Section 1: Welcome
to Peer Tutoring
"The art of teaching is the art of assisting
discovery." Mark Van Doren .
Peer tutors are people who have decided to share their
knowledge with other people. Tutors wear many different
faces, but they all share one thing – a desire
to help other students do well in their classes at New
River Community College . Tutors, more than any other
group, understand that we all, periodically, need a
little help from our friends.
Students value peer tutoring because in the comfortable
setting of a working relationship, the student may ask
questions that would seem “dumb” to the
professor, or may voice frustrations that would not
be appropriately voiced in the classroom. In every case,
the peer tutor's role is to help the student understand
the course material and guide him or her to improved
learning skills that will last for a lifetime.
Characteristics of a Peer Tutor include the ability
to listen, to focus on student needs, to understand
course material , and to communicate that understanding
to the student without condescension or flattery. Peer
tutors are teachers who have the opportunity to work
with students without the pressure of evaluating them.
Peer tutors do not need a background in teaching, but
only a willingness to share what they have learned with
others. It's one way to give something back to the college
community, and provides a tremendous amount of personal
satisfaction to tutors and clients alike.
Part of this satisfaction comes from knowing that tutoring
has made another student's college experience more rewarding
and more enjoyable. Peer tutors help students become
“self-learners” who value the learning process.
Tutors also find themselves being role models, helping
their fellow students develop learning skills and study
habits that will make them successful in college.
Peer tutors don't have to be perfect students, or perfect
teachers. They only have to be willing to share what
they know and ask questions when they don't have answers.
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A
Tutor's Job Description
Regardless of whether you are work-study, volunteer,
or assigned to Academic Assistance for extra credit
in a class, you will be expected to have certain qualifications
for the job of teaching other students. At a minimum,
you must meet the following requirements
Faculty recommendation
Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better
GPA of 3.0 or better in subjects you tutor
Concern for NRCC students
When you become a tutor, your job includes:
conducting scheduled and walk-in help sessions with
clients
keeping records of each tutoring session
assisting with clerical chores, data entry, and other
tasks as assigned
maintaining accurate time sheets
completing on-the-job training assignments
attending staff meetings and training sessions
maintaining your GPA in the subjects you tutor
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Some
Words About Professionalism
Peer tutors represent both Academic Assistance and
NRCC. In your role as a tutor , you need to keep in
mind that the opinions your clients form of you will
also influence their opinions of the tutoring service
and the school. Because of this, you need to keep some
important aspects of professionalism in mind.
Be reliable. Always show up for your scheduled appointments,
so that your students know that you take them seriously.
Be a serious professional. Take the opportunities you
will be given to hone your teaching skills, read up
on other tutors' experiences, and learn about tutoring
practices that can help you work with students.
Never discuss a client's work, or difficulties, with
another student. Confidentiality must be preserved in
the tutor-student relationship. Never give information
about a student's tutoring session to a third party,
even a faculty member, without the student's permission.
Maintain a professional distance from your students
and their problems. If they need help that goes beyond
what you can provide, refer them to the appropriate
services. Do not put yourself in the position of being
an academic advisor, personal consultant, financial
advisor or career counselor.
Be sensitive to differences in language, culture, and
background. We have a very diverse student body, and
every student deserves respect and attention. If, after
making an effort, you find yourself uncomfortable with
a particular student because of cultural or language
differences, you may ask that the student be reassigned.
Keep your remarks about faculty members positive. Do
not allow yourself to be put in the position of mediating
between a faculty member and a student. Likewise, do
not comment on a particular teacher's grading practices,
assignments, teaching style or other peculiarities.
Maintain neutrality.
If a student asks “What grade would you give
this?” politely dodge the question. You do not
evaluate students' work.
If a client becomes abusive or threatening, end the
tutoring session and alert others in the office to the
problem. You should not tolerate harassment; call Campus
Security if necessary.
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Academic
Assistance Policies
We know that creative people function best with as
few rules as possible. Nonetheless, Academic Assistance
has some policies that tutors must follow in order to
make everyone's job easier and assure that we continue
to provide excellent tutoring services to the students
at New River Community College .
The first week of each semester, tutors will give
the director a schedule of the hours they will be
available to work.
Tutors must notify Academic Assistance as soon as
possible when they are unable to work at their assigned
times. (See the phone list in the Appendix for toll-free
numbers.)
Tutors must keep accurate records of the hours they
work, even if they are volunteers. You can find a
copy of the form in the Appendix.
Tutors must enter a brief summary of the contents
of each tutoring session in the client's file. If
a client fails to show up for a session, that should
be noted also.
Tutors must adhere to the college's policies on drugs
and alcohol.
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Resources
Academic Assistance has several resources for tutors
that you may find helpful as you work with students.
If you need materials or help not listed here, please
don't hesitate to ask the director or lead tutor for
assistance. Further resource information can be found
in Section 6.
Computer Based Resources
Students at NRCC use a variety of learning software,
all of which has been loaded onto the computers in the
Academic Assistance suite in Martin Hall. Students may
use Daedalus, Plato, Learning Plus, and Keyboarding
Pro on any of the machines in the suite. Word processing
and internet access software is also available for student
use. Students may print to the Academic Assistance printer
located at the front desk, but we ask that print jobs
be kept to fewer than fifteen pages.
Several good resources are available via Internet.
The director keeps an updated list of tutoring, math-related,
English-related, and ESL related sites. If you think
your clients would like to use these sites, either in
the tutoring session or alone, check the appendix at
the back of this manual or the updated list.
Print Resources
Academic Assistance keeps a copy of all currently used
textbooks, as well as an archive of books that have
been used in the past. All of these contain information
that you can use in tutoring sessions. The books are
organized by subject and category within subjects. Feel
free to browse for ideas. Older books may be checked
out, however current textbooks and guides to APA and
MLA documentation formats must stay in the suite. Accounting
solutions manuals will be kept with the accounting tutor,
and may not be used unsupervised.
Fair Use Copyright Laws
You may need to copy sections of books for student
use from time to time. New River Community College abides
by the “fair use” guidelines developed by
Terry Carroll and published on the Internet. Fair use
of a copyrighted work includes the following:
quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for
purposes of illustration or comment;
quotation of short passages in a scholarly or technical
work for illustration or clarification of the author's
observations;
use in a parody of some of the content of the work
parodied;
summary of an address or article with brief quotations,
in a news report;
reproduction by a library of a portion of a work to
replace part of a damaged copy;
reproduction by a teacher or student of a small part
of a work to illustrate a lesson;
reproduction of a work in legislative or judicial
proceedings or reports;
In practical terms, you may copy several pages (less
than 20% of the total number of pages) of a book for
student use. You may not copy whole texts, or so much
of a text as to make the rest of it unnecessary. Make
sure to credit the author on the copied material. Also,
the college prohibits copying the same item for use
in the same way for more than a single semester
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Section 2: Tutoring Basics
"Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember.
Involve me and I understand." Chinese proverb
All of the training you receive as a tutor focuses
you on the moment you first sit down with a student
and begin the work that is teaching. Here are some ideas,
inspirations, and protocols to get you started. Remember
that every student, and every tutoring session, will
be different. Allow yourself the freedom to experiment,
innovate, and learn from the clients you teach.
Before you begin your tutoring career, think for a
moment about teachers you have had in the past. Which
ones did you like, and why? What about their teaching
styles, attitudes, personalities compelled you? What
did they do that you can emulate as you work with students?
On the other side of the coin, think about teachers
whose classes you disliked. What made their classes
difficult, or unenjoyable? What characteristics did
they exhibit that made them less effective?
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Tutoring
Sessions
What follows is a suggested protocol that may help
you as you begin in your tutoring career. Soon, however,
your own teaching style will emerge, and you will grow
more comfortable in your role. Feel free to adapt the
formula to suit your students' needs.
Prepare for the session by getting the books, equipment
(calculators, etc.), and supplies that you will need.
If you have prepared assignments for the student,
have those ready as well.
Start the session by introducing yourself and getting
to know the student. If you have previously tutored
this student, ask about his or her progress since
you last met.
Ask the student about his or her weaknesses and/or
frustrations with the topic. Let the student guide
you into areas where (s)he needs help.
Review the student's work and talk through any problems
or questions that may arise. Give the student many
opportunities to ask questions and practice skills.
Don't be too quick to provide the answers.
At the end of the session, emphasize the student's
good work and the progress you've made together. Summarize
the session for the student and indicate areas where
(s)he will want to focus before the next session.
Update the notes in the student's folder or the database
after (s)he leaves.
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Communication
Skills
Communication involves much more than talking to someone.
It includes listening, speaking, responding to non-verbal
cues, and sending non-verbal cues. It involves not only
the spoken language, but body language as well. Being
aware of the many ways people communicate their ideas
and feelings will make you a better tutor, and will
make your students more comfortable with you.
Listening is the most important skill you can exhibit
for your clients. When you listen actively, you can
pick up on the underlying, and often unspoken questions
students have about their work and about themselves
as students. A student who is profoundly uncomfortable
with a subject will show it in her posture, facial expressions,
and other body cues. Likewise, you can put students
at ease by smiling and making eye contact.
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Session
Records
Usually you will tutor the same clients each week,
but occasionally you may have to fill in for other tutors.
When that happens, it's vitally important that you know
what went on in the last tutoring sessions. Session
records keep tutors up to date on their clients' work,
and allow other tutors to fill in without having to
waste tutoring time in figuring out where the last session
left off.
Session records need to be brief, including the major
topics covered in the session, plus any additional information
about the student's work, attitudes, or learning style
that may be helpful to another tutor. Session notes
will even help you remember what the student was working
on, since it's easy to forget when you have several
clients. Each session record will be kept in a folder
with the client's name and kept at the main desk in
the Academic Assistance office. Try to fill in the session
records as soon as possible after your session, so you
don't forget important details.
Here is a sample record for you to use as a model,
but feel free to include whatever information you need
in your own records.
| Date
|
Length
|
Session
Contents |
Tutor
|
| 2/15
|
45 min
|
Worked
on vocabulary; Eric needs to look up words he
doesn't understand. |
JLH
|
Academic Assistance's preferred method of record keeping
is a student database, located on the computer at the
reception desk. This database can be found at P:\Share\AcAs\AA2002.
Use the “Progress Notes” table to enter
session data.
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Section 3: Working With
Special Needs
"The secret of education is respecting the
pupil." Ralph Waldo Emerson
New River Community College has a large population
of non-traditional and special needs students, many
of whom seek help from Academic Assistance on a regular
basis. Periodically you will work with students who
have been in the workforce for many years and are just
returning to school, students who are deaf or hard of
hearing, students with learning disabilities, and students
whose first language is not English. Tutors must be
sensitive to every client's needs and abilities, and
respect the varying experiences that clients bring with
them to their college course work.
As a tutor, you can be instrumental in the success
of special needs students. All it takes is some sympathetic
understanding and a willingness to let the student show
you the ways that he or she learns best.
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Non-Traditional
Students
Often we expect college students to be fresh from high
school, bringing with them a fund of knowledge that
matches our own. But non-traditional students have been
out of school for many years, and have decided to re-enter
the academic world either for career re-training or
personal satisfaction. They frequently have very specific
goals, and very high anxiety levels about being able
to reach them.
As a tutor to non-traditional students, you want to
keep in mind any generational or economic differences
between you and the student that might make tutoring
difficult. By respecting the students' past experiences
and their bravery in returning to school, you can increase
their confidence in the choice they have made. Non-traditional
students worry about the adequacy of their work, their
ability to remember what they have already learned,
and their ability to perform satisfactorily at a college
level. You can help them by reminding them that they
have learned many things in their years of experience
on the job that also apply to college work. By being
encouraging and honest, you can give these students
the confidence to do well.
The non-traditional student warrants mention under
the special needs section because they have several
needs you want to keep in mind as you tutor them.
Try not to make assumptions about the students' experience
with computers. Many non-traditional students have
none, and need a lot of help as they learn to use
the word-processing and tutorial software. Others,
however, have been working with computers for years.
Listen to the students and adjust your use of technology
in the tutoring session according to the students'
needs and preferences.
Ask lots of questions when discussing assignments
and readings. Learn where the student is coming from
and what associations (s)he has with the subject.
Avoid using slang, jargon, and technical language
that may alienate the student and make your teaching
difficult to follow. Respect the students' experience
and background.
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Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Students
New River has won national recognition for its development
of programs for the deaf and hard of hearing. The Center
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CDHH) provides interpreting,
note-taking, tutoring, counseling, developmental studies
and job placement services for its students. The Center
attracts deaf students from all over the region, consequently,
the proportion of deaf students in our student body
is quite high.
Two factors in deaf experience are of almost equal
importance for tutors. First, tutors must realize that
for many deaf students, English is not their first language.
Most speak American Sign Language (ASL), which differs
widely from spoken English in grammar and syntax. It
has only three tenses and no articles. In addition,
some concepts that English conveys in many words are
combined into a single ASL gesture. Because ASL is a
visual language, it tends to be concrete. Abstractions
can be difficult to express and difficult for the student
to understand. Likewise, idiomatic speech can be difficult,
because deaf students tend to be literal in their interpretations.
Keep your language as free as possible of slang, jargon,
English idiom, and abstractions. Carefully explain technical
words so the student can follow your tutorials.
The second factor that will affect your teaching is
that you will be speaking through an interpreter, and
this has its own protocol. Remember to speak directly
to the student, even though (s)he will be looking at
the interpreter. The interpreter just translates between
your language and the student's. (S)He will not mediate
the discussion, so don't refer to the student as “she”
or “he.” Speak directly to the student,
saying “you,” and using the student's name.
Likewise, don't say things to the interpreter such as
“Ask her what she wants help with today,”
because the interpreter will sign exactly that to the
student. It can be very depersonalizing and off-putting
to be constantly referred to in the third person.
Remember that the deaf student will be looking at his
or her interpreter, rather than at you, the tutor. This
does not indicate a lack of interest or an avoidance
on the part of the student. It merely reflects the reality
of the student's learning style. As a tutor, you should
adapt your tutoring style to the student's learning
style.
