Ask Micki: My tutor is moving!

© lusi

Question: Hi, Micki. This question is a little bit different than your usual tutor question.  You see, I'm not a tutor, I'm a tutee, and I have a problem. 

I started tutoring with my current tutor when I was in the 6th grade.  She tutored me in junior high level math back then, and continues to tutor me in math now that I'm a Freshman in college.  Needless to say, she and I have become pretty good friends, and (besides learning a lot about math) we have a lot of fun together during tutoring sessions.

Well, I just found out that she has been offered a job on the East Coast (I live in OR), and will be moving at the end of next month. 

Help! I don't know what to do about this. She has been my only tutor for 8 years, and besides feeling like I'm losing a good friend, I'll be losing a great tutor.  Are there any options for how we could work together long distance? She said that she'll still be tutoring once she moves, and that she's open to the idea of long distance tutoring, but has no idea how to do it.

Thanks for your help!
Janie, a tutee from OR

Answer: Hey, Janie!  Sorry to hear about the impending move, but it is great that you and your tutor have such a great working relationship! Once you have a rapport with a tutor it is definitely something to keep going, and it sounds like you are both enthusiastic about the idea of long distance tutoring.

You know, back when I started tutoring, I would have said "no way."  Long distance tutoring, back in the olden days, was just not very possible, particularly with a visually learned subject like math.

Nowadays, though, long distance tutoring isn't just a possibility, it is a reality for a ton of tutors and tutees around the globe.  Tutees are getting tutoring from countries halfway around the world, so cross-country tutoring is definitely something that you two can do. 

Plus, you'll be in good company as you join the thousands of happy tutors and tutees who long distance tutor.  Long distance tutoring is typically loved by people who do it, partly because of the convenience and flexibility in schedule coordination, partly because of the convenience in tutoring location. 

So how do you two work together and have effective tutoring sessions while living at opposite ends of the country?

The key, as with in-person tutoring, is good communication.  It sounds like you two already have that mastered, so I'll move on to the technological aspects.

I have worked with tutees all around the world, and it has usually gone very well.  I tend to use video chat fairly frequently, partly because I can read the body language of my tutee, I can show my tutee concepts visually, and I can have my tutee show me the work that he or she has done so far. 

So far, video chat is my favorite method for long distance tutoring.  I also appreciate the fact that there is little to no specialized equipment for either of us to purchase, making it more affordable for my tutee and/or my tutee's family.  Most of my tutees have built in cameras on their computers, or have bought a small external camera for a few dollars at a local electronics store. 

For things like essays, or other written assignments, I will have my tutee email me the work a day or two in advance so that I can review it before our tutoring session.  This also works well when I need to send my tutee a document or assignment to review before our tutoring session.

I am also fond of using online document sharing sites so that my tutee and I can share work back and forth. 

How about the rest of you readers? Any long distance or online tutors out there who have tips or techniques to share?

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Ask Micki: Tutee with a flu

Question: Hi, Micki.  I just got a voicemail message from my tutee (I tutor him in college level, elementary Spanish). 

He has a really nasty flu, and told me that it's the first day he's had it, and he feels terrible.  He also said that he doesn't want to cancel our session tonight.  I want to help him out with his Spanish, but I also don't want to get sick.  I am notorious for catching pretty much any flu bug that drifts my way. 

I also don't know how well he's going to hold up sitting upright at the dining table (where we usually work) for a 45 minute tutoring session.

What can I do?
Is there a way to help him without catching the flu?
I don't want to be rude, and make it sound like I don't want to be around his germy self.  I guess I am just not certain how to approach this nicely.

Thank you for your advice,
Justin (the flu catcher!)

Answer: Hi, Justin - I have to admit, you calling yourself a "flu catcher" made me laugh - I can relate! 

Here's what I would do, talk to Justin (either by phone or email).

