1. Theory and Practice of Peer Tutoring
Tutor Session Cycle
Tutor Dos and Don’ts

2. Jennifer Zimmerman Assistant Director Academic Resource Center Mercer University

3. Tutor Session Cycle Welcome Task Breakout Solution Process
Concept Review
Next Step

4. Dialog Barometer
IDENTIFY
PROMPT
ASSURE
CONFIRM

5. Session Cycle
Roles
Behaviors
Attributes
Welcome
Authority
Identify
Comfortable in
Tutor Roles
Task
Breakout
Model
Prompt
Strong
Interpersonal
Skills
Solution
Process
Guide
Assure
Subject
Matter
Expertise
Concept
Review
Mentor
Confirm
Personal
Commitment
Next Step
Coach

6. Welcome IDENTIFY PROMPT ASSURE CONFIRM Name and area of expertise
Tutee’s name and expectations
ASSURE
Session guidelines
CONFIRM
Interest in helping

7. Task Breakout IDENTIFY PROMPT ASSURE CONFIRM Task Breakout into steps
Each step small enough to solve
CONFIRM
Steps head in the right direction

8. Solution Process IDENTIFY PROMPT ASSURE CONFIRM Method
Application to problem
ASSURE
Correct process and results
CONFIRM
Summary of process

9. Concept Review IDENTIFY PROMPT ASSURE CONFIRM Underlying concept
How concept relates to method
ASSURE
Broader connections to be made
CONFIRM
Ability to repeat process

10. Next Step IDENTIFY PROMPT ASSURE CONFIRM Next step Resources required
Availability of further tutoring
CONFIRM
Tentative plan for next step

11. Effective Tutoring IDENTIFY PROMPT ASSURE CONFIRM Personal commitment
Comfortable in tutor roles
PROMPT
Strong interpersonal skills
ASSURE
Subject matter expertise
CONFIRM
Personal commitment

12. Session Cycle
Roles
Behaviors
Attributes
Welcome
Authority
Identify
Comfortable in
Tutor Roles
Task
Breakout
Model
Prompt
Strong
Interpersonal
Skills
Solution
Process
Guide
Assure
Subject
Matter
Expertise
Concept
Review
Mentor
Confirm
Personal
Commitment
Next Step
Coach

13. Training Modules Policies and procedures Tutoring ethics
Multicultural issues
Special populations
Learning styles
Time management
Test-taking
Coping with anxiety
Critical thinking/Bloom’s taxonomy/questioning techniques
Goal setting (helping tutees gain perspective)
Motivation and active learning
Research techniques, secondary sources and evaluating websites
Professional courtesy
Active listening and paraphrasing
Speaking and presentation skills
Assembling a discipline-specific referral guide with fellow tutors
Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

14. Comfortable in Tutor Roles
Tutor session authority
Model student
Guide
Mentor
Coach

15. Comfortable in Tutor Roles
Tutor session authority
Model student
Guide to
Guardian of the “bigger picture”
Coach
Policies and procedures
Tutoring ethics
Multicultural issues
Special populations

16. Comfortable in Tutor Roles
Tutor session authority
Model student
Guide to
Guardian of the “bigger picture”
Coach
Learning styles
Time management
Test-taking
Coping with anxiety

17. Comfortable in Tutor Roles
Tutor session authority
Model student
Guide
Guardian of the “bigger picture”
Coach
Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

18. Comfortable in Tutor Roles
Tutor session authority
Model student
Guide
Mentor
Coach
Critical thinking/Bloom’s taxonomy/questioning techniques
Goal setting (helping tutees gain perspective)

19. Comfortable in Tutor Roles
Tutor session authority
Model student
Guide
Guardian of the “bigger picture”
Coach
Motivation and active learning
Research techniques, secondary sources and evaluating websites

20. Session Cycle
Roles
Behaviors
Attributes
Welcome
Authority
Identify
Comfortable in
Tutor Roles
Task
Breakout
Model
Prompt
Strong
Interpersonal
Skills
Solution
Process
Guide
Assure
Subject
Matter
Expertise
Concept
Review
Mentor
Confirm
Personal
Commitment
Next Step
Coach

21. Strong Interpersonal Skills
Welcoming
Professional courtesy
Projecting measured self-confidence
Good communication
Active listening and paraphrasing
Speaking and presentation skills
Encouraging
Empowering

22. Session Cycle
Roles
Behaviors
Attributes
Welcome
Authority
Identify
Comfortable in
Tutor Roles
Task
Breakout
Model
Prompt
Strong
Interpersonal
Skills
Solution
Process
Guide
Assure
Subject
Matter
Expertise
Concept
Review
Mentor
Confirm
Personal
Commitment
Next Step
Coach

23. Subject Matter Expertise
Well-defined competencies
Trained to recognize academic standards
Trusts own judgment and seeks assistance when needed
Strives to illuminate relevant concepts
Familiar with discipline-specific support network

24. Subject Matter Expertise
Well-defined competencies
Trained to recognize academic standards
Trusts own judgment and seeks assistance when needed
Strives to illuminate relevant concepts
Familiar with discipline-specific support network
Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

25. Subject Matter Expertise
Well-defined competencies
Trained to recognize academic standards
Trusts own judgment and seeks assistance when needed
Strives to illuminate relevant concepts
Familiar with discipline-specific support network
Assembling a discipline-specific referral guide with fellow tutors

26. Session Cycle
Roles
Behaviors
Attributes
Welcome
Authority
Identify
Comfortable in
Tutor Roles
Task
Breakout
Model
Prompt
Strong
Interpersonal
Skills
Solution
Process
Guide
Assure
Subject
Matter
Expertise
Concept
Review
Mentor
Confirm
Personal
Commitment
Next Step
Coach

