Learning Resource Center

Tutor Handbook

Dear Tutor: Let me be the first to extend my congratulations to you on being chosen to become a tutor with the Learning Resource Center. Your selection as a tutor is indicative of the confidence that faculty members and the staff of the Learning Resource Center have in your ability to support the university’s effort to provide academic support to Butler students. We encourage you to enjoy the challenges and rewards of this position. Tutoring is one of the most effective interventions for students who are struggling with grasping and understanding difficult concepts presented in class. In addition to the satisfaction that comes from supporting others as they work to achieve their academic goals, you will learn a great deal as you review material and help tutees to learn how to be successful. The staff of the Learning Resource Center appreciates your efforts and wants to support your important work. The Tutor Handbook was created to offer you general guidelines and tutoring principles and strategies, as well as teaching tips that will assist you in making the most of your tutoring experience. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns; I look forward to playing a role in both your personal and professional development as a tutor.

Emily E. Burke Associate Director Tutoring Coordinator Learning Resource Center [email protected]

Overview of Peer Tutoring Tutors help students to gain an understanding of course material, plan and organize assignments, develop study techniques, as well as provide encouragement and support. The goal of tutoring is to assist tutees in further developing and strengthening their learning skills to help them to become confident, independent, and successful students. Because tutors play an important role in assisting students to achieve success in their academic endeavors, it is important to pay close attention to the below-mentioned qualities which will enhance your tutoring style. □

Professionalism – You are part of a professional team. As such, faculty and staff respect you for your service. You may find that some of the students you tutor look up to you as a model for academic success. The following behaviors enhance your role as a tutor:  Being prepared for tutoring sessions and classes  Being on time for tutoring sessions and classes  Expressing enthusiasm for the subject being tutored  Giving credit or praise for achievement that reflects positive change The following behaviors may likely detract from your role as a tutor: X Not being prepared or on time for tutoring sessions or classes X Turning tutoring sessions or classes into a social time X Criticizing instructors, other tutees, etc. X Being overly critical of your tutees

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Confidentiality – All tutors are in a potential position to hear information about a student’s personal and academic life. You are not to discuss these matters with other individuals. If you are concerned about something that is revealed to you, please contact the Tutoring Coordinator as soon as possible.

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Patience – It takes a great deal of patience, understanding, and interpersonal skills to be an effective tutor. Although progress may be slow at times, the patience you demonstrate can play an instrumental role in effecting positive change. If you find yourself becoming frustrated, please contact the Tutoring Coordinator for assistance.

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Equality – It is important to remember that a tutee is a fellow student and a peer. Respect for and sensitivity to the student’s needs are keys to success in the tutoring process.

The Tutoring Cycle The goal of tutoring is to help tutees increase their confidence and learn how to learn independently, eventually reducing their dependence on tutoring. By following these steps, tutors help tutees become more independent learners. This cycle can be adapted for all subjects, as well as for group, individual, and drop-in tutoring. Utilize this guide to assist you in structuring tutoring sessions in a consistent, goal-directed manner. Greeting and Climate Setting □ Greet tutee by name. □ Display friendliness and politeness (smile, gesture). □ Arrange physical seating (next to, not across from each other). □ Set a positive, task-directed atmosphere. □ Encourage tutee to begin the session (open books and notes, etc.). Identification of Task □ Provide opportunity for tutee to state task for the session. □ Use questions to clarify tutee’s immediate concerns (“Please share with me the point at which you began to get confused”, or, “What was the most difficult part for you?”) □ Restate the tutee’s expressed difficulty to assist in helping him/her to identify what is needed to focus activities for the session. □ Use empathetic statements to help the tutee define the problem. (“That part can be really challenging or difficult.”) Set an Agenda □ Involve the tutee in setting the agenda (“We have ___ minutes today, how should we use them?” or “What should we focus on today?”). □ Require tutee to state agenda, in an effort to help him/her in playing an active role in allocating time on each task. Jot down an informal plan for the session. □ Readjust agenda as necessary, keep track of time. Breaking the Task into Smaller Parts □ Ask the tutee to break the task or problems into steps (“Please show me how you did this in class.” or “How do you begin?”); if the tutee is already struggling with breaking down the task, demonstrate how to do so effectively. □ Restate the steps mentioned. Have the tutee take notes, if appropriate. □ Ask the tutee to explain the steps to confirm understanding (“Okay, so now you tell me what we have to do for this kind of problem”). Identification of Thought Processes □ Ask the tutee to explain the general approach learned in class for this type of problem/concept/thought process. □ Help the tutee understand the basic format of the text and how it was used to understand the thought process for understanding this type of problem. □ Help the tutee understand other sources of information (notes, handouts) for solving problems o Ask tutee to recite the general approach learned to ensure his/her understanding for solving similar types of problems when studying alone.

