Cyber Monday...and Tuesday!

Hello, everyone!

The ITA Cyber Monday sale was such a huge hit that we've decided to extend it!  Cyber Monday has been extended until Tuesday, 11/30/2010 at 11:59 pm (PST).

Now is a great time to renew your membership, or sign up for the first time, and get 40% off the regular rates!

Ask Micki: My tutee is really bored

Question: Hi, Micki, I need some help with something. 

My tutee is a great kid, she's in grade 6, and really tries hard to get involved in every one of our tutoring sessions. 

The problem is, I can tell that she's really bored.  I am tutoring her in very beginning ESL.  She just moved here from Europe. 

Any ideas for how to make things more exciting for her?

Thanks,
Janie in Salt Lake City, Utah

Answer: Hi, Janie! Thanks for your question. 

I can guarantee that you're going to like my answer!

The short answer is - you have one of the best tutoring subjects when it comes to making things more exciting for your tutee!  ESL lends itself to all sort of worksheets and games that are both educational, and a blast to complete. 

By implementing a few of these fun ideas, your tutee will be able to master the English language without having to muscle through a boring tutoring session.

One idea is to role play.  Now, I know that this isn't the traditional tutoring arrangement with seating, but ESL is a different kind of subject that allows for a bit more flexibility when it comes to the physical dynamic of the session.

Get up for about 5 minutes, and act out a scenario with your tutee.  Maybe she can be buying a train ticket, shopping for groceries, making a phone call, asking questions at a pet store, or making polite conversation with a stranger.  You get the idea - make it a fun learning scenario that focuses on the vocabulary and grammar that you are currently working on together. 

Add even more zest by bringing some props.  I try to have, in my tutoring bag, at least a few props to help out with the visualization portion of the ESL tutoring session. 

Believe it or not, I have some plastic fruit (grocery shopping scenario), some fake tickets (movie passes, train ticket, plane ticket, etc.), play money, etc.  These all come in handy for ESL role playing scenarios, so if ESL is your primary tutoring market, by all means put together a little collection of learning aids.

You may also want to put together some fun activity sheets for your ESL tutee.  Simple crossword puzzles, word searches, and word games can all breathe life into tired tutoring sessions. 

Even better, leave a few of these games as "homework" for your tutee.  She will get some practice, and have fun at the same time!

Good luck, have fun, and happy tutoring!

Field Notes: First time tutoring

Hello, readers.  I just returned from my very first tutoring session, and I wanted to share my real life experience for all of the other first time tutors out there!

I have to admit, a few hours before the tutoring appointment, I started to get nervous.  I had never tutored before, not even my friends in school, and wasn't 100% sure that I'd be good at it.  Yes, I read the book, got some of my training, but that first face-to-face tutoring session had me quaking.   Add to that the fact that I was going to eventually be asking this new tutee (I'll call him Greg) for a tutoring evaluation, and you can see why I was shaking in my boots.

So, I did what I always have done when I get nervous.  I spent some free time preparing.  When I'm prepared, I feel more confident, and the nervousness starts to go away.  It also serves to get my mind off of the nervousness, because I'm keeping my mind active. 

So, I sat at my desk, and started coming up with the ultimate tutoring package.  Greg and I were going to be working on algebra, so I spent some time putting together a few study sheets, mini-quizzes, formula sheets, exercises, etc.  By the time 2 o'clock rolled around, I headed out to meet my tutee, study materials in hand.

When Greg and I finally sat down to get to work, I remembered the proper seating arrangement, made sure he had a few sharpened pencils at his side for the worksheets, and we got to talking for a few minutes. 

Instantly, my nervousness disappeared as Greg and I got to know each other a little better.  We talked about his classes, major, my new career as a tutor, etc.  It may have only been about 10 minutes, but it was enough to break the ice and give the whole tutoring session a friendly, upbeat tone.  It was great!

By the time the tutoring session was over, we had worked through about half of the study materials I brought, Greg mentioned how excited he was to finally "understand this stuff," and we were scheduling in a tutoring session for next week.

As I left the Greg's house, and was driving home, it suddenly hit me that somewhere along the way my nervousness had turned to excitement.  I was so thrilled to be doing what I am doing, and I can't imagine a better job than being a tutor.  One of the most positive experiences of my year.

So, my advice to all you new tutors out there?  Just take the plunge, and be prepared for the tutoring.  Put together materials that will help your tutee study, get there a little early for the tutoring session, and don't be afraid to be yourself.  If someone as shy as me can do it, so can you!

~ Mike, a new tutor in Buena Park, CA

Ask Micki: Parents don't think that their child needs tutoring

Question: Hey, there, Micki. I have an unusual question, and I am hoping that you will have an answer for me. 

I was contacted by a high school senior a few months ago; she needed help with chemistry, and was hoping that I could tutor her twice a week. 

I have to say, I was impressed by the fact that it was the student (not the parents) who contacted me about tutoring.  I thought to myself, "Wow! If the student is this motivated to learn, imagine how great and supportive her parents must be!"

Boy, was I completely WRONG. 

When I arrived at the house for our first tutoring session, her mother's first words to me were, "Just so you know: I don't think Amber* needs tutoring.  She insisted, so we said yes, but I think you'll be a waste of money, and I don't think Amber's cut out for chemistry."

Wow, thanks, Mom... 

While Amber's dad wasn't quite so vocal, I was given the same treatment by him, and he was pretty flatly honest about how tutors were an unnecessary expense for "good students." 

I felt bad for my tutee, and I felt bad for me, too.  After all, I was contacted by someone who needed tutoring help, and I was there to do my job, not to be insulted.

It's been a few months, now, and Amber's grades have improved immensely, from Cs to As!  She is also much more confident, and is back to dreaming of a science career of some kind once she gets to college. 

The problem is, her parents are still acting miserably, making little comments, and just not being supportive.  Any ideas on how  to handle the awkward situation?

Thanks for your advice!
Ella, hardworking tutor for 10 years now

* Not the tutee's real name.

Answer: Hi, Ella - yikes! Sounds like you unknowingly walked right into an emotional family minefield.  So, first of all, congratulations for sticking with it, and for sticking by your tutee.  It sounds like she needs, and appreciates, the support you are providing.

My best advice for how to handle this situation is going to be the same advice my parents gave me back in junior high when I was dealing with an obnoxious kid in my class - Ignore it.

I know, I know, easier said than done, but trust me when I say that, when you put in the effort to blow their comments off, it will get easier to ignore their attitudes with each passing tutoring session. 

They are obviously unhappy, rude people.  Sorry to sound judgmental, but from what I've read here, it is true.  Chances are, people who behave like that to strangers are likely just as bad (if not worse) to family.  So, don't focus on their comments. 

Instead, focus on your tutee.  Think about how you showing up twice a week is like a beacon of hope in an otherwise cloudy world for her.  You are not showing up for the parents, you are showing up every week to tutor a kid in chemistry who needs and appreciates your help.  You are giving your tutee confidence, and improving her academic performance.

Both you and your tutee are there for all the right reasons, so try (tough as it may be) to stay focused on that.

You can also do what I tend to do with surly family - counter every negative comment with a positive statement.  If your tutee's parents complain about tutors being unnecessary, counter with a cheery, "Well, I thank you for the opportunity to work with your daughter! She's a really bright student!"

You've now effectively changed the subject, shifted it to a more positive place, and can move on to the tutoring knowing that you were gracious even if her parents were downright rude.

Good luck, and stay positive!

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