Working with Students

Effective Tutoring and Mentoring

• This training is geared towards volunteers working with students one-on-one in a tutoring or mentoring role

• While much of the information is relevant to all volunteers working with children, some strategies may not be appropriate for all settings or age levels

• Please check in with your mentor teacher about which strategies to use with students in a particular setting

You will learn… • Strategies for Connecting with Students• Build relationships and positive rapport which leads to

student success.

• Strategies for Tutoring• Help students gain independence through problem solving,

reasoning, and study skills.

• Strategies for Mentoring• Encourage students to create a positive future through

dreaming, goal-setting, and planning.

STRATEGIES FOR CONNECTINGBuild relationships and positive rapport which leads to student success.

Setting the tone

Getting started…

• Be friendly

• Make eye contact

• Introduce yourself

• Sit next to the student

• Ask about their day

• Ask how you can help

Forming a relationship

• Some students are easy to work with. They are positive, friendly, and ready to get to work right away.

• Some are more difficult to work with, and may require some “warm up” time before getting started.

A “tough nut to crack”

A struggling student might…

• Refuse to do the work

• “Check out”

• Be disruptive, shocking, or funny

• Say “I don’t need any help.”

• Say “I don’t get it”

• Say “I don’t care!”

Struggling students

may use defense

mechanisms to cope

with their feelings

and to protect

themselves from

failure or

embarrassment.

Challenging Students

• How will you feel if a student that you are trying to help acts this way towards you?

• Do they still need your help?

• What can you do to get through to them?

Building Trust

• Keep your commitments

• Be on time; call if you will be

late or unable to make it

• Follow through on what you say

• Have consistent expectations

• Model respectful behavior

• Encourage the student

• Be patient and persistent

Building trust is

the first step in

helping a student

to feel

comfortable

enough to work

with you.

Behavior Support

Do…

• Expect appropriate behavior

• Consider age and setting

• Redirect the student back to the

task at hand as often as necessary

• Offer encouragement and support

• Take a break when needed

• Ask for support

Don’t…

• Just allow bad behavior- this

doesn’t help the student learn

• Verbally criticize the student or

put them down – this breaks trust

• Punish the student - let the teacher

give consequences if needed

When Faced with Challenging Behavior….

Leave and Come Back

• Use this strategy when the behavior is not unsafe or distracting to others, but the student is not yet ready to work.

• If giving the student some time and encouragement doesn’t work, move on to getting behavior support from the teacher.

“Hey Joey, I really want to help you today, but I’m not sure that you’re ready to work yet.

I’m going to go check in with Chloe, and then I’ll come back to see if I can help you get started.”

Ask for support

“Abby really seems defiant today and refuses to do her work. I’ve tried to visit with her and get her focused, but she keeps saying rude things and throwing her pencil across the room at the other kids. Can you help?”

Safe Environment

• Our students, staff, and volunteers all deserve to work in a safe environment

• This includes both physical and emotional safety and freedom from harassment or bullying

• Threats of harm to self or others should be taken very seriously and reported

• Please report any safety concerns immediately to a staff member!

Positive Influence

Connecting with students can take time and patience.

Whether easy or challenging to work with, every student can benefit from relationships with positive and caring adults.

You are making a difference!

STRATEGIES FOR TUTORINGHelp students gain independence through problem solving, reasoning, and study skills.

Roadblocks

• Why might a student be struggling with school?

• What can we do to help them be successful?

• Will the same strategies work with every student?

Coaching Strategies

• Set the stage• Break it down• Address different learning styles• Give just enough help• Ask open-ended questions• Use tools• Narrow the field• Practice to mastery• Create a similar problem • Be creative!

What are some

strategies that

you can use to

help students

develop

knowledge and

thinking skills?

Set the stage

• Some students may need help organizing their space, time, and materials

• Have the student clear the work space of everything but what is needed for the assignment

• Adjust the environment to what works for the student, within reason

• Try working for a set time, then taking a quick break

Break it down

• An entire assignment (or multiple ones) can be overwhelming to a student

• Focusing on one thing at a time makes it more manageable

• Keep making it smaller and simpler until the student feels confident that they can do it

Different Learning Styles

How does the student learn the best? Try …

• Drawing a picture• Reading it aloud• Creating a chart or web• Reading and highlighting• Using objects• Using music or rhymes• Making it a game• Creating a model• Anything else that works!

