about 175 students in community
college, primarily Cañada College.
• We are one-of-a-kind.
What SASS provides
• Books. bus passes, parking passes
• Tutoring/mentoring
• Laptops (to outstanding students)
• Advising (Paid for by a grant to
Sequoia Adult School from the
Silicon Valley Community
Foundation)
SASS milestones:
May 2015: First two SASS recipients
earn AA degrees
SASS milestones:
May 2015: Six SASS recipients earn
certificates
In addition…
• Two SASS recipients have been
awarded National Science
Foundations scholarships and
have been accepted at UC
Davis for 2016.
Who are SASS recipients?
• Majority are from Mexico;
about 95 percent are from
Latin America
• Age range: 17 to 65
• About half have graduated
from high school, a few have
some college
How do students learn
about SASS?
ESL classes at
Sequoia
Adult School
A Cañada
ESL class
taught at
Sequoia
Adult School
Cañada ESL
classes at
Cañada
College
For SASS recipients,
college is almost free!
• Tuition: Paid for through a
State of California program for
low-income students
• Books and transportation:
Paid for by SASS
• Students pay about $30 a
semester.
Why are SASS recipients
going to college?
• Complete Cañada College ESL
sequence
• Earn a certificate (Early
childhood education, medical
assisting, bookkeeping)
• Earn an AA degree and possibly
transfer to a four year college
What SASS recipients study
• The vast majority of SASS
recipients take ESL classes.
• While students take ESL
classes, they also can take
• Computer applications classes
• Career exploration classes
• Fitness/Salsa/Soccer, etc.
SASS also helps graduates
of HSE (High School
Equivalency) programs
• A small but growing number of
SASS recipients have recently
earned a GED or passed another
high school equivalency test and
are transferring to community
college.
Barriers students face
• Poverty
• Multiple jobs, variable schedules
• Poor education in their native
country
• Lack of understanding of the US
education system
• Lack of resources (e.g. computers)
How immigration reform
affects students
• Federal laws
• DACA (Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals)
• DAPA (Deferred Action for
Parental Accountability)
How immigration reform
affects students
• California laws: Drivers
licenses for undocumented
residents starting January 1,
2015!
Questions? Comments?
Part 2: The SASS Tutoring
Program
Why a tutoring program?
Capable students, who (often)
have
• Poor grades
• Limited knowledge of the
American education system
• Lack of education in their native
country
We’re growing
• We had two tutors in spring
2014
• This fall, we had 34 tutors, 33
of whom are returning
Focus of tutoring sessions
• Most tutors focus on ESL
coursework.
• We have a few tutors helping
students with pre-algebra,
computer applications,
calculus, and physics.
How are SASS students
referred to the tutoring
program?
• Self-referral
• Progress reports completed by
students’ professors
• Failed classes
Your role
• Academic tutor
• Mentor/advocate
Tutor expectations
• Meet once a week at a location you
and your student agree to, usually a
library or coffee shop. (For liability
reasons, please don’t meet with
your student in your home.)
Tutor expectations
• Minimum session: one hour; most
sessions are 90 minutes.
• Commitment is through May, when
the semester ends, though you can
stop at any time.
Tutor expectations (cont.)
• If you need to miss more than a week,
try to find a sub. (We’ll send you a sub
list at the beginning of the semester.)
• Complete a short form at the end of
the semester about your experience as
a tutor.
• Contact me with issues and successes.
Intercambios
Tutoring is your first priority but…
• If you’d like to practice your Spanish,
we may be able to set up an
intercambio at the end of each tutoring
session.
• You can mention your interest in an
intercambio on the SASS tutor
application form.
You should expect your
student to
• Arrive on time
• Arrive with assignments
complete or at least started
• Inform you in advance if they
can’t attend
As a tutor, don’t accept
anything less!
Student limitations that
may affect tutoring’s
efficacy
• Changes in student’s
schedule.
• Student not adequately
prepared for current class.
• Student doesn’t have time to
study.
• Life gets in the way…
Tutor limitations that may
affect your efficacy
• Travel plans that require you
to miss tutoring sessions. Try
to arrange for a substitute.
• Challenges presenting the
material in a way that makes
sense to the student. (If this is
an issue, let me know!)
Measuring success
• Attending college even for one
semester is a “success”.
• Not all students will complete
the ESL sequence, much less
get a vocational certificate.
• As a tutor, you’re having an
impact nonetheless.
Takeaway #1
• You could transform a life.
• Students speaking about their
tutors at Back to School session
• My tutor made me more
confident to speak.
• My tutor always calls me to see
when we can meet.
• My tutor makes things clear for
me.
Takeaway #2
• There may be bumps along
the way.
Questions? Comments?
Photo!
Part 3: Being an academic
tutor
Part 3: Being an academic
tutor
Focus of tutoring sessions
• Review past assignments
• Work on upcoming
assignments
• Other (conversation,
completing job applications,
recreational reading, etc.)
The Cañada College ESL
sequence
ESL course content
• Reading, Listening, and
Speaking classes
• Reading comprehension
• Presentations
• Grammar and writing classes
• Grammar exercises
• Essays
Text books used in these classes
are on the table.
First, allaying your fears…
• You don’t need to be a
grammar expert to tutor ESL
• Example of an ESL 922
grammar assignment
Resources for tutors
• The SASS Web site:
SASSFoundation.net/tutors
• Recommended grammar
books
• On-line grammar resources
• Links to Cañada’s ESL text
book series
Resources for tutors
(cont.)
