Dahlia Goldsmith
Learning Center Coordinator
Required
Hours Training
Modes
of Training
Topics
Tutor
includes
experience
Tutor
selection
Participants should be able to:
 Definite Tutoring and Tutor Responsibilities
 Know the Basic Tutoring Guidelines
 Use Techniques for Successfully Beginning and
Ending a Tutor Session
 Set Goals and Plan
 Understand the Basic Tutoring Do’s & Don’ts
 Know the Importance of Role Modeling
 Communicate effectively
 Demonstrate Active Listening & Paraphrasing
 Apply Positive reinforcement
 Be in compliance with the Ethics & Philosophy
of the Tutor Program

 Tutoring
is a practice where instruction is
provided to individuals or small groups.
 The
purpose of tutoring is to produce
independent learners.
 By
helping a student help themselves or
assist or guide to the point of that they no
longer need a tutor.
 The
purpose of tutoring is to help students
help themselves, or to assist or guide them
to the point at which they become an
independent learner, and thus no longer need
a tutor.
 Content
knowledge is an essential ingredient
for a tutor; however, to be truly effective, a
tutor must combine content knowledge with
empathy, honesty and humor.

A successful tutor demonstrates a caring attitude.

Caring consists of being organized for the tutoring
session, being punctual,

Establishing a learning relationship with the
student,

Developing unique teaching strategies, and
becoming familiar with the learning

Ultimately tutoring is sharing yourself with another
student in a way that makes a difference in both
lives. Mutually beneficial

What are some Characteristics of a GOOD TUTOR??/
Positive Outlook: The belief that things can be
changed through action.

Desire to Help: The willingness to assist others
without hesitation.

Empathy: The ability to feel what another person
is feeling.

Even Disposition: Patience, gentleness,
understanding and fairness.

Open Mind: A willingness to accept other people
and their point of view.

 Initiative:
The ability to assess what needs
to be done and to act on it.

Enthusiasm: A liking for your subject, and
a wish to share it with others.
 Reliability:
Punctual, dependable, steady.

Learn the student's name and some background
information so that you have an idea of his/her needs.

Be friendly. Show the student you are interested in him/her
as a person.

Don't criticize. Try to keep a positive attitude. If necessary,
teach and re-teach a concept.

Believe in the student's ability or potential. Help build up
his/her self-image -- she/he can do it; however, do not
complete the student's work.

Be sensitive to the student's needs, anxieties, and
frustrations.
Patience is a virtue.


Respect you student. Don't pre-judge him/her -not making assumptions about his/her level of
ability.

Be aware of student's progress and his/her interest
(or lack thereof) in the subject or in the tutorial
session.
Try to increase the student's confidence. Build on
his/her success, praising improvements.


Know your subject, but don't be afraid to ask
another tutor for help. We are all here to work
together and help each other. We all make
mistakes. Both you and the student can learn from
them
 Ask
direct questions. In order to help
ensure the student understands.
the student take the lead and have
him/her explain to you. Many times the
student has an answer or at least part of
an answer, but they don't realize.
 Let
 Be
aware of your own listening skills.
Listen to your student! Find out his/her
needs or ideas.

Repeat and review material on a regular basis
to help ensure clarity and understanding.
Try to give clear and concise explanations.
 Confidentiality!


Try not to pick up a pencil during the tutoring
session. Require the tutee to do all the
writing, even if you must tell them what to
write step by step.

Try to limit tutoring sessions to 60 minutes, so
that other students will also be served.
Adapted from *State Technical Institute at Memphis’ Do’s and Don’ts of Tutoring

Assisting students can be a mutually enjoyable and beneficial experience
. These tips, suggested by other tutors, have been found helpful. You
will find them helpful as you test and modify them to fit your own
tutoring strategies.

Relax and Be Yourself
You have been selected to tutor because you have the qualities which will
make you a positive role model for your tutees. Remember that you are
tutoring a fellow student. While your student may have a weakness in
one subject area, you may have a weakness in another area. Nobody
knows it all!

