Ask Micki: What to do?

© andreyutzu

Question: Hi, Micki, I need some assistance figuring out a situation with a tutee. 

Here's what's up. I have a tutee who is a good friend of mine.  I have tutored her in math for the past 3 years, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

Now, she has moved on to both a pre-calculus and a statistics course.  The pre-calculus is no problem at all.  We're working together with it, and it is going well.

The statistics class is another story, and I have to admit that I am lost.  Like, completely lost.  I have no idea about any of the concepts, and just don't feel comfortable at all tutoring her.  What can I do? 

Will it ruin our tutoring relationship if I find her another tutor? I know a student who is great with stat, and would be a good fit for my tutee's personality and schedule.  I just don't know if I should go for it or not.  Is it an unprofessional thing to do in the tutoring world?

Thanks,
Janet H.


Answer: Hi there, Janet! I think it is great that you have worked with your tutee for 3 years, and that you two have had such a successful tutoring relationship for so long - congrats! 

I also think that it is admirable that you put enough energy and care into your tutoring sessions that you recognize when it is time to refer your tutee to another tutor, and take the time to make it happen. 

The short answer?  Definitely give her that referral!

It is considered very professional to refer within the tutoring world.  Not only that, referrals between tutors are encouraged, and help to strengthen the professional tutoring community as a whole.  You want the best for your tutee, and if that means finding another tutor who can help her more effectively, that is the most professional thing you can do for her.

So refer away!  Your tutee will appreciate it, the referred tutor will appreciate it, and you will be happy sticking to tutoring pre-calculus.  Everyone wins!
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Photo Credit: © sxc.hu/andreyutzu
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/andreyutzu

We asked, you answered!

Here are the results!

 

The breakdown by the numbers (multiple choices allowed) was:
Math: 70%

Foreign Languages: 75%

English: 66%

Humanities & Social Sciences: 33%

Tutoring Business Tools: 25%

Other: 8%

Thanks again to all the tutors who voted - be watching for more learning resources in the areas you requested!

Ask Micki: Mom wants to get involved

© ilco

Question: Hi, Micki.  I have a rare sighting that I want to share with you today.  It's a sighting that I rarely see when tutoring kids of the 21st century...

A mom who wants to get involved without being a total helicopter parent about it! :)

All joking aside, it is pretty refreshing, but I am stuck.  How can I get her involved with my tutee's math tutoring (2nd grader working on fractions right now)?

Thanks a lot!
Becca from FL

Answer: Hi, Becca, thanks for the chuckle!  It's great to hear that you have a tutee whose parent is enthusiastic, and wants to bet involved without helicopter parenting the lessons and tutoring. 

There are a definitely a few things that you can do to get Mom in on the math tutoring so that she can help your student throughout the week, between tutoring sessions.

1. Playtime
Have Mom play some fraction type games with her son.  I know, they sound boring, but trust me when I say that they can be made fun.  Paper crafted pizzas, cakes, and pies can easily be turned into a restaurant game - tons of fun!  Mom can order different combinations of foods, and have her son put the order together before delivering it to her.  She can even "tip" her waiter according to how correct her order was!

These paper fraction foods can also be used in a bakery or grocery store games, and Mom can place orders for various food combinations, just like with the restaurant game.  

2. Interim Tutoring
Have Mom supervise, and support, during her son's homework.  Something tells me this Mom already does this, but just in case she doesn't, get her involved.  Make sure she knows how important it is for her to check over her son's homework, and make sure that she feels comfortable stepping in as an interim tutor if he is having trouble with fractions between tutoring sessions. 

3. Question and Answer
Have Mom ask questions that get her son talking about his studies (in this instance, fractions).  Have you ever noticed that when you talk to someone else about concepts, they tend to stick in your brain?  By getting her son to talk about fractions, Mom will be able to help her son understand and verbalize his new subject matter.

4. Learning Everywhere
Make every day, and every event, a learning opportunity.  If the family heads out to a pizza parlor (yes, I love pizza!), Mom can have her son talk about the fractions involved for each whole pie.  If they go to a store, a baseball game, an arcade...wherever they go, have Mom keeping an eye out for fraction lessons that can be casually worked in to the event.

Good luck, and enjoy the great tutoring environment you have there.  Say thanks to his Mom for me, too - she sounds like a good parent!

*****
Photo Credit: © sxc.hu/ilco
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/ilco

Field Notes: Helicopter Moms

Is it just me, or do there seem to be an overabundance of helicopter parents nowadays? 

