Theory and Practice of

Peer TutoringTutor Session Cycle

Tutor Dos and Don’ts

Jennifer ZimmermanAssistant Director

Academic Resource CenterMercer University

http://faculty.mercer.edu

1. Welcome

2. Task Breakout

3. Solution Process

4. Concept Review

5. Next Step

Welcome

TaskBreakout

SolutionProcess

ConceptReview

Next Step

Identify

Prompt

Assure

Confirm

Comfortablein

Tutor Roles

StrongInterpersonal

Skills

SubjectMatter

Expertise

PersonalCommitment

Authority

Model

Guide

Mentor

Coach

Welcome• IDENTIFY

Name and area of expertise

•PROMPTTutee’s name and expectations

•ASSURESession guidelines

•CONFIRMInterest in helping

Task Breakout• IDENTIFY

Task

•PROMPTBreakout into steps

•ASSUREEach step small enough to solve

•CONFIRMSteps head in the right direction

Solution Process• IDENTIFY

Method

•PROMPTApplication to problem

•ASSURECorrect process and results

•CONFIRMSummary of process

Concept Review• IDENTIFY

Underlying concept

•PROMPTHow concept relates to method

•ASSUREBroader connections to be made

•CONFIRMAbility to repeat process

Next Step• IDENTIFY

Next step

•PROMPTResources required

•ASSUREAvailability of further tutoring

•CONFIRMTentative plan for next step

•IDENTIFYComfortable in tutor roles

•PROMPTStrong interpersonal skills

•ASSURESubject matter expertise

•CONFIRMPersonal commitment

Welcome

TaskBreakout

SolutionProcess

ConceptReview

Next Step

Identify

Prompt

Assure

Confirm

Comfortablein

Tutor Roles

StrongInterpersonal

Skills

SubjectMatter

Expertise

PersonalCommitment

Authority

Model

Guide

Mentor

Coach

Training Modules Policies and procedures Tutoring ethics Multicultural issues Special populations Learning styles Time management Test-taking Coping with anxiety Critical thinking/Bloom’s

taxonomy/questioning techniques

Goal setting (helping tutees gain perspective)

Motivation and active learning Research techniques,

secondary sources and evaluating websites

Professional courtesy Active listening and

paraphrasing Speaking and presentation

skills Assembling a discipline-

specific referral guide with fellow tutors

Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

Comfortable in Tutor Roles

Tutor session authority

Model student

Guide

Mentor

Coach

Comfortable in Tutor Roles

Tutor session authority

Model student

Guide to

Guardian of the “bigger picture”

Coach

Policies and proceduresTutoring ethicsMulticultural issuesSpecial populations

Comfortable in Tutor Roles

Tutor session authority

Model student

Guide to

Guardian of the “bigger picture”

Coach

Learning stylesTime managementTest-takingCoping with anxiety

Comfortable in Tutor Roles

Tutor session authority

Model student

Guide

Guardian of the “bigger picture”

Coach

Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

Comfortable in Tutor Roles

Tutor session authority

Model student

Guide

Mentor

Coach

Critical thinking/Bloom’s taxonomy/questioning techniques

Goal setting (helping tutees gain perspective)

Comfortable in Tutor Roles

Tutor session authority

Model student

Guide

Guardian of the “bigger picture”

Coach

Motivation and active learningResearch techniques, secondary

sources and evaluating websites

Welcome

TaskBreakout

SolutionProcess

ConceptReview

Next Step

Identify

Prompt

Assure

Confirm

Comfortablein

Tutor Roles

StrongInterpersonal

Skills

SubjectMatter

Expertise

PersonalCommitment

Authority

Model

Guide

Mentor

Coach

Strong Interpersonal Skills

Welcoming Professional courtesy

Projecting measured self-confidence Good communication

Active listening and paraphrasingSpeaking and presentation skills

Encouraging Empowering

Welcome

TaskBreakout

SolutionProcess

ConceptReview

Next Step

Identify

Prompt

Assure

Confirm

Comfortablein

Tutor Roles

StrongInterpersonal

Skills

SubjectMatter

Expertise

PersonalCommitment

Authority

Model

Guide

Mentor

Coach

Subject Matter Expertise

Well-defined competencies Trained to recognize academic

standards Trusts own judgment and seeks

assistance when needed Strives to illuminate relevant concepts Familiar with discipline-specific

support network

Subject Matter Expertise

Well-defined competencies Trained to recognize academic

standards Trusts own judgment and seeks

assistance when needed Strives to illuminate relevant concepts Familiar with discipline-specific

support network

Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

Subject Matter Expertise

Well-defined competencies Trained to recognize academic

standards Trusts own judgment and seeks

assistance when needed Strives to illuminate relevant concepts Familiar with discipline-specific

support networkAssembling a discipline-specific referral

guide with fellow tutors

Welcome

TaskBreakout

SolutionProcess

ConceptReview

Next Step

Identify

Prompt

Assure

Confirm

Comfortablein

Tutor Roles

StrongInterpersonal

Skills

SubjectMatter

Expertise

PersonalCommitment

Authority

Model

Guide

Mentor

Coach

Personal Commitment

Friendly and equally respectful toward all tutees

Concerned for tutee’s individual success

Thorough, patient and open-minded Mindful of tutee’s long as well as

short term goals Enthusiastic and persistent

Training Modules Policies and procedures Tutoring ethics Multicultural issues Special populations Learning styles Time management Test-taking Coping with anxiety Critical thinking/Bloom’s

taxonomy/questioning techniques

Goal setting (helping tutees gain perspective)

