1. Working with Students

2. Effective Tutoring and Mentoring
This training is geared towards volunteers working with students one-on-one in a tutoring or mentoring role
While much of the information is relevant to all volunteers working with children, some strategies may not be appropriate for all settings or age levels
Please check in with your mentor teacher about which strategies to use with students in a particular setting
Effective Tutoring and Mentoring

3. You will learn… Strategies for Connecting with Students
Build relationships and positive rapport which leads to student success.
Strategies for Tutoring
Help students gain independence through problem solving, reasoning, and study skills.
Strategies for Mentoring
Encourage students to create a positive future through dreaming, goal-setting, and planning.

4. Strategies for connecting
Build relationships and positive rapport which leads to student success.

5. Setting the tone Getting started… Be friendly Make eye contact
Introduce yourself
Sit next to the student
Ask about their day
Ask how you can help
Setting the tone

6. Forming a relationship
Some students are easy to work with. They are positive, friendly, and ready to get to work right away.
Some are more difficult to work with, and may require some “warm up” time before getting started.
Forming a relationship

7. A struggling student might…
Refuse to do the work
“Check out”
Be disruptive, shocking, or funny
Say “I don’t need any help.”
Say “I don’t get it”
Say “I don’t care!”
Struggling students may use defense mechanisms to cope with their feelings and to protect themselves from failure or embarrassment.
A “tough nut to crack”

8. How will you feel if a student that you are trying to help acts this way towards you?
Do they still need your help?
What can you do to get through to them?
Challenging Students

9. Building trust is the first step in helping a student to feel comfortable enough to work with you.
Keep your commitments
Be on time; call if you will be late or unable to make it
Follow through on what you say
Have consistent expectations
Model respectful behavior
Encourage the student
Be patient and persistent
Building Trust

10. Behavior Support When Faced with Challenging Behavior…. Do…
Expect appropriate behavior
Consider age and setting
Redirect the student back to the task at hand as often as necessary
Offer encouragement and support
Take a break when needed
Ask for support
Don’t…
Just allow bad behavior- this doesn’t help the student learn
Verbally criticize the student or put them down – this breaks trust
Punish the student - let the teacher give consequences if needed
Behavior Support

11. “Hey Joey, I really want to help you today, but I’m not sure that you’re ready to work yet.
I’m going to go check in with Chloe, and then I’ll come back to see if I can help you get started.”
Use this strategy when the behavior is not unsafe or distracting to others, but the student is not yet ready to work.
If giving the student some time and encouragement doesn’t work, move on to getting behavior support from the teacher.
Leave and Come Back

12. “Abby really seems defiant today and refuses to do her work
“Abby really seems defiant today and refuses to do her work. I’ve tried to visit with her and get her focused, but she keeps saying rude things and throwing her pencil across the room at the other kids. Can you help?”
Ask for support

13. Our students, staff, and volunteers all deserve to work in a safe environment
This includes both physical and emotional safety and freedom from harassment or bullying
Threats of harm to self or others should be taken very seriously and reported
Please report any safety concerns immediately to a staff member!
Safe Environment

14. Connecting with students can take time and patience
Connecting with students can take time and patience. Whether easy or challenging to work with, every student can benefit from relationships with positive and caring adults. You are making a difference!
Positive Influence

15. Strategies for tutoring
Help students gain independence through problem solving, reasoning, and study skills.

16. Roadblocks Why might a student be struggling with school?
What can we do to help them be successful?
Will the same strategies work with every student?
Discuss
Discuss:
Possible answers include: Lack of study skills or focus, distracting life circumstances, learning disability, reading
Roadblocks

17. Set the stage
Break it down
Address different learning styles
Give just enough help
Ask open-ended questions
Use tools
Narrow the field
Practice to mastery
Create a similar problem
Be creative!
What are some strategies that you can use to help students develop knowledge and thinking skills?
Toolbox- won’t use every time with every student
Coaching Strategies

18. Some students may need help organizing their space, time, and materials
Have the student clear the work space of everything but what is needed for the assignment
Adjust the environment to what works for the student, within reason
Try working for a set time, then taking a quick break
What environment do you work best in? How do you set the stage when you have a big project to do?
Set the stage

19. An entire assignment (or multiple ones) can be overwhelming to a student
Focusing on one thing at a time makes it more manageable
Keep making it smaller and simpler until the student feels confident that they can do it
Break it down

