Tutor Training Lessons

  Lesson I        View “The Tutor’s Role” Module 1 in Productive Tutoring Techniques (10:55 min.)

Question:  As a tutor at MUW, in which of the four tutor roles described in the video do you see yourself most ?  Why?
Describe or give an example of ways in which you have fulfilled each role.  Note that the role of a tutor as a tutoring center employee may differ from our program.


    Lesson II       View “ The First Session” which is lesson 2 in The Tutor’s Guide.     (15 min.)

        Questions: What are the rules, procedures and guidelines of the MUW tutoring program that should be clarified
        during the first tutoring session?
        Compare the effective interactions with those tutors in the video that were less than successful.  What did the tutors
        the effective interactions do and say to create rapport?  How could other tutors have responded differently?

  Lesson III       View “Positive Reinforcement” in Productive Tutoring Techniques.     (8:28 min.)

       Questions:   List as many verbal and nonverbal statements of positive reinforcement that would be appropriate in a
        tutoring  situation.

       Describe ways to positively reinforce a student who makes an error, if frustrated or is only partially correct.

  Lesson IV      View “Listening Skills” in Productive Tutoring Techniques.      (11:07 min.)

       Questions: This video emphasizes the importance of listening and waiting to give students the opportunity to ask
       and answer question.  What decisions should the tutor be making while waiting or listening?   Hint - What
       decisions are Charles, Marcia and Jessica making as they listen to their students talk?

       Experiment with lengthening your wait time for students to answer questions.  Record your observations.

  Lesson V       View “ The Student’s Ideas” in Productive Tutoring Techniques.      ( 13:24 min.)

       Questions:  Think of a class you have taken recently in which the teacher encouraged participation.  What
       specific things (verbal or non verbal) did the teacher do to encourage participation?  Think of a course in
       which the participation was not encouraged.  What specific things (knowingly or unintentional) did the teacher
       do that discouraged participation? (I don’t need to know the teacher’s name)

        This video lesson emphasizes the idea that students build new concepts on the backs of old ones; therefore,
        it is important for the tutor to determine what the students already knows.  Describe some ways a tutor can
        determine a student’s level of understanding prior to beginning instruction?

  Lesson VI      View the video “Importance of Student Verbalization” in Productive Tutoring Techniques.
                            (15:11 min.)

       Questions: Think about or replay the last two sections of the video lesson.  In each case what did the
        students discover in the process of verbalizing and what spoken word or words, if any, helped to generate the discovery?

 Lesson VII      View “ Questioning Skills” in Productive Tutoring Techniques.     (13:22)     If you want to know
    more about  Socratic Questioning, view “Diagnosis and the Socratic Method” in The Tutor’s Guide.

       Questions: From your subject matter, Write an example of a memory level question, a comprehension level
        question, and a application level question.
       Also write a series of questions (in the Socratic questioning style) that would lead students to a correct concept
        you might be teaching.

  Lesson VIII      View “ Helping the Student Become an Independent Learner” in Productive
                            Tutoring Techniques.      (17:44 min.)

       Question:  In your content area, describe as many study tips and resources as you can think of that might aid a
        student in becoming a more independent learner.  Consider resources both in within and without the Academic
        Support Center.

  Lesson IX      View  “Direct Techniques” in Productive Tutoring Techniques.     (15:06 min.)

       Questions: Think of a skill or concept that you have recently tutored.  Write explanations of that skill or
        concept (1) using a series of questions, (2) using a visual, and (3) using a real-life example.

  Lesson X      View the video “ Managing Group Tutorials” in The Tutor’s Guide.     (15 min.)

       Questions: Describe how you might keep a dominant person from monopolizing a group tutoring session.
       Describe several other basic approaches you can use to make group tutorial sessions in your subject
        area more productive.

  Lesson XI      From The Tutor’s Guide series, view the video from your content area -