Address the Task □ Encourage tutee to address the task without overtly directing him/her. □ Respond appropriately, but do not interrupt tutee’s thought process. Pencil and paper should remain in front of tutee, not the tutor. □ Encourage tutee to do most of the talking/learning. Do not over-explain or take control. □ Allow sufficient wait time (“10 second rule”) for tutee to act, speak, or explain, before tutor engages in explanation. Tutee Summary of Content □ Encourage tutee to summarize/explain what has been learned (“Let’s review or summarize”). □ Wait for the tutee’s summary to run its course without interrupting or correcting. Give tutee opportunity for self-correcting by asking questions, then waiting. □ Determine if tutee’s understanding would allow the completion of a similar task, without the assistance of tutoring. □ If understanding is incomplete, return to addressing the task to provide tutee with needed clarification. Tutee Summary of Underlying Skills and Processes □ Encourage tutee to summarize the skills/thought processes for addressing the task. (“So, please explain how to solve this type of problem again.”) □ Wait for tutee’s summary to run its course without interruption or correction. □ If summary is incomplete, return to addressing the task. Confirmation □ After tutee explains content and process, offer positive reinforcement, and confirm his/her improved understanding. □ Use sincere praise and encouragement. □ Encourage tutee to evaluate his/her work, and to be proud of accomplishments. What Next? □ Help tutee anticipate what he/she will learn next and how it might connect to the current task. □ Help tutee understand how information from class, tutoring, and resources is connected. □ Ask future-oriented questions, for example, “What is the next concept that you will likely learn in class?”, or, “How will what we did today help you in solving future problems?” Arrange and Plan Next Session □ Confirm date, time, and location of next session. □ Talk briefly about plan for next session. Ask tutee, “What should we do when we meet next time? What will you have done to prepare before the next session?” Closing and Good-bye □ Thank tutee for contributions made during the session (e.g. being prepared, having homework completed). □ End session on a positive note (“You really worked hard today!”). Macdonald, Ross B. (1994). The Master Tutor: A Guidebook for More Effective Tutoring. Williamsville, NY: Cambridge Stratford Study Skill Institute.

Keys for Enhancing Communication with Tutees □

Ask open-ended questions rather than close-ended questions. For example, “How are you preparing for the upcoming test?” (encourages tutees to talk), rather than “Did you study for the upcoming test?” (can be answered simply by stating “yes” or “no”).

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Request that tutees verbalize examples, explanations, theories, processes, causes, effects, comparisons, solutions, etc. There may be occasions in which tutees are hesitant to admit that they do not understand a concept, therefore, requesting that they verbally explain information will assist you in accurately assessing the tutee’s level of understanding. Make efforts to reassure tutees that honestly sharing their true level of understanding is imperative, in an effort to maximize the effectiveness of the tutoring sessions.

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It takes courage for people to admit that they need assistance. They may have low selfesteem or feel embarrassed about needing the assistance of a tutor. In addition, they may feel frustrated, discouraged, or anxious about the academic difficulty they have been experiencing. Make efforts to help them to build on their accomplishments. Begin at a level with which they feel comfortable, and then challenge them to learn more as they begin to increase their self-confidence. Make certain that praise and encouragement are genuine in nature.

Helpful Tips to Pass Along to Tutees □ □ □ □

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Read the syllabus. Record all dates on a calendar, and review the learning objectives throughout the semester. Attend every class. Read the assigned reading before attending the lecture. Make notes more complete and understandable by revising them. This will provide an opportunity to add information that the tutee did not have time to get down on paper during the class, as well as the chance to re-organize the information. (The process of revising notes helps enhance the tutee’s memory of the material, which will aid in exam preparation.) Review lecture notes within several hours of taking them, as this will aid in memory enhancement. Keep all course related materials together, for example, in a 3-ring binder. Pay close attention to all directions provided by the instructor. Any work submitted to an instructor should be neat, professional looking, and grammatically correct. If the tutee is struggling with study skills (process, as opposed to content) and they could benefit from additional assistance, please refer them to the Learning Resource Center for additional support.

Tutoring Techniques □

Questions and listening – By encouraging the tutee to engage in frequent summarization of the information being discussed, the tutor can identify potential problem areas and reinforce learning for the tutee. Two of the key ingredients for this successful interchange are asking effective questions and listening effectively. o

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Open-ended questions – require the tutee to respond in a more elaborate manner than just “yes” or “no”. Examples of open-ended questions: - “Where do you think we should start?” - “What are the steps involved in working this problem?” - “What is the definition?” - “What is the author trying to convey?” Probing questions – follow up on a tutee’s contribution. Examples of probing questions: - “What will happen if what you said was true?” - “What made you think that?” - “What is the opposite of this position?” “You are correct – the answer to the question in false – what would be needed to make the statement true?” Effective listening – To be an effective tutor, it is important to slow down and concentrate on what the tutee is saying. It is important to listen carefully to make certain that the tutee is grasping and under-standing the concepts accurately.

