anybody from new york city?

Informality does not mean disorganization. Have a clear purpose and plan of action.

Two important ingredients in tutoring:

a) Tutor Empathy–feeling for the student’s difficulty; and

b) Tutor Knowledge of Subject– tutor must be able to explain in terms the student can understand. If you don’t know, admit it. The student will also feel comfortable admitting his/her deficiencies.

Discourage student passivity. Encourage active learning. Have the student involved in learning. If you were the teacher, what would be the important subjects to be taught?

Be prepared to provide the “important stuff.” The student has the right to expect direction when he/she receives tutoring.

Present the material in small units. Check and recheck learning. Don’t just ask, “Do you understand?” See or hear that they do! Don’t rush the student.

Be flexible. No one style of tutoring fits all situations.

Be specific when making assignments for the next session.

Don’t do the students’ work for them. Allow for failure and learning to take place. The goal is independent learning.

Visit with Lecturers/professors when necessary

Take time to get to acquainted.

Keep you student on task. For example, if your student brings up another subject, suggest you can discuss it after the lesson.

Get students to relate what they are learning to their own life experience.

Give positive praise.

Try asking students how they think they did or evaluate their own response. For example ask them, ÒHow do you know that?Ó

REMEMBER:

The most important single characteristic you need as a Mentor is a real caring for young people. This feeling must be genuine. Here are a few tips to help you develop that special rapport with your students.

Learn to look at each student individually, and value the student for what he/she is.

As a mentor, your first aim is to help the student see himself/herself as one who CAN learn and WANTS to learn.

Set your sights high for the student and he/she will respond. Have confidence that the student can learn.

Explore ways to set up the kind of rapport that is needed to spark learning. The personal interest that you show in the student may be the catalyst that makes him/her recognize his/her own worth and his/her ability to achieve.

One way to show interest is to listen to what the student has to say – ask for his/her opinion.

When you talk, talk naturally. Think of working WITH the student rather than talking at the student.

Let your student know that it is all right to make mistakes, that everybody makes mistakes, and that is one way to learn.

Help the student know that it is all right not to know something and that there are some things that you do not know.