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Holland High School

Peer Tutor Training

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Holland High School

Table of ContentsGoals and Objectives Slides 3-4

Code of Ethics Slides 5-7

Qualities of Good Tutor Slides 8-13

Ways We Learn Slides 14-17

Tutoring Do’s Slides 18-22

Tutoring Don’ts Slides 23-24

Communications Slides 25-29

Tips for Tutors Slides 30-36

Review Slides 37-39

Benefits for Tutors Slides 40-41

References Slides 42-43

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Goals & Objectives

The goal of this course:• provide training to build skills which can be used

to assist students wanting to improve in their performance academically and to become better students.

• Improve and reinforce one’s knowledge and skills, and in turn build self-confidence and self-esteem for both tutor and tutee.

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Goals & Objectives

• provide overall academic support in a variety of subjects for students needing assistance

• create a personal supportive environment and peer relationship where learning can best take place

• bolster the students’ self-image and self-confidence, providing as many successful experiences as possible

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Code of Ethics

• My major motivation is building the students self-confidence.

• My student deserves and will receive my total attention.

• I must be able to admit my own weaknesses and will seek assistance whenever I need it.

• I must accept each individual student without judgment out of respect for my student’s personal dignity.

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Cont.. code of ethics

• My student will constantly be encouraged but never insulted.

• I will strike for a mutual relationship of openness and honesty.

• I will not impose my personal value system or lifestyle on my student.

• I will do my best to be punctual to class and as an example for my student to follow.

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Cont…code of ethics

• I will maintain my journal as expected and required.

• My ultimate tutoring goal in my students independence.

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Qualities of a Good Tutor

Sensitivity

Patience

Compassion

Caring

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Be Sensitive

• Be sensitive to the unique needs of your student. • Try to understand the needs of your student. • Put your student at ease; create a welcome

feeling; and get to know him/her on a personal level.

• Realize that your student may be embarrassed to ask for help.

• Remember, we all need help at some time in our lives.

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Be Patient

• Be patient with your students. This could possibly be the greatest challenge of all.

• You cannot undo in one or two sessions all the bad habits, doubts and attitudes that have evolved through the student’s experience. It may take some time to see progress.

• You may be challenged to devise various methods of instruction, based on learning styles. Be aware that we all learn at different rates and by different methods.

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Be Compassionate

• Accept your peer-student as a person. • Be willing to become committed wholeheartedly

to acceptance of your student. • Be empathetic. Attempt to feel what your peer-

student is feeling: the frustration, the sense of failure or the joy of accomplishment .

• A non-judgmental attitude is essential to successful tutoring.

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Care about your students…

• Believe in his/her ability to learn the material. • Show you care.• Get enthused.• Share experiences. • And most important of all remember to…..

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Smile

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Learning styles…

• How an individual can concentrate absorb, or retain new or different information or skills.

• • There are three major types• Visual• Auditory• Kinesthetic

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Major Learning Styles

•Identify your style

•Learn about your style

•Understand your style

Take the survey yourself and then give to your tutee

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Remember this!

• Find your tutee’s style.

• Use the style to help him/her get to deeper understanding of the content.

• Use the other styles for variation and to keep the session “alive.”

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Multiple Intelligence

• Instead of having one intelligence, we have several to help us understand and learn. Knowing and using your more dominate intelligences, will help your learning.

• Take the multiple intelligence survey:

The more you know about the way you and your tutee learn, the better the tutoring experience.

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Tutoring Do’s

• Introduce yourself• Honesty: say that you do not know about a

particular problem and get help.• Enthusiasm: if a tutor does not display a

love for the subject then we cannot expect the student to enjoy it.

• Come with a positive attitude … it will rub off on your students.

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Tutoring Do’s

• Hard work: make sure you stay dedicated and work to help your students.

• Listening: develop good listening skills so that you can understand students. misconceptions and errors.

• Willingness

• Maintain academic standards.

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Tutoring Do’s

• Good questioners: ask students questions in order to understand what their need may be.

• Encourage independence: You do not want to foster dependence on you. Our goal is for each student to be able to successfully accomplish his/her goals.

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Tutoring Do’s

• Patience: Never act annoyed that a student does not know or understand something, even when you are questioned about how “you” do it.

• Maintain confidentiality: Keep any personal information between you, your supervisor, and your student!

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Tutoring Don’ts

• Do not assume the role of the instructor.• Do not think of yourself as the dispenser of all

truth and knowledge. Treat students as equals. If they want to know about your “upper level” courses, they will ask.

• Do not judge someone’s ability or intellect based on appearance or age.

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Tutoring Don’ts

• Do not let one student monopolize all of your time. Our goal is to enable students to “make it on their own.

• Do not allow your students to just “scrape by.” Challenge them to reach for grades better than a “C”.

• Do not work the students’ assignments for them! Explain math and grammar rules, assist students to generate their own ideas.

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Tutoring Don’ts

• Do not introduce content from your upper level classes as a means to deeper understanding. Stick as close as possible to the course content and what you know of how the teacher presents the material.

• Do not portray lackadaisical methods and attitudes. They discourage students from asking you for help.

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Communications

• Active Listening:-Not only are you expected to know what the student brings to you, but you should also be able to explain it in a way that the student can immediately understand.- Active listening demonstrates respect by giving the student your undivided

attention. The makes the student feel important and communicates positive nonverbal signals such as

• EYE CONTACT• POSTURE• BODY LANGUAGE

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Communication

• Active Listening:

-Remember that how you ACT is often just as important as what you are

tutoring or saying.

-If you are doing most of the talking, something is WRONG!