Establish Rapport
Learn your tutee’s name and be friendly and sincere in your efforts to
understand your tutee as a person. Find out what his/her interests are as
well as what kind of academic help he/she needs. Create an atmosphere
of mutual confidence and trust.

Respect Your Tutees
Be nonjudgmental, accepting his/her personal integrity
without trying to manage or change him/her to suit your
own value system. Try for an equal status, non-patronizing
relationship.

Maintain Confidentiality
Be Professional! Information gained about tutees’
disabilities, problems, test grades, scores, etc., is strictly
confidential.

Be Sensitive
Be particularly sensitive to the existence of emotional or
psychological problems. Your student’s performance may
be affected by personal circumstances. It is not your role
to handle these problems. Do, however, bring them to the
attention of the appropriate Manager
Be Flexible
 Remember that the style and content of the material to be
learned should be adjusted to the individual being assisted.

Be Patient
 Never act annoyed or impatient with a student’s progress or
lack of it. Learning is the task at hand. Your annoyance may
remind student of previous negative educational experiences.




The Tutee, NOT you should be doing most of the talking.
Study your tutee for verbal and non-verbal clues.
Listen carefully to all messages that he/she is sending.






Be a Good Coach
Rather than feeding answers, question or prompt your
student to be active in the tutoring process. Engage
him/her in joint exploration of problems and concerns
Be a Good Explainer
What is obvious to you may not be obvious to your tutee.
Communicate at his/her level, be clear in your
instructions, answer questions, use examples, diagrams or
illustrations, and repeat information.
Encourage Your Tutee to Focus on Learning How to
Learn
Help your student develop mental processes and study
skills rather than seeking only answers.


Have Confidence in Yourself
Know your own strengths and weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and
guidance if you need to. Don’t hesitate to say that you don’t know the answer.
Enlist the assistance of your tutee in finding the answer. Tutees will be
pleased to know that you are human too!







Share Your Experience and Knowledge
Confer with other peer tutors about particular techniques that work. Seek and give
advice regarding tutoring techniques and tips. Sharing similar problems and
challenges can be very productive.
Be Informative Without Being Intimidating
Resentment closes down communication. Help the student understand what is
expected of him/her. Show how individual assignments fit into the overall logic and
scheme of the subject.
Be Positive
Your student may have had little success in school and needs positive, rewarding
experiences. Give him/her feedback concerning abilities and attitudes of which
he/she may not be aware.







Encourage IndependenceDon’t become a “crutch.” Your student
must be aware at all times that you are not there to do his/her
work. Let your student know that in order to benefit from
tutoring, he/she must do assignments, study individually, and
think independently; otherwise, your efforts make no difference.
Always Be on Time
If you are late, students may begin to doubt the sincerity of your
concern for helping him/her.
Set the Same Standards
Set the same standards of effort for the tutees that you assist, as
you would have for any other student. Avoid lowering standards
or adopting a condescending attitude toward a student because
you think the student “can’t do it.” Do not allow your student to
just get by.
Tutor on Each Student’s Level
Begin tutoring at a level well within the grasp of your tutee. This
will provide an atmosphere of success and will foster a setting
that will build the student’s confidence and establish a one-toone working relationship.




Indicate Right or Wrong Answers
Do not show disapproval or discouragement you may
feel when your student gives wrong answers.
Criticism can destroy self-confidence. Rather,
question the student about his/her thinking that led
to the wrong answer and jointly work through the
material to reach the correct answer.
How to Arrive At Answers
Make sure the tutee understands how you arrive at
answers. If the tutee understands how you have
arrived at an answer, he/she will be able to use a
similar thought process. Give the tutee a similar
example and ask him/her to “think aloud” so that
you can determine the thinking process used.






Be Creative and Imaginative
Look for ways to motivate students and include
him/her in the activity. Do not hesitate to use
innovative practices of successful tutoring. There is
no right way in tutoring. You will develop methods
that work. Any method that works for your student is
the right way to tutor. What may work for one
student; however, may not work for another.
End on a Positive Note
Always end a tutoring session on a positive note.
Encourage the tutee to come back when more help is
needed.
Keep Accurate Records
You are responsible for ensuring that students sign in
and sign out appropriately.





