Question: Hi, Micki, I have an issue with a tutee (I tutor her in trigonometry) who is constantly trying to sneak in her homework during the sessions. In other words, she tells me that we are working on practice problems, but in reality, she is trying to get me to do her homework for her so that she can go hang out with her friends.
It's getting kind of annoying. Any ideas for how to handle this?
Thanks!
Becky
Answer: Hi, Becky - I think you hit on a good topic here. A lot of tutors have been where you are, and many of them have had to (at some point in time) deal with a dishonest tutee who would rather you were a homework completion service.
It's a common misconception that tutors are, essentially, glorified homework services. It doesn't help that there are a ton of places out there that use the name "tutor" for their business when, in reality, they are simply completing the student's homework.
Although the students may love this service short term, in the long run it will be detrimental to their overall learning. True "tutoring" takes place when tutors help students actively learn the *techniques* needed to solve problems, allowing the tutee to use the skills on his or her own - a gift that will last them a lifetime.
Okay - rant over :-)
Your ultimate goal during a tutoring session is to allow your tutee to take responsibility for his or her learning. You are working together to create an independent learner who can master the techniques needed not only for homework, but for tests as well.
So how do you do that?
First, create an environment where your tutee is holding the pencil, working on the problems herself. You simply sit back, and watch her work. If you notice that your tutee is having trouble with a problem, jump in, and help her remember the techniques and steps in solving the problem. Trust me, if you repeatedly remind her of the principles of trigonometry, and how they work in practice, eventually she'll be doing them on her own, and feeling great about her progress.
Second, let her know that you two can work on some of her homework, as long as she is doing the work and implementing the principles and math techniques that you two are going over during the session.
No, you won't be doing her homework, but you will be arming her with the tools she needs to do her own homework. She'll eventually be working out problems right in front of you.
You see, the issue isn't the homework, per se, it is who is doing the homework. If you two go over some trig. principles, and she is able to master them via her homework problems, then you've done your job!
Also, by letting her know that you are on to her homework-sneaking tricks, you can stop the issue in its tracks while still offering your help. It is a win-win!
Good luck out there, and happy tutoring!
Showing posts with label homework tutor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homework tutor. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Setting Tutoring Goals
Goal setting is an important part of the tutoring process. It is a practice that not only helps the tutee realize what he or she needs to accomplish, but it also helps you lay out your session time.
Having goals that you and your tutee agree upon can mean the difference between aimless wandering through a subject, and a clear path towards an achievable accomplishment. Trust me, sessions always go more smoothly, and more successfully, if there are goals established ahead of time.
So how do you get started? And how do you keep the momentum going once the goals have been met?
Here are 5 easy steps towards creating, meeting, and maintaining goals during tutoring sessions.
Step 1) Define the goals.
During your first tutoring session together, list 2-5 goals that both of you agree can be accomplished in a set amount of time. This may be 5 goals to meet by the end of the semester, or 2 goals that can be met in one month's time.
The trick to this is to make sure that the goals are realistic and achievable. You don't want to set goals that are impossible to reach - this will leave your tutee feeling frustrated and will make your sessions a lot less enjoyable.
An example of a goal list may look a little something like this:
a) Learn how to add and subtract fractions by the end of the semester.
b) Get a B+ or better on my next test (test will be in 5 weeks).
c) Raise my class grade.
Step 2) Put together a quick list of how each goal will be met.
Will your tutee put in an extra 20 minutes of homework time every night? Will your tutee form a study group at school, or do a few extra exercises from the book? The trick to step 2 is to make your tutee accountable outside of your tutoring sessions together. Make sure that he or she knows that tutoring is just one part of the puzzle, and that a bit of extra work (besides the tutoring) might be needed to raise his or her grades.
3) Assess your tutee's goal progress every few weeks.
I have found that by looking over my tutee's goals every 2 weeks, I can get a good idea of whether or not things are moving in the right direction. If my tutee is on the right path towards grade improvement, and is putting in the extra effort, then I offer praise and encourage my tutee to keep up the great work.
If I notice that my tutee is struggling a bit with the extra work, or that he or she doesn't seem to be taking the goals seriously, I still offer support and encouragement. I make sure that my tutee knows that every small step will eventually lead to success even though the goal may seem far away at the time.
4) Sometimes a tutor needs to redefine and make some changes.
If a goal winds up being a little out of reach for my tutee, sometimes I will reassess the situation, and my tutee and I will redefine the goal. For example, my tutee may want an A in his or her class, but I realize that an A is just not possible by the end of the semester. Sometimes the points just do not add up, and earning an A on the final may only be enough to move the tutee up to a B+.
In this case, I encourage my tutee to work hard and strive for the A on the final. Earning a B+ is still a great improvement on the original grade for the class, and this has now become a much more achievable goal.
5) Remember to encourage.