Give just enough help

If the work is too hard for the student, give them just enough help so that they can figure it out on their own.

Don’t just tell them the answer!

You will be robbing them of the chance to think it out for themselves.

Ask open ended questions

Some examples…

• How did you get that answer?

• How do you think that character felt?

• How did that event change history?

• What happened first in the story?

• Which of those answers makes the most sense to you?

Ask open ended questions to

encourage higher level thinking and problem solving

skills.

Avoid yes/no or multiple choice questions when

possible.

Use Tools

• What tools do you use to find an answer or accomplish a task?

• Show the student how to use the tools and resources available to them.

• These may include scratch paper, index cards, a timer, a dictionary or thesaurus, a map, a Google search, or more!

Narrow the Field

If the student can’t find the answer they are looking for in the text, try “narrowing the field.”

Direct them to the page or paragraph where the answer is found and ask them to review it again.

Show the student how you used the index or scanned the text to narrow the field.

Practice to Mastery

• Practice until the student has a good handle on what he or she has learned

• Try to find an “attachment point” where students can add the new knowledge to existing knowledge or experiences

• The more fun and meaningful you can make it, the more memorable it will be

• Games, flashcards, songs, and rhymes can be good ways to practice facts that need memorized

Create a similar problem

If the student can’t

do the work

independently yet,

try creating a few

similar problems to

guide them through,

then let them do the

problem in their

assignment when

they are ready.

Get Creative!

• We have only shown you a few of the strategies that you can use to help students learn

• Each student is different in how they learn and are motivated

• Get creative and find a way to help students learn and feel successful

• Don’t forget to ask for support!

STRATEGIES FOR MENTORINGEncourage students to create a positive future through dreaming, goal-setting, and planning.

Looking Ahead

• What did you want to be when you were a child?

• Is that the career you ended up pursuing?

• How many different types of jobs have you had?

• What would you do differently to plan for your career if could go back and do it again?

Making the Connection

• School can be hard, and students need to know why they are there in the first place

• Looking ahead to the future can help students get motivated to succeed

• Look for natural opportunities to talk about future plans

What’s Next?

Dream Big

• It’s never too early for a student to start thinking about what they want their future to look like

• It’s never too late to get on the right track and pursue a meaningful and fruitful career

• All students may not have the role models or encouragement to dream big - that’s where you come in!

Share your story

• Hearing about your experiences in education and the workplace may help to inspire a student

• Share difficulties and

hardships along with successes!

• Encourage the student to succeed on his or her own path

Fighting Poverty

• Without education or training past the high school level, many students will be living at or below the poverty level

• Education makes the difference between a high or low paying job, or sometimes any job at all!

Show me the money!

• Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy food, shelter, and necessary items for self and family

• Education can mean the difference between working one enjoyable job, or 2-3 unpleasant ones

• Being honest with older students about the impact of their studies on their future income can help them to see their education as relevant

Unique Potential

• Each student will take a different path according to his or her interests, talents, and resources.

• Encourage each student to find the best future for his or her individual needs and assets

• Be careful to demonstrate respect for all people regardless of income level or occupation when talking with students about money and careers.

Multiple Careers

• Very few people will train for and perform one job in their lifetime

• Students today need to be prepared for multiple careers

• A good educational foundation will allow students to change and adapt to the needs of workforce

Invest in Self

• Encourage students to think of several careers they might enjoy

• Teach students to invest in self and build a diverse portfolio of skills, education, and resources

Personal Marketing

• Don’t forget to model professional and friendly demeanor and appearance

• Students should know that they may need to dress and speak differently in the workplace than in a casual environment

• Self confidence goes a long way towards personal success!

Make the connection

• Students may have limited experience with successful professionals or not know where to start

• You can help the student connect with college representatives, financial aid consultants, or mentors in their field

• Always work with staff when connecting students with individuals outside of the school

Thank You!!!

Your work connecting with students, helping them with their studies , and mentoring them for the future makes a positive difference in our community.