Motivation and active learning Research techniques,

secondary sources and evaluating websites

Professional courtesy Active listening and

paraphrasing Speaking and presentation

skills Assembling a discipline-

specific referral guide with fellow tutors

Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

How Understanding Your Roles As

Authority, Model, Guide, Mentor and Coach

Will Help You Manage the Session Cycle

Welcome

Take charge of setting a positive tone

Clear your headput all other work aside immediately focus on making your tutee feel important

Greet your tutee eagerly speak franklysmileadopt a friendly manner

Ask your tutee to briefly describe his or her primary goal for the session

Welcome

Acknowledge and ease your tutee’s fears

Offer sincere praise for what your tutee has accomplished

Empathize with his difficulties Confirm that asking for help is the “Mercer

Way”suggest a variety of ways to ask for help share the situations and ways you have asked

for help

Welcome

Maintain a patient and respectful posture and tone of voice let your tutee do most of the talking focus your mind on listening instead of judging

Build your tutee’s confidencediscover your tutee’s strengths encourage your tutee to see herself as having

the “right stuff” to succeed academically insist that your tutee take the credit for her

own learning transformations

Welcome

Engage your tutee by being a good listenermake eye contact wait for the tutee to finish a thought before

jumping in

Monitor your tutee's responses to the sessionwatch for symptoms of confusion, boredom or

distractionchange your approach based on your tutee’s

responses

Welcome

Don't condescend Don’t be afraid to make mistakes Don't expose confidences Don’t blame professors or others

Do demonstrate your reliability and interest

Task Breakout

Review tutee’s work (writing, homework problems, etc.)

In order to help your tutee focus and relax, suggest that he or shewrite out a list of questions create a short outline for the task at hand

Keep your written review notes brief Begin your discussion by praising

something about the work you reviewed

Task Breakout

Model clear thinkingbe prepared for the lab session take time with each tutee to gather your

thoughts

Model strategic thinking and learning share a wide range of strategies explain that developing effective strategies

leads to independencebuild on the skills and strategies that the tutee

is already using

Task Breakout

Explore analytic methodsprogress from the concrete to the semi-concrete to the abstract

sequence processes by isolating and ordering steps and/or stages

separate out writing tasks1.ideas/argument/thesis 2.structure/logic 3.individual paragraphs4.syntax and grammar

Task Breakout

Prioritize the goals for the session based on the appropriate analytic method

When your tutee’s goals “put the cart before the horse”be diplomatic about addressing your goals firstexplain how your priority goals inform your

tutee’s goals

If your agendas won’t jibe, set aside time to address your tutee’s goals

Task Breakout

Don't dismiss your tutee’s goals Don’t go off on tangents Don’t plow ahead without outlining

where you plan to go in the session

Do find out where your tutee is starting from

Solution Process

Go back to basics Focus on critical vocabulary Consider learning styles

yours versus your tutee’salways share information via multiple channels

Indulge your creativity Test your own flexibility

allow yourself to make mistakesbe honest about your mistakes

Solution Process

Guide tutee’s critique of his study skills Review tutee’s class or reading notes

selectivity organization

Inquire about tutee’s attendance at Supplemental Instruction sessions and/or study groups

Check whether tutee meets with his professor during office hours

Solution Process

Experiment with tutoring methods recommended by othersattend discipline specific tutor trainingconsult with other tutors (maintaining

confidentiality all around)consult outside references (texts and the web)

Encourage tutee to take advantage of outside resources when discipline specific progress is slowed by other deficiencies

Solution Process

Don't do the work for the tutee Don’t give out the answers Don't hold the pencil Don’t talk too much or too soon Don’t “show off” using shortcuts or

advanced techniques

Do confirm that your tutee can summarize the solution in his own words

Concept Review

Ask tutee to work new problems that require applying the same concepts and methods

Suggest a variety of ways the student might practice and apply what she is learning

Apply questioning techniques Ask tutee to explore conceptual

connections, e.g. by drawing a concept map or an illustration

Concept Review

Don't underestimate the importance of this stage

Don’t allow yourself to dominate the discussion at this point

Don't confuse concept review with teaching

Do listen patiently and offer even more encouragement

Next Step

Identify the progress made during your session

Ask your tutee to summarize what she accomplished

Ask your tutee if she has any questions respond to the questions (if there is time) suggest ways to find answers to open

questions

Next Step

Ask your tutee what her plan is for completing the task begun during the session

Highlight one learning strategy reviewed during the session and suggest how your tutee might apply it elsewhere

Next Step

Don't end the session abruptly Don’t answer questions about grades Don't let your tutee leave without a

plan

Do remind your tutee when the next tutoring lab will be