• The SASS Web site:
SASSFoundation.net/tutors
• News sites for ESL students
• Recommended fiction for
intermediate ESL students
Resources for tutors
(cont.)
• Grammar Summary Cards
• The Internet!
Tutoring tips (in no
particular order)
• Don’t be afraid to correct
students’ pronunciation.
• Check for understanding
again and again. Students
often say they understand
when they don’t.
Tutoring tips (in no
particular order, cont.)
• When teaching vocabulary, ask
your student to use the new
word in a sentence.
• Use Spanish when it
elucidates; avoid it other
times.
Tutoring tips (in no
particular order, cont.)
• Encourage your student to use
the Internet as a resource:
• If you have a laptop, bring it to
your session.
• If you student has a laptop,
encourage her to bring it to the
session.
Helping students become
better editors
• Ask your student to read their
essay to you.
• Read the essay out loud to
your student.
Helping students become
better editors (cont.)
• Show a student an incorrect
sentence and ask him to find
the error.
• Give hints as opposed to
providing outright corrections.
Helping students become
better editors (cont.)
• Resist the urge to correct all
errors; make editing a
collaborative process.
• Group errors by type (e.g.
subject/verb agreement
errors, verb tense errors, etc.).
Helping students become
better readers
• Check out the handouts on
the SASS Tutoring Web page
A word about grades
• If a student receives a D or F
in an ESL class, he/she is
required to repeat the class.
• A student can receive a SASS
scholarship even if they fail a
class and need to repeat it.
Takeaway for today….
• Do your best with what
you have.
Part 4: Your role as
mentor and advocate
Help your student
advocate for herself
That means encouraging your
student to
• ask questions in class.
• ask questions after class.
• visit professors during office
hours.
• ask professors for feedback on
their performance.
Encourage your student to
communicate effectively
Use your tutoring sessions as a
reason to communicate via
• emails
• texts
• phone calls
Encourage your student to
take advantage of
available resources:
• Melissa, our Transition
Advisor
• Cañada counselors
• Cañada Learning Center
Enourage your student to
take advantage of
available resources (cont):
• Cañada Fitness Center/PE
classes
• Cañada Health Center
• Lowcost Internet ($10 a month
if a parent; see SASS Web site)
Encourage your student to
read!
• Both Redwood City and Menlo
Park have excellent libraries.
• All you need to get a library
card is proof of your address
(e.g. a bill).
• Help your student get a library
card and choose books.
Don’t be afraid to ask
leading questions:
• Why are you going to college?
• What do you want to be doing
in five years?
• What is your dream job?
Questions?
Comments from tutors?
Part 5: Conclusion
How to sign up
To sign up to become a SASS
tutor
• Go to the SASS Web Page,
www.SASSFoundation.net
• Go to For Tutors in the
Volunteer menu.
• Complete the online form.
How to sign up
On the form you can specify
• When you can tutor (provide as
many options as possible)
• Where you’d like to tutor
• Preferences (e.g. your
willingness to work with
students with limited education,
etc.)
How to sign up
On the sign-up form, please be
open to tutoring many
subjects, especially “Grammar
and Writing” and “Reading,
Listening, and Speaking.”
How to sign up
• Cañada classes start January
20th.
• Try to complete the online
form by Tuesday, January 12.
How to sign up
• Tutors will be assigned to
students on an ongoing basis.
• Some tutors will not be
assigned till mid-February,
when professors complete
students’ progress reports, or
later.
How to sign up
• If you don’t hear from us, it
probably means we didn’t
have a student available when
you are available.
• We’ll keep your name on file
until you tell us that you are
no longer interested.
Before your first session…
• A representative from SASS
will call to tell you that we
have matched you with a
student.
• If the time still works for you,
we’ll send you and your
student an introductory email.
Before your first session…
• Text or call your student to
introduce yourself and choose a
starting date and location.
• Text your student again the day
before your first session to remind
them to attend.
• For your first session, plan to meet
OUTSIDE your meeting place. It’s
easier to connect that way.
During your first session…
• Try to get to know your student
both to put the student at ease
and inform your teaching. (e.g.
Ask about family, how long
she’s been here, how much
education she’s had, etc.)
• Ask to see the class syllabus.
This will give you a better idea
of the professor’s expectations.
Before subsequent
sessions…
• Text or call your student to
remind them about the
session, at least for the first
few weeks.
Requests
• Communicate with me, both
successes and questions.
• Keep a rough count of how
many hours you tutor per
semester.
• Please answer SASS surveys
promptly.
• Zari!
Conclusion: Extra credit
• Check out student stories on
the SASS Web page.
• Like SASS on Facebook (Search
for Sequoia Adult School
Scholars, Facebook)
We need your help!
SASS’s 2016 budget is $140,000. We’re
now serving about 175 students. Funds
cover
• Text books
• Bus passes (Clipper cards)
• Parking passes
• GED tests
• Program administration (computer
distribution, tutoring program, student
orientations, etc.)
We need your help!
• There’s no connection
between tutoring and
donating.
• That said, we would greatly
appreciate your financial
support.
We need your help!
• Take an envelope, please!
• If you can’t donate today, take
it home and save it for a day
when your tutor inspires you.
We need your help!
We need volunteers to
• Help with our June 11 fundraiser, Sampling for Success
• Help administer the SASS
tutoring program
• Help with student events
Email me if you’re interested!
Thank you for your time and for
your interest in our students!