The Tutoring Book - California State University, Sacramento
The Tutoring Book - California State University, Sacramento
The Tutoring Book - California State University, Sacramento
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Fearless <strong>Tutoring</strong><br />
12<br />
Ulises Palmeno<br />
Spring 2011<br />
When I was a young child, back in elementary school, I encountered a wonderful technique called<br />
tutoring. Because I was in accelerated classes, I was given the option to tutor other students who were in<br />
lower grades and had fallen behind. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it seemed enjoyable and<br />
participated in the last summer after I had graduated. I started to tutor along the way in school, from<br />
middle school, to high school and in community college. Every new student was a new challenge. I didn’t<br />
know about the various theories that were involved with tutoring, or the strategies that came behind it, all<br />
I knew was that I had to tutor. Somebody came up with a different approach, or saw the material in a<br />
different way that made me rethink and consider a new strategy. It happened all the time. Older students,<br />
younger students, some that believed they knew more than you, while others that were completely lost. I<br />
didn’t have a set plan, other than to adapt to the situation. Every session was new, I didn’t know about<br />
specific theories; I went a long with what fit the situation best. Everybody needed to pass, and as a tutor, I<br />
took that as my job. From my experience, it worked well, and had many come back and thank me for the<br />
help; but sometimes they never came back and that was ok for me as well, because I knew that I had<br />
worked all the angles possible and could do nothing more. As I got older, I still tutored, when I had been<br />
dismissed from another university and had gotten laid off from my job, I offered my services as a tutor to<br />
make ends meet. From the experience that I had developed earlier, I knew that my student had to receive<br />
the best possible tutoring in order for them to continue coming back and gain a better understanding of the<br />
material and retain the knowledge. If I didn’t put forth my best skill, they wouldn’t come back, and that<br />
meant not receiving pay. In the end, it was not about the money; I learned that it was about using the skill<br />
set I had acquired to push forth the best session, in order for the tutor to gain the most out of it. This is the<br />
same mindset I apply at the <strong>University</strong> Writing Center and Sac <strong>State</strong>. I am not depending on tutoring to<br />
make ends meet, but I know I have to do everything that is allowed in order for the student to get the most<br />
out of the session.<br />
When you come in, and it’s your fist time tutoring, all the fears run through your head: what if the<br />
student doesn’t like you, you might not do a good job, and you run into a problem that you can’t<br />
overcome. My suggestion? Don’t worry about it. <strong>Tutoring</strong> is about helping the student to your best<br />
ability. If it’s your first time, you aren’t going to know everything about tutoring. It’s a skill that gets<br />
acquired through time. <strong>The</strong> best thing to do is to start with what you know and go from there. From<br />
forming a thesis in an essay, writing a clear statement in the form of a sentence, and have organization in<br />
the paper just to name a few. You have already made it this far in your academic career, so relax. As a<br />
tutor, you can’t possibly teach them everything in a half hour or hour session but address the issues that<br />
are the most important.<br />
For the optimum results, the tutor must be able to adapt. Without this, the tutor is lost. It can feel<br />
like it’s frustrating, but if the tutor is able to adapt to the situation, then anything is possible. With<br />
adaptability, you don’t conform to one style, there are many open to you. But as a new tutor, you don’t<br />
know many options out there other than some of the theories from textbooks and online resources. Act<br />
natural in the setting, bring in the studying techniques you already know, but don’t just switch from one<br />
technique to another too quickly. Switch in a transition that is comfortable for you and your tutor. It’s not<br />
frowned upon if you tutor more casually with others, it depends on the student. It’s best to go into the<br />
session without knowing any of the theories. See how it works without them and just use personal<br />
experience to guide you through. But if you run into anything you can’t handle, go back to the books and<br />
reread the techniques that will help you out.<br />
Everything that is worked on is for the benefit of the student. Without the student, there can be no<br />
tutor. It is a symbiotic bond that both parties need. We need to tutor, and they need help. Make it possible<br />
to get through. So how can you approach this situation? Don’t try to be somebody else, be yourself. <strong>The</strong><br />
student is going to be just as nervous as you are, probably even more so because it may be their first time