Thinking Well Together TUTORIALS Thinking Well Together

What is the purpose of tutorials? We do tutorials for three purposes. Tutorials provide an opportunity for collaboration. Tutorials help students with questions from your classes. Tutorials encourage deeper thinking about issues from your classes. What is the purpose of tutorials?

What is the tutorial process? Tutorials begin a few days before the group meets when you fill out the Tutorial Request Form (TRF) This is the most important step. It provides the questions and thinking used during the tutorial time. We will fill these out in class this semester. What is the tutorial process?

Students bring TRFs to class on tutorial days- Wednesdays/Thursdays. Groups sit together with tutors-subject matter groups or groups chosen by Mr. Jones Tutors may rotate or meet with the same group each time

Students take turns presenting their questions to the group Students take turns presenting their questions to the group. Questions may relate directly to class, or they may be one triggered by something in class. Students write questions on a white board Tutors lead a discussion of the question Do not just “give the answer” Guide each other with more questions. The emphasis is on the process, not the answer. “Have you considered this approach to the problem?” “What have you done so far?” “What else do we know about this?”

Each student presents his/her question for group discussion. During the discussion of each question, the rest of the group takes notes on the discussion. Each student presents his/her question for group discussion. Each question may take 5-10 minutes to discuss. Do not rush through tutorials. They are designed to be “thinking together” times.

After students discuss all questions, each student fills out a reflection on the back of the TRF. These questions require thoughtful, complete sentence answers. Once filled out, the TRF will be turned in to your tutor, not Mr. Jones. Tutors grade the TRFs and give them to Mr. Jones, who records the grade.

TUTORIALS PROVIDE BOTH COLLABORATION AND INQUIRY. Tutorials will require effort, especially at first when you are learning how to do them. Take tutorials seriously, do them well, and you will become a better thinker and collaborator. Tutorials will help you learn how to help others, bringing you a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction.