Conducting and Managing a Tutoring Session: Balancing Tutor Involvement and Empowering the Tutee (LTAT 310 POST #2)
Hey there! So, as a tutor with experience in both traditional classroom teaching and tutoring, I've realized that it's super important to find the right balance between guiding our tutees and letting them think and work independently. We don't want to dominate the session, right? That would only make it harder for them to learn and grow on their own.
That's where the 12-step tutoring cycle comes in. It's a great tool to help us avoid taking over a tutoring session. By following these steps, we can keep tutees engaged and actively learning, while still giving them room to think for themselves.
I recently checked out Niko Crumpton's "Tutoring Cycle Strength Training" video, and it was really eye-opening. Even though the video had a shorter version of the tutoring cycle, it still matched up well with the 12 steps from the reading. I found it super useful to think about my own experiences, strengths, and challenges in structuring study sessions.
Some of the cool advice I got from the video was to be more patient, ask more questions, and let tutees take their time when processing info. One key takeaway, which I think is really wise, is to "be more Socratic." It's a great reminder to always consider the tutee's pace and guide them with thoughtful questions.
Now, I want to focus on agenda setting for the rest of the semester, and there are two main reasons for that. First, coming from a traditional classroom, the agenda is usually pre-set, and the expectations are different. So, I need to work on being less dominant in a tutoring session. Second, I've noticed that, as a tutor, I often wing it and take a "seat-of-my-pants" approach. That's why I believe working on agenda-setting will help me create more structured and productive sessions for my tutees.
By concentrating on agenda setting, I'm hoping to better support my tutees in reaching their goals and becoming more independent learners. I'm excited to see the progress we'll make together!
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Hi Ron! I had the same conclusion after our first lesson—I realized that I've been spending too much time lecturing and giving them things close to the answer when I should've been only guiding them to find the answer themselves. That 5 second rule when asking questions was helpful as I don't usually see them have the chance to process questions and to conjure up an answer before I'm helping them out already. Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteDude, I definitely hear you! It doesn't help that. I have ADHD, so my brain always feels like it's trying to approach faster than light travel. The five second rule is a good one to keep in mind, especially for someone like me, LOL. From what I can tell, based on what you wrote, you are incredibly intelligent, and extremely driven. I'm absolutely positive you'll figure out how best to approach your sessions.
DeleteHello Ron! I liked the part where you said that would simply make learning and growing on their own more difficult. Our major objective is to get them thinking on their own and to assist them on becoming independent learners. I enjoyed reading your blog, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHey Ron,
ReplyDeleteI found the video very helpful too. My second session went a lot smoother and I was able to implement the steps. Makes sense that the agenda would be something you need to work on based on your prior experience. It's nice that it's an early step, and would likely be a strong signal for you to maintain the goal of tutoring and keep it tutee centric. Wish you the best with that!
I wish there was a like button haha! Thanks for the comment!
DeleteSetting an agenda, like many external structures, is a great way for a person with ADHD to create order. I find that if I have a written agenda, I may or may not follow it, but it helps me stay on track.
DeleteVERY TRUE! When I do use them, I almost never follow them exactly, but I do hit my points
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