Best tutoring practices
- 1. Best Tutoring Practices An overview for new Learning Assistants Presented by: Lori Ann Keegan & Priscilla Garcia
- 2. General Tutoring Tips & Techniques Strategies of a good Learning Assistant
- 3. Always remember to: Relax and be yourself Establish a rapport with your tutees Respect your tutees Use Empathy when speaking to your tutee Maintain confidentiality Provide positive reinforcement Foster Independent Learning Use Socratic Questioning Be patient and flexible Be an active listener Have confidence in yourself, but don’t be afraid to ask for help Always support the methods of the instructor
- 4. Asking the Right Questions An introduction to Socratic Questioning
- 5. Asking the Right Questions As a tutor, you must learn to ask effective questions throughout a tutoring session – the more effective the questions, the better the response from the student.
- 6. Ask questions to: Don’t just ask “What are you having problems with?” Instead, continue to ask questions about their problem areas until you can diagnose the root of the problem. Determine problem areas for the student Don’t just ask “What are you having problems with?” Instead, continue to ask questions about their problem areas until you can diagnose the root of the problem. Determine what a student knows When a student says they don’t know, instead of launching into an explanation, break it down into bite size pieces and ask leading questions to show the thinking process and give them the confidence that they know more than they think. Help the student determine the right answer Once you’ve gone through the question, have the student explain the process back to you to gauge that they truly understood the problem. See if the student can apply new skills Students can be afraid to say they don’t understand, or will be unsure of what it is that they don’t understand. After each new skill taught, ask questions to clarify their understanding of each part. Clarify something that is not clear
- 7. When asking questions, keep the following in mind: Ask open-ended questions Do not ask questions that require yes or no answers; instead, ask questions that require elaboration. Allow the student time to answer the question Learn to be comfortable with silence as students take time to answer each question. Mix questioning with other tutoring methods Avoid overwhelming the student. Pick and choose when to ask questions and when to employ other methods of teaching. Make questions specific Avoid general questions so you can pinpoint exactly where the student is having trouble and needs help.
- 8. An example of Socratic Questioning Video clip courtesy of NC State Tutorial Center
- 9. How to formulate good questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy: Creating Evaluating Analyzing Applying Understanding Remembering Define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, state Classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate, paraphrase Choose, demonstrate, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, sketch, solve, use, write Compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test Appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate Assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write Can the student create a new product or point of view? Can the student justify a stand or decision? Can the student distinguish between different parts? Can the student use information in a new way? Can the student explain ideas or concepts? Can the student recall or remember the information?
- 10. How to listen so that you really hear A guide to Active Listening
- 11. Active Listening The better you listen, the more you will understand. The more you show understanding, the more your tutee will talk. For a tutoring session to be successful, a non-judgmental atmosphere is critical, as is your ability to understand the other person's point of view.
- 12. Remember that their feelings are their own and passing judgement over them could break their trust your tutoring relationship. You should be able to paraphrase their remarks including both verbal and nonverbal cues. I.e. “It seems to me that what you are saying is…” Refrain from fidgeting, looking at a clock or watch, or doodling. Use body language that shows you are paying attention. Imagine yourself in their situation and try to experience it from their point of view in order to understand the reasons behind their feelings.Always give the them a chance to finish their thoughts without interruption. Even if you find an error in their words, they must be given the opportunity to self-correct. The Key Components of Active Listening Active ListeningAvoid Distractions Empathy Patience Summarize Reserve Judgement
- 13. Empathy: What NOT to do Judge "You should have studied harder" Negate "Don't feel that way. It's only one test." Sympathize "Sometimes professors can be such jerks" Rescue "It's too bad. I'm sure you'll do better next time." Own "It's my fault for not focusing on those problem sets." Student: "I can't believe I bombed that Chem exam. I studied and studied but I just can't get it. I don't want to blame the professor, but the average was only 47; no one I talked to did OK either. I need to do well in this class. I'm getting desperate." Tutor: “Your distress is understandable. It's really frustrating to work so hard and not have things turn out and not know why.”
- 14. An example of Active Listening and Wait Time Video clip courtesy of NC State Tutorial Center
- 15. Active Learning How to create Independent Learners
- 16. It helps students practice self- expression, critical thinking, and self- initiated inquiry. It fosters an appreciation of learning. It makes tutoring more interesting and fun. Passive Learning vs. Active Learning “Here, let me show you how to do that.”Passive Learning • Tutor lectures or explains without engaging the student with questions. • Tutor answers the student's questions rather than asking the student to call upon prior knowledge and skill to try to figure them out, or to consult the lecture notes, textbook, or other reference materials. • Tutor solves homework problems rather than asking the student to solve them. “What section of the textbook discusses this?”Active Learning • The student does something to participate in learning to seek mastery of the material. • Activities are structured so that the student is required to do the work. • The student is engaged in the process summarizing the content he or she has learned. Active Learning has the following affects:
- 17. Questions?Contact Us Lori Ann Keegan lkeegan@valenciacollege.edu Priscilla Garcia pgarcia21@valenciacollege.edu Tell Me And I Forget Teach me And I remember Involve me And I learn
Editor's Notes
- #4: As we click to reveal each disk, we’ll ask the students to tell us what the saying means to them.
- #6: Read this out loud before moving on.
- #7: Click to bring up a header – Ask the students to what it means – Click to bring up the description
- #8: Click to bring up a header – Ask the students to what it means – Click to bring up the description
- #9: Play the video – discuss.
- #10: Click one at a time – Discussion before revealing the next
- #12: Read this out loud before moving on.