27. Personal Commitment Friendly and equally respectful toward all tutees
Concerned for tutee’s individual success
Thorough, patient and open-minded
Mindful of tutee’s long as well as short term goals
Enthusiastic and persistent

28. Training Modules Policies and procedures Tutoring ethics
Multicultural issues
Special populations
Learning styles
Time management
Test-taking
Coping with anxiety
Critical thinking/Bloom’s taxonomy/questioning techniques
Goal setting (helping tutees gain perspective)
Motivation and active learning
Research techniques, secondary sources and evaluating websites
Professional courtesy
Active listening and paraphrasing
Speaking and presentation skills
Assembling a discipline-specific referral guide with fellow tutors
Discipline-specific standards, problem solving, note-taking, concept mapping and other content-oriented study strategies

29. Tutor Dos and Don’ts How Understanding Your Roles As
Authority, Model, Guide, Mentor and Coach
Will Help You Manage the Session Cycle

30. Welcome Take charge of setting a positive tone Clear your head
put all other work aside immediately
focus on making your tutee feel important
Greet your tutee eagerly
speak frankly
smile
adopt a friendly manner
Ask your tutee to briefly describe his or her primary goal for the session

31. Welcome Offer sincere praise for what your tutee has accomplished
Acknowledge and ease your tutee’s fears
Offer sincere praise for what your tutee has accomplished
Empathize with his difficulties
Confirm that asking for help is the “Mercer Way”
suggest a variety of ways to ask for help
share the situations and ways you have asked for help

32. Welcome Maintain a patient and respectful posture and tone of voice
let your tutee do most of the talking
focus your mind on listening instead of judging
Build your tutee’s confidence
discover your tutee’s strengths
encourage your tutee to see herself as having the “right stuff” to succeed academically
insist that your tutee take the credit for her own learning transformations

33. Welcome Engage your tutee by being a good listener
make eye contact
wait for the tutee to finish a thought before jumping in
Monitor your tutee's responses to the session
watch for symptoms of confusion, boredom or distraction
change your approach based on your tutee’s responses

34. Welcome Don't condescend Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
Don't expose confidences
Don’t blame professors or others
Do demonstrate your reliability and interest

35. Task Breakout
Review tutee’s work (writing, homework problems, etc.)
In order to help your tutee focus and relax, suggest that he or she
write out a list of questions
create a short outline for the task at hand
Keep your written review notes brief
Begin your discussion by praising something about the work you reviewed

36. Task Breakout Model clear thinking
be prepared for the lab session
take time with each tutee to gather your thoughts
Model strategic thinking and learning
share a wide range of strategies
explain that developing effective strategies leads to independence
build on the skills and strategies that the tutee is already using

37. Task Breakout Explore analytic methods
progress from the concrete to the semi-concrete to the abstract
sequence processes by isolating and ordering steps and/or stages
separate out writing tasks
ideas/argument/thesis
structure/logic
individual paragraphs
syntax and grammar

38. Task Breakout When your tutee’s goals “put the cart before the horse”
Prioritize the goals for the session based on the appropriate analytic method
When your tutee’s goals “put the cart before the horse”
be diplomatic about addressing your goals first
explain how your priority goals inform your tutee’s goals
If your agendas won’t jibe, set aside time to address your tutee’s goals

39. Task Breakout Don't dismiss your tutee’s goals
Don’t go off on tangents
Don’t plow ahead without outlining where you plan to go in the session
Do find out where your tutee is starting from

40. Solution Process Go back to basics Focus on critical vocabulary
Consider learning styles
yours versus your tutee’s
always share information via multiple channels
Indulge your creativity
Test your own flexibility
allow yourself to make mistakes
be honest about your mistakes

41. Solution Process Review tutee’s class or reading notes
Guide tutee’s critique of his study skills
Review tutee’s class or reading notes
selectivity
organization
Inquire about tutee’s attendance at Supplemental Instruction sessions and/or study groups
Check whether tutee meets with his professor during office hours

42. Solution Process
Experiment with tutoring methods recommended by others
attend discipline specific tutor training
consult with other tutors (maintaining confidentiality all around)
consult outside references (texts and the web)
Encourage tutee to take advantage of outside resources when discipline specific progress is slowed by other deficiencies

43. Solution Process Don't do the work for the tutee
Don’t give out the answers
Don't hold the pencil
Don’t talk too much or too soon
Don’t “show off” using shortcuts or advanced techniques
Do confirm that your tutee can summarize the solution in his own words

44. Concept Review
Ask tutee to work new problems that require applying the same concepts and methods
Suggest a variety of ways the student might practice and apply what she is learning
Apply questioning techniques
Ask tutee to explore conceptual connections, e.g. by drawing a concept map or an illustration

45. Concept Review Don't underestimate the importance of this stage
Don’t allow yourself to dominate the discussion at this point
Don't confuse concept review with teaching
Do listen patiently and offer even more encouragement

46. Next Step Identify the progress made during your session
Ask your tutee to summarize what she accomplished
Ask your tutee if she has any questions
respond to the questions (if there is time)
suggest ways to find answers to open questions

47. Next Step
Ask your tutee what her plan is for completing the task begun during the session
Highlight one learning strategy reviewed during the session and suggest how your tutee might apply it elsewhere

48. Next Step Don't end the session abruptly
Don’t answer questions about grades
Don't let your tutee leave without a plan
Do remind your tutee when the next tutoring lab will be