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Communication

• Paraphrasing- Paraphrasing communicates accurately what is heard by reflecting what is said. Organize the

tutees’ remarks into one concise statement involves listening to the tutees’ own concerns and then summarizing the problem . Hopefully providing clarity for the tutee.– “What I hear you saying is . . .”– “You sound . . “– “It seems to me what you are saying is . . .”– “It sounds to me like . . . “

-Often when we summarize, the student has the chance to “review” what has been said.

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Watch for Nonverbal Cues

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Watch for Nonverbal Cues

Body language can tell you much about how the session is going.

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Tips for Tutors

• Of course, BE FRIENDLY! Put the student at ease. No one can learn well when they are nervous.

• Stay on target - accomplish what you came to do.• Attempt to explain information in a variety of

ways.– REMEMBER - Learning Styles, we all learn in

our own “special” way - know the learning style of your student.

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Tips for Tutors

• Don’t do your student’s homework for him/her. Students usually come with a list of questions. Look at student notes. They may contain errors that students have already memorized and make sure the notes are organized.

• Watch your peer-student at work .You may be able to catch processing errors or assist in acknowledging where mistakes happen.

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Tips for Tutors

• Don’t be quick to correct student errors . Have students explain answers, Right or Wrong. Often students answer questions other than the one you thought you asked.

• Find ways to liven up the course material for the tutoring session.

• Observe the students’ written work and their attitudes toward errors. Students often know more than they have the courage to show. .Perhaps out of the fear of being wrong!

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Tips for Tutors

• Recognize that many students come to you to learn more about their courses, and not necessarily because they are failing. They may come because they have to. Help tutees understand that not everything is bad because your helping them improve their grades.

• Never criticize a teacher, even by implication. You can “grump” about the book or topic. But leave personalities out of it!

STAY POSITIVE!!!!

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Tips for Tutors

• Try to create an atmosphere that is good for study. This does not always mean that you have to whisper. An adult conversation acknowledges your willingness to help as well as your interest in the individual student.

• Be supportive and encouraging.• Don’t bluff. If you don’t know the answer, admit

it. Do not be ashamed. Go for assistance. It may take no more than just a quick review of the student’s textbook!

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Beginning a Tutoring Session

• Greet the student when you first meet him/her and ask if help is needed.

• It is OK to socialize the first few minutes of the session in order to provide a relaxed, comfortable environment.

• Ask questions about the class in which they may need help.

• Be aware of students’ needs other than academic ones.– Student may have disabilities

• Learning• Physical• Psychological, Emotional• Personal - Economic, Financial, Family, Etc.

• Set goals for the session whenever possible.• Have an idea of what you are going to do before the next

tutoring session.

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Ending a Tutoring Session

• Know when to end a tutoring session.• End session on a positive note.• Make your student feels good about something

that he/she accomplished during the session.• Assess and review what you and your tutee have

accomplished during the session before you leave.

• Advise the tutee with strategies for working independently.

• Remind your student that “help” is available if further assistance is needed.

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Review Guidelines

• The ultimate goal of a tutor is to help students help themselves!

• Interpersonal tips– Know the student’s name.

– Be relaxed and friendly.

– Provide “learning” environment.

• Concentrate on strengths– Encourage student toward increasing

expectations.

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Review Guidelines

• Technical Tips– Come prepared to work.– Begin where the tutee feels comfortable.– Check to make sure problem is copied correctly.– Read word problems out loud.– Tutor . . . don’t teach.– Do not do student’s work for them.– Help students find their own errors.– When possible, have student explain answers.– Listen . . . Listen . . . Listen !!!– Be creative in your approach toward each individual

student.

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Practical Application

Practice what you have learned!!!

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Peer Tutoring Works Both Ways

While peer tutoring programs typically recognize the impact on the tutees, there are benefits for the tutors also.

In helping others, tutors reinforce their knowledge and skills, in turn building self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Other Benefits of Peer Tutoring for Tutors

• Improved attitudes toward school.• Promotes helping of others.• More understanding of the learning process.• Responsibility is fostered.

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Reference

• Tips To Tutors - Content www.academic_support/guidelines.html

• University of North Carolinawww.ucae.uncc.edu/tssi/documents/tutsign.html

• Learning and Teaching Resource Centrewww.ltrc.edu.polyu.edu.hk/student02_1.html

• Glendale Community Collegewww.english.glendale.cc.ca.use.sd150.html

• http://www.howtostudy.org/resources.php• Becoming a Master Student, Ellis: 11th Edition 2005,

Houghton Mifflin Company

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References • Middle Tennessee State University – Tutor Training Handbook

www.mtsu/~smcdanie/ACA_3000F/TutorTrainingHandbook.htm• University of Idaho at Lewis-Clark

www.educ.uidaho.edu/bestpractices/training.html• University of California – authors David Hammer / Ann D. Holley

www.home.att.net/%7Etmjordan/academic_support.tips.htm• National Association of Tutorial Services – Code of Ethics

www.home.att.net/%7Etmjordan/academic_support/tr_guide.htm• Mercer University – Academic Resource Guide

http://faculty,mercer,edu/simmerman_jj/TutorTraining/procedures• City College of San Francisco

www.ccsf.edu/Services/LAC/lern10/introtutor.html• Clayton State University – Morrow, GA

www.adminservices.clayton.edu/caa/tutoring/becomingatutor.htm• Duke University – Peer Tutoring Program

www.aaswebsv.aas.duke.edu/skills/PTPwebsite/policies.html• Pasadena City College

www.pasadeena.edu/studentservices/lac/tutor-train.cfm• The Master Tutor, McDonald, R. 2nd Edition, Cambridge Stratford, Limited, 2000, Williamsville,

New York ISBN: 0-935-637-27-3