Adding a Wizardly Touch to Your Tutor Training

The Peer Tutor A Model Student

The Tutee Desires to learn how to study in a given discipline Already has many other content specific resources available Does not know how to leverage these resources without further guidance

The Tutor Has been identified by faculty as a successful student Has recent experience mastering a given discipline Has an individually tailored set of study strategies Does not know which methods a given tutee can apply successfully

What Can Be Modeled? Experimentation with different study strategies Study plan management Perseverance By focusing on the tutor’s role as model student, managers will give tutors a quick, comfortable start on how to provide truly helpful assistance – even in seeming opposition to their tutees’ frequently misguided expectations.

Why Modeling? Experimental process best demonstrated by example Show that scheduling study times is not a punishment, but a path to success Perseverance is a trait that can be cultivated through imitation

The Peer Tutor’s Edge Appears more “human” than professor Has fresh experiences to share Still experimenting with own study methods Has much to gain from investigating different learning strategies (either qua student or qua teacher in training) Up-to-date on discipline specific resources

Build Tutor’s Confidence Emphasize that faculty have approved tutor’s performance in the given discipline Affirm supervisory confidence in tutors Encourage tutors to trust themselves Talk about the “secret fraud complex” Reinforce tutor team support network

Link to Community Outline the broad structure of the academic community available to students Let tutors examine and share how they each have tapped into the academic network Suggest that tutors might serve as a tutee’s first access point into that network Define tutor’s role as a strictly transitional link to the broader academic community

Tutor’s Role NOT!!!! Ready reference Study buddy Homework checker Proof reader Study skills doctor OK!!!! Resource guide “Party” planner Problem pre-viewer Author-in-the-flesh Study skills coach

Tutor’s Role NOT!!!! Ready reference OK!!!! Resource guide Tutor: Redirect tutees’ requests for answers by suggesting places where tutees can find solutions on their own. Tutor Manager: Help tutors develop an exhaustive inventory of discipline specific resources and help tutors devise exercises that give tutees hands on experiences with these resources.

Tutor’s Role NOT!!!! Study buddy OK!!!! “Party” planner Tutors: Help tutees adjust to the group study session format and encourage tutees to institute study groups outside of the tutoring sessions. Tutor Managers: Train tutors how to teach their tutees’ study groups how to manage their group dynamics.

Tutor’s Role NOT!!!! Homework checker OK!!!! Problem pre-viewer Tutor: Redirect tutees’ requests to work through homework by selecting only representative problems and limiting exposition to conceptual questions posed by the tutee. Tutor Manager: Encourage tutors to be brutally honest with their tutees about the self-discipline and time involved in mastering their disciplines.

Tutor’s Role NOT!!!! Proof reader OK!!!! Author-in-the-flesh Tutor: Redirect tutees’ requests for proof reading services by offering to show tutees how to learn to proof read one’s own writing. Tutor Manager: Suggest tutors assemble a portfolio of their own evolutionary writing samples to share with tutees and to overtly demonstrate that mastering writing skills requires incremental practice and dedication over time.

Tutor’s Role NOT!!!! Study skills doctor OK!!!! Study skills coach Tutor: Different learning styles and attitudes determine which study skills will “work” for different tutees – tutees are responsible for diagnosing their own problems and solutions. Tutor Manager: Suggest tutors become aware of how and why they acquired their own inventory of study skills and give tutees sincere support as they work to adopt new strategies and behaviors.

Sandra Rosseter, Director Jennifer Zimmerman, Assistant Director Mercer University Learning Center 1400 Coleman Avenue Macon, GA Presenters