Tutoring Do's and Don't's

As a class, we have acquired a pretty basic and balanced understanding of tutoring concepts; as well as what we should or should not do. The following is a list of actions one would do well with if implemented, as well as a list on those that can turn out to be counterproductive to the tutee.

Do's

• Show up on time
• Be as supportive as possible without blind praise
• Project your voice
• Make eye contact and be attentive of all body language
• Be engaging without taking too much responsibility of the piece
• Listen to the student
• Encourage the writer to read aloud his/her work (they are usually effective at finding personal errors)
• Be wary of High Order Concerns
• Be sure to comment on positive and negative aspects of the piece.
• Ask questions that the student can answer rather than telling them what they "should do".
• Provide guidance in teaching english only. Speak to help the piece.
• Allow the student to do most of the talking and most of the work

and lastly...

• LISTEN TO THE STUDENT

Don't's

• Allow a tutee's outside issues become the topic of discussion ("Therapy")
• Give absent or excessive blind praise ("Cheerleading")
• Be overly critical and nitpick. "Correcting" is not your objective as much as revision is
• Focus on Low Order Concerns (unless the piece has serious problems that make it difficult to impossible to read)
• Slouch, yawn, or engage in any body language that makes you seem disinterested
• "Usurp Ownership" (do not take too much responsibility for the piece). This hinders the tutee's ability to excel as a writer
• Make the student feel as if the work "should be easy", or make their overall understanding be judged by their intelligence ("You're a smart guy, right? It shouldn't be a problem for you")
• Edit the content of the piece with personal ideas ("Journalist-Editor Model"). The dialogue between the tutor and the tutee should bring forth ideas from the tutee, not the tutor