Objectives for Module 2

The tutor will understand the importance of the beginning and ending of a tutoring session and how it can influence the working relationship between the tutor and client.
The tutor will review information on how to involve the client during these time periods of the session.
The tutor will gain knowledge on how to assess your client's needs during the initial session.

Initial Greetings

Greetings are the next hurdle on the way to completing a successful tutoring session. Greetings are easy to implement, but are sometimes skipped over in a hurry to get tutoring underway. By ignoring this step, the client is not given the opportunity to get comfortable with the tutor. Without this comfort level, the client will find it more difficult to disclose information needed to resolve issues. Greetings help establish a rapport that will be carried throughout the session.

Greeting New Clients

Coming to tutoring for the first time can be very intimidating. Because of this, you will need to allow some time for both the tutor and client to get to know each other. To do this, start out the session by telling the client a little about you—major, hobbies, etc. After letting them know something about you, ask the client about his/her self. What is his/her major? Who is his/her instructor? What his/her hobbies and likes/dislikes? This information can later be used in the session. Relate new material to material in which the student is already familiar. This will increase his/her rate of comprehension. For example, if the client likes horses, the tutor might relate a math problem to the furlongs on a racetrack. At this point in the tutoring process, it is very important to listen carefully to any questions and concerns your client may have. This will aid you in determining the focus of your tutoring session.

Greeting Returning Clients

When a session starts, you should not carry on an extensive conversation with a returning client. A few minutes of general conversation should suffice to allow both the tutor and client to feel comfortable with each other and their expected roles.

How to Begin a Session
You know that it takes some bravery and determination for a student to come and ask for help. Understand that the client has taken some risk, and work to make him/her feel comfortable and accepted. You want to begin to establish confidence and trust. You want to learn a little about the student. How does he/she feel about his/her course and assignment? What are his/her concerns? What does he/she want to work on? In the first few minutes of a session, your goals are to set a comfortable tone, and to learn enough about the student and his/her needs to set goals and develop a plan for the session. Remember that most tutoring relationships last longer than just one session, and each step you take to establish trust and rapport will, more than likely, carry over into the next session.

A session begins when your client arrives. Shake hands, give him/her a welcoming smile, and introduce yourself. Your client probably has a good idea what he/she wants to get out of the tutoring session, so you can just ask him/her what he/she wants to work on. Then you can follow up by asking some general, open-ended questions about his/her course and what he/she is working on. It might go something like this:

You: So, what do you want to work on today?
Tutee: I'm in Math 108, and I'm having trouble with the word problems.
You: OK, let's look at what you've done so far.
Tutee: (getting out homework) I worked this one three times, but I can't get the right answer!
You: (looking at the client's work) It looks like you have some good approaches here. Tell me what you already did to try and solve this problem, and we'll work from there.

Begin to build a dialogue with your client. Start with where he/she wants to start, but try to see how he/she is approaching the assignment. A dialog will reveal much about your client's attitudes, strengths, and concerns.

Students come to tutoring with a specific problem they want to solve, usually an immediate one like finishing tonight's homework. Naturally, you want to help students achieve their immediate goals, but a tutor's goal is different. Your goal is to help your clients become better learners and more successful students.

Help students understand that they are not coming to an answer person who will do their work for them. Encourage students to work on their own during the tutoring session; show them that they can use the techniques that you demonstrate when they are working alone. Tell students that they are responsible for doing what they can on their own before coming to see a tutor.

Adapted from Santa Fe Community College Tutoring Handbook, Santa Fe, NM, 2003

The First Session

Get to know the student by finding out his/her interests and background. This is time well spent in establishing a relaxed atmosphere and helping the student feel comfortable asking for help.

Begin to assess your client's needs by listening, observing, and questioning. You will need to help the student analyze both the course tasks and assignments, and his/her behaviors. Analyzing the student's behaviors involves asking the following types of questions:
- Are you differentiating between the critical and less relevant concepts?
- Are you using your study time well?
- Is the material overwhelming or difficult to understand?
- Are you having difficulty in the course?
- Are your class notes detailed and complete?
Share your responsibilities and general goals as a peer tutor. This explanation of your job and its limits will help to ensure that the student does not become over-dependent on you. You may want to ask the student what his/her tutoring expectations and needs are.
Consider whether the difficulties are specifically defined by the subject or involve broader study skills problems. You may need to refer the student to another desk (such as Study Strategies) for more detailed study skill evaluation.

Ending the Tutoring Session

Do not just say "good bye" when the session is over.

The way you close a session is as important as the way you open it. Too often, tutors rush the end of the session, feeling the need to get to the next client. DO NOT RUSH!!! It is at the end of a session that you have a chance to synthesize the session for the client.

You should:

Positively assess the work that was done during the session. Summarize in a sentence or two what you think was accomplished in the session. If you think that the client is walking away with a better understanding of the material, then say so.
Ask the client if he/she has any questions. You may not have covered everything and the client may have some lingering questions that you will want to attend to. If the questions are big ones, you may want to suggest that the client make another appointment to talk them through.

Give assignments or explain expectations of the client if appropriate. Ask the client what his/her plan is after leaving your session to continue to work with the material. If the client does not have a plan, take a moment to help him/her work on one.
Schedule another appointment if you and the client agree it is necessary.
Do any necessary tutor paperwork for your desk.
ALWAYS END THE SESSION WITH A POSITIVE COMMENT!!!

Click on the link below and read "Techniques for Successfully Beginning and Ending a Tutor Session" by Penny Kelley

Techniques for Successfully Beginning and Ending a Tutor Session

Tutor Quiz 2 - L1