Thanks for your insightful reflections on the article "Give a man a fish...". I'm glad that most of you were able to get something helpful from the article. I really appreciate that all of you are teachable and still willing to learn how to be a better tutor.
Here's another piece of reading for you (see left column "Tutoring Scenerios and Potential Problems."). Please post your reflections on these different scenerios you might encounter with your tutees. Also if you have any other common scenarios to share, please share it with us and tell us how you dealt with it. The reflection is due on 9/19 (Fri). Thanks everyone.
12 comments:
I agree that we should not do our students' assignments. Instead, the students should make extra effort to learn things on their own. There were several instances that some students asked me if I could do their writing in English. I always tell them that I would like them to pass, and that I could only guide them what to work on. I let my students do some freewriting, then make the student think of which is the most important thing to talk about. In this way, I am giving students the chance to solve problems on their own. (n.cachola)
This is a really good article on how to get the tutee to become more independent. I know that I have encountered many of these situations and sometimes it seemed easier and faster to do some problems as examples rather than to guide them. This is especially so if there is only one of you and many of them. In these situations I usually encourage them to try their some problems and I check to see what kinds of mistakes they are making and let them know where they have to be extra careful (and giving them extra praise for their efforts). If I just told them how to do the whole problem then I wouldn't be emphasizing the part of the problem they are having trouble on. This encourages and makes them more confident to tackle similar problems by themselves.
--E.T.
These scenarios are very true and pretty much can occur on a weekly, if not daily basis. One thing I find myself doing if the tutee is having difficulty with a problem is creating a "practice problem" that is similar so that we walk through it together step by step. Once we are done I ask if they understand and if they need clarification on anything before they continue with their original problem. For the most part they are able to continue on their own. The tutees are very excited and amazed when they complete the assignment after the "practice problem" and feel really good about themselves. They are very appreciative for the extra help and it show in their attitude and body language. As we all know attitude and body language says a lot. J.R.
This article is helping me see where I need improvement to tutor students. I have encountered most of these situations and it's true that I won't always be there to help them. And I do some of the things that they mentioned like making an example problem to see where they have trouble comprehending the question. These are very good situations to actually give you a reflection as to how you're doing as the tutor. [N.G]
Although I haven't worked with much students yet, I came across a similar situation like the one stated in scenario two. A student in Kawamura's class kept asking me to check her work before she turned it in. She would do several problems and then ask me if they were right. At first, I checked it and told her which ones she should look over again. Eventually, she become dependent on asking me to check her answers. After realizing the pattern, I politely told her to double check her answers on her own and to only ask me for help if she had trouble doing the problem. I tried my best to provide her with help without giving the answers or simply telling her what to do. I remembered what the previous article said about how a good tutor is one who allows the student to be an independent learner. This article showed me how I can handle different scenarios when they come my way. Thanks! [C.P.]
oops, I meant:
Eventually, she became dependent on asking me to check her answers.
:)
[C.P.]
All these scenarios seem likely to pop up with tutoring. This article guides tutors on how they can appropriately handle the situation. This article also reminds tutors that our main purpose is to guide the tutee through the process,and not to do the process for them. It's hard to turn away a tutee because it could seem like we're discoraging them, but these responses to the situations show how a tutor can be helpful and supportive for the tutee, but make sure that the tutor is not doing the work for them.
I really liked how this article gave word for word examples on what to say when you're faced with a problem. Especially after you've helped a student for a certain amount of time, the student starts to become more dependent and needy. The scenarios in the article are good examples of this happening. I, myself have encountered many of these situations and you can only do so much to help a student out. By giving them answers such as those in the article creates a push for confidence so that the student can work at his/her potential.
-LR
The scenarios are all things that we go though. All of the "Mister, can you check this?" and "I don't understand what the teacher is saying." It helped me realize some of the things that I was doing wrong or could have been doing better on. Giving the answers to students is not a good habit to be forming. They start to rely on you and then they lose thier independce. The thing that really hit home for me was the scenario of the student not liking the way the teacher teaches. Some students that I tutor don't like or undertand some teachers and they are starting to slack in class because of it. I realized that I should ask them to pay more attention in class because it will be better for them to try and understand something rather than nothing.
D.I.
ps. sorry that this was late.
I agree thatstudent's assignment should not be done by us. Tell the students about managing their time. They needed time in order to pass the subject and not only be depending on us. Encouarage them to do their assignments, projects in order to pass the subject. In case, they are disappointed in their subject or teachers , tell them that they can make it. The only thing they have to do is follow the requirements needed to turn in and study in their subjects. Tell them to talk also to the teachers so that tey can be understood in case they have problems. I talk to them and asked them whatever problems they have.
mcv.
The article is really challenging for me, as I'm performing my job as a part time teacher. If I do my students' assignments I'm teaching him/her to cheat, or get things in an easy way. Encourage them to do and try their best in order to be successful in life.
thanks
e.f.
Wow! what a cool article. IT shows you what you, as a tutor will eventually have to face from your tutees. With all of these examples shown, I feel that I will be able to handle what students tell me or ask me to do for them. I agree that all of the responses to the scenarios would help the students be more independent and learn the material instead of just getting by it. Students really need to be more independent and this article shows how tutors can help them achieve their independency.???-is that a real word???
-JM
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