I mean, parental involvement is great, without a doubt, but it has gotten ridiculous.  Back when I was a kid (I know, I know, battle cry of the older adults, but I swear I'm only in my mid-30s!), parents weren't afraid to let you try things for yourself.

Sometimes you tried and succeeded.  You felt great about what you accomplished, and it gave you the confidence to go out and tackle anything that you dreamed of doing.  It was a great feeling, and it went a long way in helping you become an independent, confident young adult.

Then there were the times that you tried and fell short of what you wanted to accomplish.  This was also good.  Failures, mistakes, or whatever else you want to call them help build character.  Smart people learn from these mistakes.  Failures develop strength and determination in a person, and there is a great feeling of accomplishment when a student can turn an "I can't" into a "I did it!"

By not letting their children try, helicopter parents are robbing their kids of these possibilities and experiences.  I doubt a child gets the same long-term sense of satisfaction from his mother doing his homework for him. 

You may think I'm kidding, but I'm not.  In the past few months, I have tutored 3 students (7th-9th grade) whose mothers have actually done the homework for them.  No, not helped - they actually did the homework for their children! 

It was in the mother's handwriting each and every time. I was appalled.  I mentioned something, politely of course, to the moms in question, and all gave me a variant of the same answer.

"That's my child, so I have a right to do his homework.  He was getting a B and we (we??) need an A."
Then they sat back as though nothing had happened.  As though what they just said made any sense at all to the development of their child academically or socially.

It honestly left me staring at them, slack-jawed, for a few minutes.  I kept waiting for the laugh, coupled with a "I'm kidding," but that never happened. 

At what point are you crossing the line from Helicopter mom to cheating facilitator?  I'd say completing sheets of homework for your child qualifies. 

Sorry to rant, but these helicopter parents can drive me crazy some days.  Has anyone else had problems with helicopter parents? Ever had a homework scenario like mine? What did you do?

Joana in CA

Ask Micki: Group Tutoring Motivation

Question: Hi, Micki. I need some help with my group tutoring sessions.

I tutor English, and one of my ESL tutoring sessions is in the form of group tutoring.  I tutor 3 ESL students at my college.

They are great students to tutor, really enthusiastic about learning, but I would like to find a way to make class a little more exciting.

I guess what I am looking for are some ways that I can increase motivation, and provide some fun, rather than just using the ESL textbook that they all use. 

Thanks!
Becca from NV

Answer: Hi, there, Becca, thanks for the question!

I think it is great that you are so involved in making sure your tutees not only learn the material, but also that they have a good time doing it.  I'm sure they're happy to have such a proactive, thoughtful tutor!

Here are a few ideas that work really well with ESL tutees, particularly in group tutoring settings.

1. Use realia. 
Realia can provide a breath of fresh air from the usual book based learning.  These tutoring props also help ESL students work with new vocabulary in a real-world setting.  Clocks, money, brochures, and grocery items are some good examples of items that can be used to illustrate and reinforce vocabulary and grammar.  For a really great example of realia in ESL tutoring, check out this blog posting from an ESL tutor. 

2. Get your group talking.  
Conversational skills are an important part of ESL learning.  During a conversation, both vocabulary and grammar are utilized, and ESL students can begin to get comfortable conversing with other speakers of English.  Take this into your group setting by asking and answering questions back and forth with your tutees.  Then, have them talk to one another about various things.  Each tutee can talk briefly about classes, the weather, their family, or what time of the day it is.  Anything to get your tutees talking with you, and with one another.

3. Stories as learning tools.  
Have each of your tutees, in turn, tell a brief story about something that has happened in his or her past.  This can be anything - a favorite trip, beloved pet, family memory, or anything else that your tutee wants to tell a story about during tutoring.  If you have students who are new to learning English, you will want to ask them to write out their short story ahead of time, so that they have something prepared before your next tutoring session (this way your tutee are not put on the spot with the exercise).

4. Show and tell.
Not just for kids, show and tell can be a powerful learning tool for ESL students of all ages.  Much like telling a story, having your tutees talk about favorite or cherished items will get them to open up and practice conversation skills.  Every ESL tutor I know loves the show and tell technique when working with their tutees.   

5. Play a game.
Games are great motivators when it comes to learning.  There's nothing quite like learning while having fun - it hardly seems like work at all!  Try to find a couple of tried and true games that will help your tutees learn English.  Or, if you are feeling creative, come up with some games of your own.  Try a version of Hangman, or hand out simple crossword puzzles.  Anything to make learning English a little more fun.

Implementing a couple of these techniques will make your ESL group tutoring a little more fun, and will keep your tutees motivated both during and after the session!