PRESENTATION FOR CRLA LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATION Dahlia Goldsmith Learning Center Coordinator

Required Hours Training REQUIREMENTS Required Hours Training Modes of Training Topics includes Tutor experience Tutor selection

OBJECTIVE 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

Definition of Tutoring 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.

Tutor Responsibilities 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.

Tutor Responsibilities 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

Tutor Responsibilities 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.

Tutor Responsibilities 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.

Basic Tutoring Guidelines 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.

Basic Tutoring Guidelines 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

Basic Tutoring Guidelines Ask direct questions. In order to help ensure the student understands. Let 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. Be aware of your own listening skills. Listen to your student! Find out his/her needs or ideas.

Basic Tutoring Guidelines 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.

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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.

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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.  

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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.

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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.

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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-to- one working relationship.

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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.

BASIC TUTORING DO’S 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.

Basic Tutoring Donts Don't Be Quick To Judge 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.

Basic Tutoring Donts 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

SETTING GOALS & PLANNING 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 GOALS & PLANNING 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

SETTING GOALS & PLANNING 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?

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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.

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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.

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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.

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor 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.

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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.

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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.

Techniques for STARTING and ENDING a tutor session 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.

Role Modeling 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. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT ;EFFECTIVE TUTOR CREDIBILTY

Communication skills 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.

Communication skills 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

Communication skills 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.

Communication skills Establish Foundation Ask Tutee Where They Are Having Problems. Using The Right Questions And Choice Of Words Waiting For An Answer Is Also Important

Active Listening & Paraphrasing Listening: An Important Communication Skill for Tutors What is Listening? The act of making an effort to hear something or pay attention to.

Dimensions of Listening 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 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.

LISTENING SKILLS 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 SKILLS They may not even ask the question properly. 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.

LISTENING SKILLS 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.

Positive Reinforcement 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!"

Positive Reinforcement 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

Positive Reinforcement Use To Motivate /Inspire Build Self Esteem Show Progression Road To Independence- Confidence

Compliance with the Ethics & Philosophy of Tutor Program Subject proficiency and knowledge have top priority in my task as a tutor. My major motivation is building the student’s self- confidence. 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.

Compliance with the Ethics & Philosophy of Tutor Program 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.

Compliance with the ethics & philosophy of tutor program 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

Commitment