The 15 Commandments for Being a Great Peer Tutor
Dear Peer Tutors,
When tutoring, there are a couple guidelines to keep in mind. We must stay aware that we are a
tutoring center, not a fix-it shop. We want to focus on high level concerns such as thesis statements,
focusing on analysis rather than summary, and making sure paragraph and paper structures are
cohesive. Of course, it is hard to completely deter from correcting grammar and sentence level issues so
try not to neglect those either! This juggling act of what needs to be touched on within a short 30minute session can be somewhat overwhelming. So in order to lead the most productive session
possible, here are some things to keep in mind.
Please remember:
1.
Introduce yourself- set a friendly mood, make sure the student is not only comfortable within the
writing center but with you as his/her peer tutor for the next 30 minutes.
Example:
(John walks in)
Mark: Hi, are you here to be tutored?
John: Yeah.
Mark: If I can just have you fill out one of those green forms, one of us will take you to the
back shortly.
(John finishes filling out green form)
Mark: Alright, I’ll take that for you. My name is Mark by the way. What’s yours?
John: Hi, I’m John.
Mark: Nice to meet you. Is this your first time the center?
2. Remember that you’re a peer- the session is for informal, friendly help, not authoritative advice.
3. Don’t skip the basics- what’s the assignment and when is it due?
4. Ask lots of questions- you can’t have too much information.
Examples:
- What is the general idea of your thesis?
- What are you trying to accomplish with this paragraph?
- Why did you choose this particular source to prove your point?
- Which part of the summary of this novel pertains to your argument?
5. Don’t assume anything- the benefit of doing face-to-face tutoring is being able to ask a student
questions. If you are uncertain about anything, even if it is something small, it only takes a couple
seconds to get your question answered.

If the student isn’t able to answer it then there may be some larger concerns within what
you’re asking. It creates a great stepping-stone to helping the student figure out how to
better improve their paper.
Example:
Rachel: What was the main argument of this particular lecture? Your explanations seem a
little disconnected from the rest of the argument you’re making in this paragraph.
Katie: Umm, I think it had something to do with how Macduff uses Macbeth’s murder of his
wife and child as a motive for revenge. He knows it’s the right thing to do which is why he
makes up his mind to kill Macbeth.
Rachel: Where in the text did you get this?
Katie: Oh wait actually I think it was that it isn’t enough to just have a motive. He also has
to feel it sincerely to be able to do it.
Rachel: Ok I think we can make that work for your argument. Let’s look at the earlier
portion and see how we can better incorporate it.
6. Make sure you let the student decide how to proceed- whether to have you read the paper out loud,
read it out loud to him/herself, or have you read it silently and let the student know what you think.
Example:
Susan: We can do this a couple of different ways (explain the student’s options). So we can
do this however you feel the most comfortable.
Mary: Can you just read it silently and let me know what you think?
Susan: Yeah of course. Let me get started reading then.
7. Create a map or guide about how to proceed- there are a couple different ways you can accomplish
this- whether it’s making a physical outline, a mental guideline, or writing notes down for yourself,
it is simply a way to make sure you don’t get off track. This way you can keep in mind what the
student wants while focusing on the areas you believe the student needs help on.
8. Focus on student objectives but realize those objectives can change- keep an open mind and make
sure you know what the student wants. Sometimes a student will want you to only focus on
grammar. It is important to acknowledge the student’s needs but as you go through the paper, make
sure you are keeping an eye out for other issues that may pop up.
9. Avoid editing and prioritize higher order concerns- focus on larger ideas of the paper, the thesis, the
transitions from idea to idea, the structure of the paragraphs and paper as a whole, etc.
 Sometimes, however, remember that grammar is a higher order concern- if the language
and grammar is so incomprehensible that you can’t understand what the paper is trying to
say it would be foolish to only focus on the larger ideas. This session may seem like a
grammar workshop but if a student needs help on how to write cohesive sentences, then
the lesson you are about to give pertains to more than just the higher order concerns within
the specific paper.
10. Try your best to create student led sessions- keep in mind that the paper is the student’s and to not
take too much control.
 If you notice you’re doing one of the following, you are probably taking too much control:
- You are talking for the majority of the session.
- You are making more statements than you are asking questions.
- The student looks confused when you are talking- although you may be suggesting
something constructive, if the student is confused then your suggestion may have
strayed too far from what the student actually wants to say.
11. It’s ok to backtrack and correct yourself- don’t be afraid to look uninformed in front of a student.
It’s better to admit to making an honest mistake than to let the student think that false information
is correct. The student will appreciate your honesty and be relieved he/she will not include that
mistake in their final draft.
