Underprepared Students What to do when the student you are working with is unprepared or underprepared

Discuss…  What does it mean to be “unprepared” or “underprepared” for something?  What does it mean to be “unprepared” or “underprepared” for school?  What does it mean to be “prepared” for something?  How does one “prepare” for school?

Definitions…  “ Unprepared”  1.Not ready or able to deal with something.  2.Not willing to do something: "unprepared to accept what was proposed". (Merriam-Webster)  “ Underprepared”  Not having prepared sufficiently to carry out a task. (Merriam-Webster)  “ Prepared”  to put in proper condition or readiness (Dictionary.com)

Discuss…  How can a student prepare for their tutoring session?  How do they prepare for their classes?  What can WE do to help them be more prepared?

How can we help?  Make an underprepared student comfortable  “The student has made the initial move to handle a very foreign atmosphere, but having done that, the student is reassured by the fact that peers are also attending sessions.” (Baril 82)  Think about a time when you were in an uncomfortable situation. What did others do to make you feel comfortable?  Remind them that you are a student too!  Tell them about a time when you needed to ask for help!

How can we help?  The student may feel overwhelmed. Try to calm them down and get them focused on a plan of action.  “The tutor should pay attention to the note- taking skills, reading skills, and the amount of work being done by the student. Many underprepared students are so overwhelmed that they do not even know where to start. ” (Baril 82)

How can we help?  Make a plan of action!  “It is generally a very good idea for the tutor to actually address very little course- specific work during the first session. It is much more important to gain the student’s confidence and attempt to define the role of the tutor in terms which the student can understand, be very specific regarding what a tutoring session can and cannot do, and generally make the student comfortable in the surroundings.” (Baril 82)

Plan of Action  Help the student:  Organize work schedules  Outline a plan of attack  Set priorities for tasks  Break an assignment down into parts  (Baril 82)  For example: on a writing assignment, first have them do some prewriting strategies, then compose an outline in your first session. For the next session, have them work on individual paragraphs and a thesis statement.

Plan of Action  Show them your notes  Talk about your study skills & show them your process for completing an assignment  Chances are you learned these skills either through trial and error or they were passed down to you… pay it forward!

Plan of Action  It is very important to break things down for an underprepared student  “Once these skills are in place for the student, the material seems easier, the professors are less daunting, and anxiety levels are reduced.” (Baril 83)  However, if a student asks you a question you do not know the answer to, do not guess! Refer them to their professor to find out the answer.

The importance of patience  You might be frustrated by the students’ lack of preparation or lack of understanding  Be patient!! We never know what is going on in the lives of the students we help.  This student might be working 40 hours a week, taking care of siblings, or dealing with a personal or medical issue… we all have our own priorities and our own responsibilities  Just because a student is underprepared does not mean that they are lazy!

To Review…  1. The tutor should be sensitive to the generally heightened anxiety of the student. (Baril 83)

To Review…  2. The tutor should consider the fact that study skills are of the utmost importance to the underprepared student. Spending time in this area will reap great rewards for the student as well as make the tutor’s task easier. (Baril 83)

To Review…  3. The tutor should be aware of the fact that most underprepared students have a great deal of difficulty focusing on the task. The tutor should attempt to utilize all of his or her best skills in this area. (Baril 83)

To Review…  4. The tutor should continually check the written work, notes, and homework of the student for clarity, accuracy, and completeness. (Baril 83)

To Review…  The Tutor should attempt to highlight understanding of concepts throughout all of their sessions since it is the case that many underprepared students tend to try to memorize rather than to learn. (Baril 83)