20. Different Learning Styles
How does the student learn the best? Try …
Drawing a picture
Reading it aloud
Creating a chart or web
Reading and highlighting
Using objects
Using music or rhymes
Making it a game
Creating a model
Anything else that works!
Different Learning Styles

21. If the work is too hard for the student, give them just enough help so that they can figure it out on their own.
Don’t just tell them the answer!
You will be robbing them of the chance to think it out for themselves.
Tire swing with preschoolers
Give just enough help

22. Ask open ended questions
Ask open ended questions to encourage higher level thinking and problem solving skills.
Avoid yes/no or multiple choice questions when possible.
Some examples…
How did you get that answer?
How do you think that character felt?
How did that event change history?
What happened first in the story?
Which of those answers makes the most sense to you?
Ask open ended questions

23. What tools do you use to find an answer or accomplish a task?
Show the student how to use the tools and resources available to them.
These may include scratch paper, index cards, a timer, a dictionary or thesaurus, a map, a Google search, or more!
Use Tools

24. If the student can’t find the answer they are looking for in the text, try “narrowing the field.”
Direct them to the page or paragraph where the answer is found and ask them to review it again.
Show the student how you used the index or scanned the text to narrow the field.
Narrow the Field

25. Practice until the student has a good handle on what he or she has learned
Try to find an “attachment point” where students can add the new knowledge to existing knowledge or experiences
The more fun and meaningful you can make it, the more memorable it will be
Games, flashcards, songs, and rhymes can be good ways to practice facts that need memorized
Practice to Mastery

26. Create a similar problem
If the student can’t do the work independently yet, try creating a few similar problems to guide them through, then let them do the problem in their assignment when they are ready.
Create a similar problem

27. We have only shown you a few of the strategies that you can use to help students learn
Each student is different in how they learn and are motivated
Get creative and find a way to help students learn and feel successful
Don’t forget to ask for support!
Get Creative!

28. Strategies for mentoring
Encourage students to create a positive future through dreaming, goal-setting, and planning.

29. Looking Ahead What did you want to be when you were a child?
Is that the career you ended up pursuing?
How many different types of jobs have you had?
What would you do differently to plan for your career if could go back and do it again?
Looking Ahead

30. School can be hard, and students need to know why they are there in the first place
Looking ahead to the future can help students get motivated to succeed
Look for natural opportunities to talk about future plans
Making the Connection

31. What’s Next?

32. It’s never too early for a student to start thinking about what they want their future to look like
It’s never too late to get on the right track and pursue a meaningful and fruitful career
All students may not have the role models or encouragement to dream big - that’s where you come in!
Dream Big

33. Hearing about your experiences in education and the workplace may help to inspire a student
Share difficulties and hardships along with successes!
Encourage the student to succeed on his or her own path
Share your story

34. Without education or training past the high school level, many students will be living at or below the poverty level
Education makes the difference between a high or low paying job, or sometimes any job at all!
Fighting Poverty

35. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy food, shelter, and necessary items for self and family
Education can mean the difference between working one enjoyable job, or 2-3 unpleasant ones
Being honest with older students about the impact of their studies on their future income can help them to see their education as relevant
Show me the money!

36. Each student will take a different path according to his or her interests, talents, and resources.
Encourage each student to find the best future for his or her individual needs and assets
Be careful to demonstrate respect for all people regardless of income level or occupation when talking with students about money and careers.
Unique Potential

37. Very few people will train for and perform one job in their lifetime
Students today need to be prepared for multiple careers
A good educational foundation will allow students to change and adapt to the needs of workforce
Multiple Careers

38. Encourage students to think of several careers they might enjoy
Teach students to invest in self and build a diverse portfolio of skills, education, and resources
Invest in Self

39. Don’t forget to model professional and friendly demeanor and appearance
Students should know that they may need to dress and speak differently in the workplace than in a casual environment
Self confidence goes a long way towards personal success!
Personal Marketing

40. Students may have limited experience with successful professionals or not know where to start
You can help the student connect with college representatives, financial aid consultants, or mentors in their field
Always work with staff when connecting students with individuals outside of the school
Make the connection

41. Your work connecting with students, helping them with their studies , and mentoring them for the future makes a positive difference in our community.
Thank You!!!