Mention that sitting upright at a table for 45 minutes worth of session may not be as good for him as getting some rest, let him know that he is doing well with his Spanish and could skip a session (if it is true), offer to reschedule for a better time, mention how easily you catch flu bugs.  Those should be enough hints to take care of the situation.

If your tutee is really determined to be tutored tonight, see if you could set up a chat room, live chat through Google or Yahoo, opt for Skype, use AIM, or correspond via telephone for vocabulary drills.  You could even use one of the video chat software programs available to get more of an "in person" feel.  A friend of mine uses Yahoo video chat for a lot of her sessions.

You could also opt for a combination of the above - maybe try chatting while using the phone to listen to his accent/speaking. 

You get the idea - aim for tutoring him without getting too close.

Good luck, stay healthy, and happy tutoring!
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Tips from Charlie: 5 Quick Tips for Online Tutors

Tips from Charlie: 5 Quick Tips to Make the Most of E-Tutoring

Online tutoring is growing in popularity, and it is important that tutors know the subtle differences between online tutoring and in-person tutoring. It is not just the technology that sets these tutoring styles apart, but the approaches and communication methods used.

Below are 5 quick tips you can use for polishing up your online tutoring skills. You'll most likely recognize a lot of these tips from in-person tutoring scenarios, but with some very subtle changes to make them more fitted to online tutoring.

Enjoy!

Tip #1: Adapt to the comfort level of your tutee. Don't overload him or her with a bunch of different types of technology and communication methods (i.e live chat, email, message board, etc.) before your tutoring even begins; ask what types of communication preferences your tutee has. If he or she likes live chat tutoring, then go for that approach. If your tutee works best via forum posting, then use that tutoring approach. The point is that you want the tutoring session to be comfortable for your tutee so that he or she can focus entirely on the learning, and not on the technology.

Tip# 2: Be patient with your tutee. If you are live chat tutoring, or tutoring in some other way that allows instant discussions, allow ample time for your tutee to answer your questions. There is nothing more frustrating for a tutee than attempting to work through a problem only to be cut off by the tutor.

If a significant amount of time has passed, you may want to check in with your tutee to make sure that he or she is still working, but make sure that you give the tutee plenty of time so that he or she doesn't feel rushed. A rushed tutoring session is never successful.

Patience on the part of the tutor is even more important in online tutoring situations that involve email or forum postings - make sure your tutee feels heard, but never make him or feel rushed. Not every silence needs to be filled in by the tutor. Sometimes your tutee is contemplating a concept, or the next step of the problem.

Tip #3: Keep your online tutoring time relaxed, friendly, and open. Your tutoring session should put your tutee at ease, and make him or her comfortable enough to try new concepts, answer questions, etc.

The dialogue between you two during tutoring also doesn't have to be perfect in spelling or grammatical structure (with the exception of English, language arts, etc.). Often, typing quickly into live chat can yield a few typos; don't worry about these, just stay focused on the tutoring. If you are tutoring math, for example, you shouldn't spend time correcting the tutee's live chat sentence structure when you could be helping him or her with algebra. Focus on the subject at hand, not just how your tutee phrases questions and answers. This will not only make the tutoring more productive, but it will also keep your tutee from feeling self-conscious about his or her participation during he tutoring session.

Tip #4: Be flexible during tutoring, just like you would be in a traditional tutoring environment. You may expect a set number of problems or things to be done during the tutoring session, but it is important to move at the pace that your tutee is most comfortable with. Let your tutee's knowledge and progress drive the tutoring session. If that means getting a bit less, or a bit more, done than you had planned, then so be it.

Tip #5: Keep your tutoring fresh and interesting. Try contributing new discussions, activities, and thought provoking exercises for your tutee during each tutoring session. Come up with ways of opening up dialogue with your tutee that gets him or her thinking about the subject in a bunch of different ways. Ask questions that make your tutee think. Talk about new, innovative ways of solving problems.

An enthusiastic tutor keeps tutees excited about learning, so never underestimate your attitude - it can make or break a tutoring session!

Good luck out there in tutoring cyberspace!
-Charlie