WALK-IN TABLE TUTOR TIPS: CRISIS MANAGEMENT!

HOW IS A WALK-IN TABLE LIKE AN ER ROOM? Students need help now! Students are panicked: I have 10 minutes until I have to hand in this stats homework and have not even started it! How do we make the student feel like he/she is important but avoid doing all the work for him or her?

1. WELCOME! BE THE BUSY WAITRESS You may be slammed with a lot of clients and feeling overwhelmed, but think about how intimidated a student feels when he or she comes to the AARC for the first time. So when a new client approaches, greet with: Hi! You can sit here and I’ll be with you in just a minute.

1. WELCOME! BE THE BUSY WAITRESS Float! Avoid getting wrapped up in one client’s question and neglecting other clients. A good rule of thumb is to only help on one problem per client. Wear your nametag! You should not be perceived as doing your own homework. This is why it is important to remove your nametag if you are off-duty and at the table working on homework.

2. MOTIVATE! START WITH WHAT THEY KNOW Ask the student to demonstrate that understanding using the white board or scrap paper on the tables. Remind the student that there is no math or chemistry gene! Everyone struggles. Hard work helps. Testify to your own struggles whenever possible.

3. INVOLVE! HELP THE CLIENT LEARN HOW TO LEARN At the walk-in tables, clients want you to be “Answer Guy” and “Answer Girl.” Resist! Avoid spoon-feeding. Ask a lot of probing questions. Explain why you are doing this. If this seems to only frustrate the client, try working a sample problem for them.

3. INVOLVE! HELP THE CLIENT LEARN HOW TO LEARN Whenever possible, group the walk-in table clients at the tables. Put the 220 students together. Put the 110 students together etc. This creates a study group and allows for collaborative learning! Other tutors continue to float if a walk-in table tutor has become an impromptu study group leader.

3. INVOLVE! HELP THE CLIENT LEARN HOW TO LEARN Each time you cover a certain portion of material, check for understanding. We call this the FALSE LIGHT BULB. At the walk in table, you will get in a hurry and want to skip this, but don’t. This is the only way you will know for sure if the client understands.

3. INVOLVE! HELP THE CLIENT LEARN HOW TO LEARN What if you do not know how to solve the problem? Work with the client to find the answer in the notes and text. Trade clients with another tutor. Ask the program director for assistance. Tell them that in this instance it’s best if the professor helps during his office hours.

3. INVOLVE! HELP THE CLIENT LEARN HOW TO LEARN What if no one at the table can help? This sometimes happens for MTH 127 and MTH 220 and CHE 133 and some computer science courses. Ask any Program Director to tell you when a tutor for that subject is working next and report that to the student.

4. SELF-REGULATE! SHARE A QUICK STUDY/TIME TIP This is so hard for a walk-in table tutor to do! But all AARC tutors are expected to integrate what to learn with HOW to learn. As you move away from a client to another client, think about “closing” that conversation with a quick tip related to his/her work: Try working those problems in a random order-- See Dr. So and So for the best help— I think that there’s an SI Group for that— Here is a great way to remember that--

WALK-IN TABLE TUTOR TIPS: CRISIS MANAGEMENT! Watch it again!