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Tutee summaries – Encourage the tutee to share a brief summary of his/her perception of the content covered during the session. This will assist in the determination of whether the tutor can move on to another topic or if he/she needs to remain with the present one. If the summary is difficult for the tutee, then the tutor should remain with the current topic until the tutee can summarize the content.

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Drawings and diagrams – For visual learners, tactile learners, or for certain kinds of content fields (e.g. science), tutors may find that drawing a diagram is the most effective manner in which to convey information. For example, it is typically easier to understand a drawing of carbon dioxide, as compared to hearing an explanation of carbon dioxide.

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Use reinforcement – It is important for tutors to acknowledge the successes, as well as the mistakes, of tutees. When using reinforcement, acknowledge the tutee’s gain, and be as specific as possible. Providing reinforcement can be valuable in helping the tutee to gain a sense of accomplishment and give tutees incentives to do more. Some examples of reinforcing statements:  “You have really been working hard on this. I am proud of your effort.”  “You are really doing much better with _______”  “Good job on _______!”

Learning Styles The manner in which an individual prefers to learn is called his/her learning style. Tutees are encouraged to assess individual learning styles by completing the Learning Style Assessment or the Learning Style Profile Generator prior to beginning sessions with a tutor. There are many assessments available for free on the internet for students to complete. By examining learning styles, tutors will become aware how each person processes information most effectively, and this will assist the tutor in adapting tutoring strategies. Three types of learning styles are: -

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Auditory – Tutors can assist these learners in processing information by encouraging the tutee to explain the material verbally, asking them to read explanations out loud, and encouraging them to read the steps of solving a problem out loud. Tactile/Kinesthetic – Tutors can assist these learners in processing information by having them write while they are reading or talking, encouraging them to make flashcards for each step in a multi-step procedure, and advising them to spend extra time in any labs offered. Visual – Tutors can assist these learners in processing information by encouraging them to take notes during the session, using a blackboard or notepaper for both of you to write questions and answers, encouraging them to use color-coded highlighting, and by using illustrations/diagrams/charts, etc.

Integrating Study & Learning Strategies into the Tutorial Session □ Attitude  Keeping a “Learning Journal” to record learning strategies, notes from tutorial sessions, and thoughts/feelings regarding progress and struggles with implementing new strategies and study habits? □

Assess  Devoting adequate time to studying a daily/weekly basis? (General guideline of 2 to 3 hours outside of class for each hour in class.)  Using a study guide?  Identifying quiet environments to study?  Identifying most productive time of day to study?  Matching learning style preference with effective study strategies? (The LRC has more information for tutees on this issue.)

□ Organization  Using calendar, daily planner, or organizational system?  Using effective system to organize class materials (e.g. notes, handouts, etc.)?

□ Goal Setting  Writing goals that are specific, realistic, and include a beginning and ending date?  Prioritizing most important tasks on a daily basis?  Committing to following through on goals and priorities identified?

□ Note taking  Summarizing/reviewing notes after class?  Reviewing previous notes before next class?  Implementing an effective note taking system?

□ Effective Reading Strategies    

Utilizing SQ3R reading method? (see Resources) Reading assignments before attending lecture? Breaking reading assignments into manageable sections? Identifying “key words” from text and changing difficult words/concepts into understandable terms?

□ Exam Preparation     

Reviewing notes from class and text on a frequent basis? Using study guides? Utilizing review questions and chapter summaries in the text? Breaking the task into manageable parts and studying over time? Testing understanding one section at a time (e.g. writing summaries for each section of text)?  Matching preparation strategies to the type of test (e.g. essay exams – writing summaries of chapter sections)?

Employment Information □

Students are paid on a bi-weekly basis, every other Friday. Students submit time worked online through My.Butler.edu. When receiving payment, students have two options – they can pick up a check at Student Accounts (located on the first floor of Jordan Hall) or they can receive direct deposit payments. Direct deposit is always recommended for student employees, as it is much easier for both the University and the student. In order to do this, students must submit a voided check and direct deposit form, which can be found at this link: http://www.butler.edu/human-resources/forms/.

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Tutors are asked to complete the Peer Tutor Progress Report for each tutee and for each tutoring session. You can find the form at: http://www.butler.edu/learning/tutoring/forcurrent-tutors/.

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It is the expectation of the Learning Resource Center that tutors will maintain a solid GPA and will follow through on their responsibilities as a tutor. If a tutor is unable to balance their academic load with their tutoring responsibilities, the LRC will work with the tutor to ensure that priority is given to the tutor's individual academics.