Adapted from *State Technical Institute at Memphis' Do's and Don'ts of Tutoring
Don't Be Quick To Judge
Many of the students being tutored have been
judged in the past according to stereotypes of
character, ability, and intelligence. Avoid
perpetuating this pattern.
Don't Assume the Role and Responsibility of an
Instructor
Your job is to help the instructor, not replace
him/her. You should NEVER criticize a student's
instructor or make negative comments about the
instructor to the student. Do not agree with the
student if he/she makes negative statements about
the instructor. This is nonproductive activity.







Don't Do Your Tutee's Assignments
Your responsibility is to assist the tutee with
concepts necessary to complete his/her class
assignments.
A tutor should never do another student's work.
Don't Be Afraid To Admit To the Tutee That You Do
Not Know an Answer
Be honest and tell the tutee that you don't know
the answer; however, find the answer and then
respond to the tutee as soon as possible.
Don't Wait for a Student to Ask for Help!
Actively seek out those who need your assistance
 So
Why Set an Agenda?
 An agenda helps you to break down a task
into manageable pieces for the tutee.
Smaller tasks do not overwhelm the tutee
as well as being much easier to work with
and learn.
 An agenda lets the tutee see what will be
covered in a logical progression.
 Finally, be honest with the tutee. Don't
give the tutee unreal expectations. On the
other hand, don't discourage your tutee.
 Setting
Up Your Session
 Remember the Clock
 Your next hurdle is remembering to keep
your time limits in focus set up your session
at the beginning, continually monitor its
progress, and wrap up your session with a
final summary.
 Monitoring the Session Once the schedule
has been set, it is both the tutor and
tutee's responsibility to keep this schedule on
task and to alter it if necessary

Adapted from California State Polytechnic University's Intranet Web Site on Tutor Training

Scenario: You meet with a tutee for the very first time. He/she
needs help with algebra. You've set up a good environment for
tutoring, and the introductions have been made. You've done
everything perfectly up to this point.

Now you turn to your tutee and say, "Okay, let's start off by
simplifying complex fractions.

"HELLO! Unless you're some kind of a mind reader, how do you
know what your tutee needs help with? Maybe your tutee is
proficient at complex fractions. Maybe he or she needs help
with exponents.

Let's assume that you got lucky and your tutee was having
problems with complex fractions. Where is the session
headed? How are complex fractions going to be addressed?







I. The Beginning of a Session
Be open, friendly, and genuinely interested in your
tutee.
Ask your tutee's name.
Decide upon a tutorial plan of action for the
session, by asking what the tutee would like to
work on.
Always involve your tutees by expecting and
requiring them to actively participate. Have your
tutees do as much of the assigned tasks as possible.
Do not do the work for them. Instead, guide them
to discover the answers or solutions on their own.
Ask probing questions instead of questions that can
be answered with a "yes" or "no."
Make sure that the student signs in appropriately
 Greeting

Your Tutees
Adapted from California State Polytechnic University's Intranet Web Site
on Tutor Training
 When
tutoring, it's your job to make
your tutees feel comfortable. Greetings
and introductions are a great way to
accomplish this. Your greeting will vary
from tutee to tutee, particular in the
case of a new tutee. Some guidelines
for both cases are presented below.
 Greeting
Tutees You Have Tutored Before
 A simple "Hello" followed by a little small
talk is all that is required before beginning
a session with a tutee that you have
worked with before.
 Keep the chit chat to a minimum, but talk
enough to make your tutee comfortable.
 Keep in mind that the average tutoring
session lasts about 60 minutes, so don't
waste valuable tutoring time with
unnecessary idle talk.
 Greeting
New Tutees
 If this is your first time with the tutee, you
should start with a brief introduction. Tell
the tutee your name. Find out what
course the student is taking and any other
pertinent information before beginning the
session.






