Tutor Training

Tutor training occurs at least once per academic year. Training is organized by the coordinator of academic support and consists of an online course and quiz. Additional training materials are provided for study skills and First-Year Seminar tutors. New tutors may log one hour of pay after completing the online training. 

Best Practices for Tutoring Sessions

Establish rapport. The relationship between the tutor and student is essential for successful tutoring. Take a few minutes to get to know the student before jumping right into the material. However, be sure your entire session does not turn into chatting.

Get to know the student. Tutors must be flexible, patient, and approachable. Tutoring requires you to tailor the experience to the student. An example you use for other students may not work all the time and students learn at different paces and through different methods. Ask the student which methods have worked for them in the past and frequently pause to check for understanding. 

Set a goal. It’s always best to set a short-term goal for the tutoring session. In this way, your session has a set structure in mind and you know you’re on the same page as the student. 

Let the student lead. You should let the student set the goal for the session. Ask the student how they would like to use this time and use leading questions. Some useful questions include:

• What concepts did you have difficulty understanding this week?
• Which aspect of the material are you struggling with the most? 
• What do you want to practice? 

If the student is unsure about what to work on, you can ask to look over course materials like assignments and textbooks then ask specific questions about the content.

Maintain structure. Most tutoring sessions are 45 minutes to an hour long. Consider how you might use that time. For an hour session, you could use the following structure.

• Beginning: Establish rapport or review key concepts from the last session. Then, establish a mutual goal. The beginning should take approximately five minutes.
• Middle: Once you’ve set a mutual goal for the session, focus on getting as close to that goal as possible through active learning. Make sure the student has time to practice what you’re teaching. The middle step should take approximately 50 minutes.
• End: Leave room at the end for reflective questions. What did you learn today? Why did we try this technique? What worked best for you? Then, determine what the student will do between sessions. What will they work on independently before they see you again? The end of a session should take approximately five minutes.

Do not do the homework for the student. The goal of tutoring is to help students develop skills needed to complete work independently. It is fine to complete and example or explain course concepts, but make sure to check the student’s understanding. Ask students to complete a problem for you or come up with their own example. If the student gets stuck, ask questions. For example: What’s unclear for you at this part of the problem? Do you want me to walk through my example again?

Check with the professor. If you are confused about something in the materials, feel free to contact the professor teaching the course for clarification. Then, you can better explain it to the student. It’s better to tell a student you’re unsure and check on information then to lead them in the wrong direction.

Always meet in a public space. This protects both people involved in tutoring and keeps the focus on academics. While lounges or common spaces in residence halls are fine, do not meet in a residence hall room or other private living space.

Avoid tutoring friends. When tutoring friends, you run the risk of wasting the session on non-class matters or feeling uncomfortable providing constructive criticism.

Protect your time. Try to start with one to three hours per week per student. Remember, you still need time to complete your own class work. If a student requests additional time, please check with the coordinator of academic support first. 

Ask for help. If you have difficulties with a particular student, feel free to see your supervisor for some ideas. Each student is different and can pose new challenges. Your coordinator can offer advice or provide a new approach to the tutoring session.

Resources for Tutors

Peer Tutor Moodle Page: All tutors have access to the Peer Tutor Moodle page. The page includes training information and study skills presentations. New tutors are encouraged to look through available resources prepare for sessions. 

Learning Effectiveness Program (LEP) Tutor Training: This video from the University of Denver discusses tutoring students with learning differences (particularly ADHD,etc.)

Peer Tutor Training: This video from Cochise College discusses the basics of tutoring students who are writing papers.