Top 10 Best Practices Tutoring 20230814 131315 Meeting Recording

Summary

Dr. Toya Constan outlines the top 10 best practices for tutoring, emphasizing building personal relationships, effective communication with parents and teachers, content expertise, patience, active listening, professionalism, sharing experiences, confidence, encouraging independent work, and communication with peers and faculty. She highlights characteristics of an effective tutor, such as empathy, honesty, enthusiasm, and non-judgment, concluding with the importance of a genuine desire to help students succeed.

Takeaways

• 🤝 **Build Strong Relationships**: Successful tutors establish personal connections with students to foster trust and respect.
• 🗣️ **Communicate with Stakeholders**: Open communication with parents, teachers, and administrators is key to student success.
• 📚 **Content Expertise**: Tutors should be knowledgeable in their subject areas and adept at making learning relevant to students' interests.
• 🙏 **Patience**: Recognize that what is easy for you may not be for your student; patience is crucial in tutoring.
• 👂 **Listening Skills**: Good listeners pick up on cues in student speech to understand their feelings and thoughts.
• 👔 **Professionalism**: Tutors should maintain professional etiquette, including appropriate attire and punctuality.
• 💡 **Share Personal Experiences**: Sharing relatable experiences can build trust and help students feel less alone.
• 💪 **Confidence**: Tutors should be confident in their abilities but also honest when they don't know the answer.
• 🏫 **Encourage Independence**: Guide students to work independently and scaffold their learning.
• 🤝 **Collaborate with Peers**: Communicate with fellow tutors and faculty for support and to share strategies.

Q & A

What is the primary role of a tutor according to the video?

The primary role of a tutor is to play an intricate role in student success by fostering personal relationships, creating a positive learning environment, and collaborating with various stakeholders to help students achieve academic success.

Why are personal relationships important for tutoring success?

Personal relationships are foundational to student success because they build trust and respect between the tutor and the student, which fosters a positive learning environment and encourages academic progress.

How should tutors communicate with parents and teachers?

Tutors should communicate openly and regularly with parents and teachers, focusing on goal setting, benchmarks, and planning. This ensures collaboration between stakeholders to support the student's academic progress.

What is the significance of a tutor having specific content expertise?

A tutor with specific content expertise can make learning more relevant, rigorous, and real for the student. It also allows the tutor to teach effectively by understanding the subject and applying it to the student’s real-world experiences.

How should a tutor handle feelings of annoyance when working with students?

A tutor should be patient and avoid expressing annoyance in speech or body language, even if something seems obvious or easy to them. They should be mindful of how they react to students’ struggles to foster a supportive environment.

What role does listening play in being a successful tutor?

Being a good listener is crucial for a successful tutor. It helps the tutor pick up on students' emotions, encourages them to communicate their feelings, and prevents the tutor from dominating conversations, which supports emotional and academic growth.

What are some ways a tutor can maintain professionalism?

A tutor can maintain professionalism by practicing proper etiquette, wearing work-appropriate attire, arriving on time, maintaining consistent communication, and abstaining from romantic relationships in the work environment.

Why is it beneficial for a tutor to share personal experiences?

Sharing personal experiences helps build trust and support with the student. It shows the student that they are not alone in their challenges and helps them build self-confidence by realizing that even their tutor has faced similar situations.

How does a successful tutor encourage student independence?

A successful tutor encourages student independence by helping students prioritize their work and guiding them through learning strategies. Tutors should scaffold instructions, ensuring that students can complete tasks on their own without just giving answers.

Why is communication with fellow tutors and faculty important?

Communicating with fellow tutors and faculty provides insight into a student's academic behavior and progress. It allows tutors to receive advice, strategies, and alternative approaches to improve their tutoring sessions.