II. The End of a Session
Always end on a positive note.
Help the tutee paraphrase the information
reviewed in the session. If time allows, clear up
any questions regarding course content just
covered in the session.
Speak to the tutor supervisor if you think you are
having a problem that involves the tutees. If it is
not possible to speak immediately with the
supervisor do so as soon as possible. Deal with
issues as they occur. Do not let a small problem
become a big one.
Make sure that the student signs out appropriately.
Encourage the student to come back.
 Ending
the Tutoring Session:
 Do not just say "good-bye" when the
session is over. You should:
 Positively assess the work that was done
during the session.
 Give assignments if appropriate.
 Re-schedule for another session.
 Do any necessary tutor paperwork.
 Always end the session with a positive
comment.









The Final Summary
About 5-8 minutes before the end of your session, you
should begin to wrap things up. Following are some
guidelines to go by:
Remind the tutee of the time.
Ask the tutee to summarize what he/she
accomplished during the session. (If he/she left out any
main points, re-iterate these for him/her).
Ask the tutee to repeat any instructions/assignments
you may have given him/her.
Give earned reinforcements.
Thank the tutee for using the tutoring service.
Encourage the tutee to practice any skills learned in the
session.
Ask if the tutee wishes to schedule a subsequent
appointment
 What
If There's Really Not Enough Time?
 You have 10 minutes before you are off duty
and a tutee walks in ready and eager to get
started. Should you rush ahead and try
to cover as much as possible in that 10
minutes?
 Probably not, because doing so will only
serve to get both of you excited and
possibly frustrated. It is best to explain that
most sessions take around 45 minutes to an
hour. Give the student a schedule of your
tutoring times and times for other tutors.
Referring to Other Resources
 This is also a prime opportunity to refer tutees
to other resources in “The LEARNING
Center”. For example, if the tutee needs help
with Equations, refer him/her to the video tapes
or math software. In 10 minutes, you should
have more than enough time to set up
the equipment or open the software and explain
how it is used
 . Remember, you are not the only resource
available to your tutees. During your first few
weeks on duty, please spend your free
time going through the available TLC resources
and materials.


Somebody To Be Copied

Worthy Person, A Good Example For Other People

Tutor /Tutee – Look Up To; Aspire

Credibility

Professional

Benchmark /Mentor

Practice What You Preach.
 Communication
is the process of transferring
information from a sender to a receiver with
the use of a medium in which the
communicated information is understood by
both sender and receiver.
 Verbal

, non verbal and written
Communication is defined as a process by
which we assign and convey meaning in an
attempt to create shared understanding.
 You
never get a second chance to make a
First impression .
 Make
your first meeting with your tutee a
positive one.
 Be
consistent in BODY VOICE AND WORDS

Initiate Eye Contact

Listen With Your Body (Nod, Smile)

Non Verbal Messages Powerful Forms Of
Communication

Establish A Good Rapport By Listening Patiently

Give A Open Inviting Posture

Observe The “Wait Time”

Handling Right & Wrong Answers.
 Establish
 Ask
Tutee Where They Are Having Problems.
 Using
 And
Foundation
The Right Questions
Choice Of Words
 Waiting
For An Answer Is Also Important
 Listening:
An Important Communication
Skill for Tutors
 What
 The
is Listening?
act of making an effort to hear
something or pay attention to.

It is not just taking in the sound waves, or hearing, but it is also
watching the speaker to see what you might be able to glean
from watching them.

And the second dimension of listening is concentrating on what's
coming your way: Paying attention. Now this is the key to good
listening. It's not only the key to good listening, but it's the most
difficult part of listening.

And the third dimension of listening is hashing over what we have
heard: relating it, correlating it, integrating it, synthesizing it
with what we already know and have in our minds, giving it
meaning to us and relevance to our minds.

Now, for tutors, what is it that you should be listening for. First of
all, and most obviously, you should be listening to what the
student is asking you or saying to you. But secondly, you should
also be listening between the lines.

