Conclusion
Key factors for successful tutoring
- Listen to your students. What do they want to learn? How do they learn? Ensure they want to meet with a tutor.
- Structure the time that you meet with your students. Develop a routine that works for all of your students.
- Vary the activities. Choose the strategies that best meet your students’ learning needs: Are they beginning readers? Are they struggling readers?
- Remember, beginning readers need opportunities to practise their reading but they also need to be able to read for fun and for relevant information.
- If your students can read, but struggle to understand what they read, make sure that you focus on “the thinking process” with your students.
- Finally, effective tutoring can only happen when tutors and students develop a relationship built on trust so the students can take risks with their tutors. Start first with connecting with your students and learning about their strengths and interests. Armed with this knowledge, you can truly help your students with their learning needs.
We hope that you find the information in this guide useful. Remember to use the strategies that work best for your students. Don’t follow this guide step by step! Just as people learn in different ways, they should be taught in different ways - according to their unique interests, strengths and learning needs.
You may be a pivotal person in your students’ lives, opening up a new world of opportunity. Or you may be a smaller part of the greater “learning puzzle” for the students you work with. Whatever your role, remember that you can make a difference. Your presence tells your students that you believe learning and knowledge are important and liberating.
Good luck with your tutoring!