Goals:
*Help the students organize their homework for the week in the courses I am tutoring, so they know what needs to be done
*Help them focus on the homework set without outside classroom distractions
*Help develop routines for the students that allows them to complete their work in a timely and neat fashion, such as helping them
plan the best times to do their work and help them figure out strategies for solving difficult problems without my assistance.
*Help them set up weekly goals and show them what are reasonable goals
Establishing a Connection:
*Present myself as a person, give them background information that explains my purpose for tutoring them, as well as answering questions they might have about my interests. Our exchange of personal information should be based around the comfort level of the student and the guidelines of a standard teacher/student relationship.
*Learn about the students. Ask about hobbies, activities, family, friends, etc.
*Learn what they like/dislike about school.
*Listen to my student. Remember that what occurs outside of school is just as important as what does inside.
Pre-Assessment:
*Ask to see old homework
*Ask them how they feel about their performance in the class
*Observe how they do their work and watch how they react to different questions
*Ask the primary teacher to provide information about the students’ previous performance in class
Strategies for Assisting:
*Allow students to identify on their own what they are struggling with
*Help them set up a reasonable agenda for getting their homework done that week by familiarizing the student with the use of a planner or other record-keeping method and working with them to plan homework sessions.
*Correct/Review old homework together
*If students enjoy or connect more with a certain subject, see if I can connect that subject to the material they are working on with me.
*Encourage the students to create a method that allows them to succeed without a tutor. Flashcards or games like Memory work really well for foreign languages.
*Help the student to discover what type of learner they are: visual, aditory, kinaethetic, and also consider emotional and biobehavioral issues. This will help the student to succeed with what works best for individual mastery.
Ongoing Assessment:
*Have students repeat to me what I explain to them in their own words
*Challenge their explanations to assess if they truly understand the material.
*Ask how the student feels they are doing in the course
*Encourage them to ask questions in class
*Monitor what they have questions on from week to week, see if the issues are similar
*Present different methods of instruction and ask them what they understand better
*Let the students set up goals for the week, see if they are reasonable and focused