Example:
Jane: Oh, wait. I actually just remembered that when you cite something using APA style,
you’re supposed to use parentheses, the author followed by the year of production, and then
the page number. Sorry, I think I was still thinking MLA style. I don’t really use APA that
much.
Jamie: Oh ok.
Jane: We can also stop by outside on your way out and pick up a handout about the
different citation styles so you know for next time.
Jamie: Yeah that sounds great. Thank you.
12. Admit when you don’t know something- it is perfectly ok to not know exactly what the student is
trying to say in their paper if it’s a topic pertaining to something you’ve never studied before.
Asking for clarification will just show that you are invested in the paper and it will help you give the
student better advice.
Example:
Joe: Can you tell me why you chose to use this particular source? I haven’t taken a
Psychology class before and I’m not quite sure what that term means.
Steve: Oh, “Pavlov’s Experiment” is referring to how people can be conditioned to have
certain reactions through another source even when the original source is not present.
Joe: Oh, ok. The way that you just explained it was perfect. It only takes one sentence and it
allows the reader background knowledge. It makes your whole argument much stronger.
Steve: I see what you mean. Sometimes I forget because I’ve become so used to the terms
that I forget to define them.
 If the student has a question that you don’t know for sure what the answer is, refer to the
resources available to you:
- The kiosk in the waiting area of the Peer Tutoring Center.
- Sweetland website- http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc/studentservices/writingresources
 From here you can access the Purdue OWL, Harvard Writing Center, UM
Libraries Searchpath, UM Career Center, etc.
13. Generate a plan for revision after the student leaves the center- spend a minute or two at the end
of the session to make sure the student knows what to do in the future. Sometimes it may be hard
for the student to remember everything he/she needs to fix. By doing a quick run-through it ensures
you the student has a good idea of what to do in his/her own.
Example:
Richard: So do you have any more questions?
John: No I think I know what I need to do.
Richard: Let’s do a quick run-through of what we discussed.
John: Ok. So I need to work on coming up with a thesis that embodies everything I talk
about, try to summarize less, and make sure my ideas connected from paragraph-toparagraph.
Richard: Oh, and do you remember the sources part?
John: Oh yeah. Try to summarize less of the whole article and focus on the part that
actually pertains to my argument.
Richard: Ok good. I think we’re all set then.
14. Accomplish what you can in the time you have- you are not superheroes and nobody expects you to
thoroughly hit everything that needs work done in an 8-page paper. You only have 30 minutes!
 Don’t be afraid to tell a student that they are almost out of time. You can simply suggest
people to come back again if they feel like they need more help.
Example: When time’s getting closeKrissy: I know we still have a lot of your paper to discuss but we only have about 5 minutes
left. Is there anything in particular you want me to look at or do you want to just keep
going and see how far we get?
Maria: Can you just scan through it and check that all my ideas are cohesive?
Krissy: Sure. I’ll try to get through as much as I can but let’s just keep an eye on the clock.
Example: Wrapping up the sessionKrissy: Overall I think your paper is a good basis to work off of. You have the general ideas
down, you just need to fine-tune it. Do you have any last minute questions?
Maria: Yeah, only because we didn’t get to finish reviewing my paper. Can I come in again if
I have more questions?
Krissy: Of course! You’re welcome to come back in tomorrow if you want.
Maria: Oh, ok. That’s great.
Krissy: Now if you don’t mind, can we go to the back? You just have to fill out a quick
evaluation for me. I promise it won’t take more than a minute.
Maria: Yeah sure.
15. Have fun and keep it low key- this doesn’t have to be formal and lofty. Tutoring should be a great
experience for you as well as the student. If you stay relaxed and comfortable, the student will
naturally feel the same.
Overarching goals to keep in mind:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Remember how it feels to be tutored- this will help you stay down-to-earth and not to talk too
much like a professor. If a student wanted that they would go upstairs. Keep the peer-tutoring
center unique!
Try to stay within the time limit- you want to give every student the same opportunity. By giving
someone more time, you are cutting out time you could be spending helping someone else.
Remain confident and trust no 2 sessions are the same- the papers you will tutor are going to vary.
Some papers need more help than others. Though with some papers it might feels like you’re not
helping, just trust that you probably are!
Tutoring is not about adhering to one set standard or theory- it’s about finding a balance between
the tutor and student’s objectives.
Most importantly  better writers, not better papers!
So don’t panic. All you need is now in front of you. Keep these guidelines in mind and you’re sure to
have a satisfied student. Work hard and good luck!
Sincerely,
Sweetland Peer Tutoring Center
P.S. If you have any more questions or concerns, feel free to contact:
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Your SWC 300 Professor: ____________________________
Carrie Luke: clluke@umich.edu
PTAC (Peer Tutoring Advisory Committee): Max (maxbrown@umich.edu), Elizabeth
(eramus@umich.edu)