Whether or not goals are met, encouragement and support are important elements in any tutoring session. Your tutee needs to know that his or her work is not going unnoticed, and that there are benefits to the extra effort. A quick, "Great job on that last test," or a "Don't worry about it, we'll do some extra work on fractions and your next test will be even better," can go a long way in making a tutee feel like continuing his or her learning efforts.
Goal setting, and goal meeting, are key aspects of the tutoring session. Goals benefit both tutors and tutees and can make sessions go from tolerable to enjoyable. Give these steps a try and watch your tutee take on the new tutoring challenges with pride. For even more information about goal setting, check out your ITA textbook!
Having goals that you and your tutee agree upon can mean the difference between aimless wandering through a subject, and a clear path towards an achievable accomplishment. Trust me, sessions always go more smoothly, and more successfully, if there are goals established ahead of time.
So how do you get started? And how do you keep the momentum going once the goals have been met?
Here are 5 easy steps towards creating, meeting, and maintaining goals during tutoring sessions.
Step 1) Define the goals.
During your first tutoring session together, list 2-5 goals that both of you agree can be accomplished in a set amount of time. This may be 5 goals to meet by the end of the semester, or 2 goals that can be met in one month's time.
The trick to this is to make sure that the goals are realistic and achievable. You don't want to set goals that are impossible to reach - this will leave your tutee feeling frustrated and will make your sessions a lot less enjoyable.
An example of a goal list may look a little something like this:
a) Learn how to add and subtract fractions by the end of the semester.
b) Get a B+ or better on my next test (test will be in 5 weeks).
c) Raise my class grade.
Step 2) Put together a quick list of how each goal will be met.
Will your tutee put in an extra 20 minutes of homework time every night? Will your tutee form a study group at school, or do a few extra exercises from the book? The trick to step 2 is to make your tutee accountable outside of your tutoring sessions together. Make sure that he or she knows that tutoring is just one part of the puzzle, and that a bit of extra work (besides the tutoring) might be needed to raise his or her grades.
3) Assess your tutee's goal progress every few weeks.
I have found that by looking over my tutee's goals every 2 weeks, I can get a good idea of whether or not things are moving in the right direction. If my tutee is on the right path towards grade improvement, and is putting in the extra effort, then I offer praise and encourage my tutee to keep up the great work.
If I notice that my tutee is struggling a bit with the extra work, or that he or she doesn't seem to be taking the goals seriously, I still offer support and encouragement. I make sure that my tutee knows that every small step will eventually lead to success even though the goal may seem far away at the time.
4) Sometimes a tutor needs to redefine and make some changes.
If a goal winds up being a little out of reach for my tutee, sometimes I will reassess the situation, and my tutee and I will redefine the goal. For example, my tutee may want an A in his or her class, but I realize that an A is just not possible by the end of the semester. Sometimes the points just do not add up, and earning an A on the final may only be enough to move the tutee up to a B+.
In this case, I encourage my tutee to work hard and strive for the A on the final. Earning a B+ is still a great improvement on the original grade for the class, and this has now become a much more achievable goal.
5) Remember to encourage.
Whether or not goals are met, encouragement and support are important elements in any tutoring session. Your tutee needs to know that his or her work is not going unnoticed, and that there are benefits to the extra effort. A quick, "Great job on that last test," or a "Don't worry about it, we'll do some extra work on fractions and your next test will be even better," can go a long way in making a tutee feel like continuing his or her learning efforts.
Goal setting, and goal meeting, are key aspects of the tutoring session. Goals benefit both tutors and tutees and can make sessions go from tolerable to enjoyable. Give these steps a try and watch your tutee take on the new tutoring challenges with pride. For even more information about goal setting, check out your ITA textbook!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tutoring Does Not Equal "Homework Service."
A common misconception about tutoring is that it is a way to “get your work done” by a tutor. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth when dealing with a well-trained tutor.
Simply put, active learning is learning by doing. The job of any tutor is to focus the responsibility of learning on the tutee. Ideas, concepts, relationships, and processes are stressed over individual problems.
The ultimate goal is to turn the tutee into an independent learner by developing their general problem solving and study skills.
Although specific example problems are often used by tutors, working through a tutee’s actual homework assignment is not good tutoring.
Typically, a well trained tutor will address the skills and process needed to solve the types of problems in the homework, using similar problems. On occasion, the tutor may even allow the tutee to tackle one of their homework problems while they sit back and observe. In this way, the tutor can assess the tutee’s progress and determine if they are prepared to succeed on their homework.
To sum up, tutees are responsible for their own homework. Tutoring is simply a way for students to get the skills necessary to ultimately succeed on their own. If a tutee starts pressuring you into doing his or her homework, it's time to put the pencils down and talk about tutoring session goals (i.e. not being a homework service)!
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The International Tutoring Association (ITA) stresses “active learning” as part of its web-based Training and Tutor Certification program. Become a stellar tutor today with ITA.
The International Tutoring Association (ITA) stresses “active learning” as part of its web-based Training and Tutor Certification program. Become a stellar tutor today with ITA.
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