Be a good listener yourself. Really listen to them before
you speak to them. It's kind of like a doctor. the doctor
has to find out exactly what your situation or symptoms
are before he or she can really prescribe for you what
needs to be done to treat your particular malady
(ailment or affliction).

Listen well then, so you won't waste your time and
theirs. Listen for what they're really trying to
communicate to you. The real message comes from the
heart, not necessarily from the head.

Silence
Don't try to talk all the time during these tutoring
sessions. The more infrequently you talk, the greater
the likelihood that these people will really listen to
you.

Don't Anticipate Questions!
 And whatever you do, don't anticipate questions
and actually try to answer them before the
student gets finished asking them. You may miss
the actual question that is coming, and if you do
anticipate it correctly but go ahead and answer
it before they actually get through asking it, that
may be very intimidating to the tutee.
 So be polite, listen to their questions or
comments fully, then you may have to ask them
further questions to make sure that you
understand theirs.
 Remember to be kind as well as encouraging


Listening Between the Lines

Now what do I mean by listening between the lines? It's kind of like
reading between the lines. If somebody is asking us a question, they
may, by their tone of voice, or by how they phrase the question, give
some evidence of a misunderstanding or a total lack of understanding.
They may not even ask the question properly.
 And thirdly, we need to listen for what they don't say. Sometimes
they are asking completely the wrong questions, or they're leaving out
the real crux (essence or basis) of the concept
So we need to be extremely attentive in listening. We also need to
watch their body language and their facial expressions. They may
actually need deeper or more fundamental help than the question that
they happen to be asking at the time. It may go deeper than what they
are actually asking.
What we really need to do in working with these
tutees is to indulge empathetic listening. These
people are in need of help. There is probably
involved here some anxiety, i.e. they're anxious,
or they probably wouldn't be there to start with.
We need to try to make them feel at ease, and
one good way to do this is to listen very
attentively and actively to what they have to
say.
 This will help put them at ease, if you give them
your undivided attention. Also try not to talk
down to them. Come to where they are. Come to
their position or level of understanding and start
from there and bring them along with you.

Your tutees will need you to notice their successes
as well as their mistakes. That's where
reinforcements come in.
 When using positive reinforcement make sure to
reinforce improvement without over-exaggerating
the student's gain. The more specific you are about
the gain, the better.
 Positive Reinforcement
 Verbal
 "Good job on ______!"
 "You are really doing much better with _____!"
 "I like the way you did __!"
 "This looks better than the last time."
 "You have really been working hard at this. I
am proud of your effort."
 "All right!"

 Nonverbal
 Use
facial expressions--smile, look
surprised.
 Nod your head.
 High-five or give the thumbs up
sign.
 Reinforcements help the tutee have a
sense of accomplishment, provide a
reward, and give tutees an incentive
to do more After all, you noticed
.
 Use
To Motivate /Inspire
 Build
Self Esteem
 Show
Progression
 Road
To Independence- Confidence
Subject proficiency and knowledge have top
priority in my task as a tutor.
 My major motivation is building the student’s selfconfidence.
 My student deserves and will receive my total
attention.
 The language my student and I share must be
mutually understandable at all times.
 I must be able to admit my own weaknesses and
will seek assistance whenever I need it.
 Respect for my student’s personal dignity means I
must accept that individual without judgment.
 My student will constantly be encouraged but
never insulted by false hope or empty flattery.

I
will strive for a mutual relationship of openness
and honesty as I tutor.
 I will not impose my personal value system or life
style on my student.
 Both the student and I will always understand my
role is never to do the student's work.
 I will count on my student to also be my tutor and
teach me ways to do a better job.
 I will be punctual and I will maintain tutoring
session logs.
 Keep appointments.
I
will do my best to stay informed of the
current literature about tutoring as it relates
to my work.
 Good tutoring enables the student to transfer
learning from one situation to another.
 Making learning real for the student is what
tutoring means, and therefore, is an
important part of my goal.
 My ultimate tutoring goal is my student’s
independence