Tips from Charlie: Learning Tools

I used to think that tutoring was all about using my own knowledge and my tutee's textbook.

Then I started tutoring younger kids and it changed the way I tutored forever.

Kids can be great to work with.  They are enthusiastic (most of the time), are honest about what they do and don't know, and have a very different way of learning...they also, like myself, have shorter attention spans than most grown adults!

I started realizing that my tutoring sessions with kids were just not as exciting and full of zest as they could be.  So, I sat down and did some thinking.  What did I respond to at a younger age? What bored me?  What got me enthusiastic about learning?

The answer, as it turns out, was using learning tools during our tutoring sessions.

Learning tools can turn a drab tutoring session into an exciting learning opportunity!

I used simple experiments to tutor the concepts of electricity and chemistry.  I brought games and activities that showcased the exciting world of math.  I dug out my old microscope and brought simple slides to go over biology concepts and make them more interesting.

In other words, any tutoring tool I could get my hands on (that related to the subjects I tutored), I brought with me to tutoring sessions.

The results were amazing, and I noticed that not only was I getting more excited learners, but I was getting happier parents.  One mom told me that I was the only person who had managed to get her son excited about science.  He had hated the subject before our tutoring had started.

An unexpected benefit to this new technique were the referrals I was getting from other parents.  I was known as the fun tutor who could actually get kids to learn boring subjects.  I was honored, and thrilled to have the "title."

So, if you are looking for a way to spice up your sessions, thrill parents, and garner referrals, look no further than tutoring and learning tools!

~ Charlie

Ask Micki: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Tutee

Question: Hello, Micki. I'm having a small problem that I am hoping you could help me with. My tutee, I'll call him Charlie, is a really friendly guy normally. We are actually friends at our university (we're freshmen), and I tutor him in Calculus on the weekends.

The problem is, during our tutoring sessions, Charlie is a totally different person. He gets really defensive when he doesn't know the answer to a question, criticizes the way I try to help him, is generally cranky, and sometimes he outright lies about knowing how to do a problem even when he really doesn't.

I don't know what to do. We're pretty good friends outside of the tutoring sessions, so it is kind of an awkward situation.

Thanks for your help!
~ Anonymous Math Tutor from Lansing, MI

Answer: Hi, there, Anonymous Math Tutor - sounds like an awkward situation, without a doubt!

First off, if the situation is really bad, and it is truly uncomfortable tutoring Charlie, it may be best to look elsewhere for a tutee. Dropping a tutee is difficult, but can become necessary if the sessions are uncomfortable to the point of being unproductive.

Some personalities mesh wonderfully in friendship, but not so well professionally.

That being said...Believe it or not, I've heard of this happening quite a bit with friends who start tutoring together. The thing is your friend/tutee is feeling kind of self-conscious right now because he is, essentially, admitting that you may know a bit more about math than he does.

He's putting himself out there and accepting help, not an easy thing for some people to do.

Charlie may also be having a tough time separating the business side of his life (tutoring sessions) with the personal side of his life (your friendship).

Add to that the fact that he is probably a little apprehensive about his class, new environment, grades, etc., and you can see how the situation may be a bit more tense than your usual tutoring sessions.

The good news is that practically every one I have talked to who has had this problem has told me that it just takes time and patience for the situation to take care of itself.

Be patient with Charlie, let him know that he is doing a great job, ask him about his class outside of your usual tutoring sessions, and let him know that you understand how difficult Calculus can be.

Most of all, stay friendly and professional during tutoring, and eventually you and Charlie will have a much better tutoring relationship.

Good luck, and as always, happy tutoring!

Ask Micki: Tutee who won't pay

Question: Hi, Micki. I've been tutoring a high school student who had been failing his French class. Although I was very clear with his parents that I could not guarantee that he would achieve the B grade the wanted him to get, but now that the class is over and he got a C, they don't want to pay me. What do I do?

Answer: Sorry to hear about the recent payment recent problems with your tutee. Unfortunately I had the same thing happen to me about 10 years ago, and this is how I handled it. I was contacted by a set of parents, to help their daughter, we'll call her Christine, in her Writing class. Much like your own tutee, she was failing, and she needed to pass in order to maintain her GPA and stay on the Volleyball team.

With only a month left in the semester, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Christine was an eager tutee, and we managed to bring her grade up to passing (she just missed getting a B). I was very happy for her, but when I sent the bill, her parents said that they would pay me half of my usual rate, since Christine had been put on probation with her Volleyball team.

I arranged to meet with them, and we talked through the problem in person. After a lot of negotiation, they agreed to pay the full amount, and agreed to take Christine on for tutoring the next semester, so she didn't fall behind so badly.

It was this experience that taught me to use tutoring contracts whenever I take on a new tutee, so that they have a very clear idea of what they can expect from our tutoring sessions, as well as the outcome they can expect.

Another quick tip for you - arrange a payment schedule with your tutee (or the responsible party), and be sure to get written confirmation of your hours each time you tutor. The tutoring log is a similar to what I've always used, since it has the tutee's initials on each line next to the date, start, and stop times. It didn't help in the situation I had with Christine, since her issue was about the grade, but it has helped in other cases, when tutees disputed the hours.

Good luck and, as always, happy tutoring!