The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has created
the following guidelines, “How to Work with an
Interpreter for Tutoring.”
Introduce yourself to the interpreter and the student
The interpreter should sit slightly behind and to
the side of the speaker, allowing the student to see
both interpreter and speaker.
Do not speak privately to the interpreter, as everything
you say will be conveyed.
Speak directly to the student, avoiding phrases like
“tell her.. . .”
Realize that when the interpreter says “I”
or “me,” those are the direct words of
the student. The same is true for word choices, slang,
and possible bad language.
Because sign language is a visual language, the student's
eye contact will be with the interpreter, not you.
If you are speaking too fast, the interpreter will
not be able to provide a clear interpretation to the
student. Slow down.
Make sure you understand clearly the student's comments
as voiced by the interpreter. Always ask for clarification
if something seems unclear or garbled.
There will be a time lag between what you say, the
questions you ask, and the response from the student.
Please allow for this in your tutoring schedule and
your speech patterns.
Other tips for communicating with Deaf students:
Ask the person who is deaf or hard of hearing
which method of communication to use – oral,
manual, written, or a combination of these.
Remember that the presence of a hearing aid
does not necessarily mean the wearer can understand
verbal communication.
Make sure that the person who is deaf or hard
of hearing is looking at you. Keep a clear, well-lit
line of sight between your face and his or hers.
Speak naturally. Don't speak slowly, shout,
or exaggerate your mouth movement.
Try to use pantomime, body language, and facial
expressions.
If you know some sign language or finger spelling,
and the person to whom you are speaking uses these
things, then you may certainly use what you know.
Maintain eye contact.
If you have difficulty making yourself understood,
use different words or phrases; don't keep repeating
the same ones over and over.
Be patient, and be yourself.
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Students
with Learning Disabilities
The Learning Enrichment Achievement Program (LEAP)
at NRCC offers students with learning disabilities and/or
attention deficit disorder the opportunity to do college
level work in a setting that meets their needs. LEAP
offers tutors, notetakers, tape recorders, audio books,
readers, and alternative testing for qualified students.
Students with learning disabilities have neurological
barriers to learning that prevent them from benefiting
from traditional teaching methods. LD and ADHD students
are as capable of learning as their fellow students,
but must use different methods to acquire the same information.
Remember that students with learning disabilities have
deficient skills – they do not process information
or retain it very well. Students with attention deficit
hyperactive disorder have performance deficiencies –
they can get the information in, but they can't bring
it back out in a form that is acceptable to most professors.
The LEAP Center offers the following guidelines for
working with LD and ADHD students:
Break down tasks in to small increments of
learning and present them to the student sequentially.
Present a variety of short assignments.
Make sure the student has acquired one skill
before presenting the next skill in a sequence of
learning tasks.
Create specific assignments for the student
and give him/her frequent feedback about the quality
of work being done.
Make sure your activities allow the student
small successes that bolster self-esteem.
Use as many modalities – sight, hearing,
speaking, touch – as you can when presenting
information to the student. When you understand how
a particular student learns best, tailor your assignments
to that modality.
Teach abstractions in as concrete a manner
as possible.
Make directions as simple as you can. Break
directions down into steps and present them one step
at a time.
Review and preview in each tutoring session.
Limit your use of new and unfamiliar vocabulary.
Help the student visualize material. Draw charts,
graphs, illustrations, diagrams.
Make eye contact frequently.
Speak clearly and evenly.
Respect the student's effort and progress.
Always offer affirmation and encouragement, reminding
the student of what (s)he has already learned.
Remember, speak directly to the student, even if (s)he
has brought a notetaker or tape recorder to the tutoring
session. Also, remember to cultivate patience; you may
have to repeat material many times. Don't be discouraged.
You are getting through.
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ESL Students
Many students who speak English as a second language
come to Academic Assistance for help. Working with ESL
students requires effort and patience on your part,
as you learn to communicate with someone who may not
understand what happens in the tutoring session itself,
and who may be unwilling to ask questions.
Two of the most common issues for tutors are the language
barrier itself, and cultural barriers that may be difficult
to discern. You can help with language by explaining
yourself carefully, in several different phrases. Remember
that these students have barriers in language only;
they are intelligent and capable and will learn readily
when you present material in ways they can understand.
Cultural barriers present difficulties, because you
may not be aware of the student's background and needs.
Many cultures consider it rude to ask questions of a
teacher. A student from such a culture may indicate
that (s)he understands the material because (s)he does
not want to embarrass you by asking a question. Probe
carefully to check the student's understanding. Your
tutoring also benefits if you can study your ELS students'
native cultures, at least enough to understand some
of the issues they bring with them to the classroom.
Tips for communicating with ESL Students:
Have the student explain his or her needs in
his or her own words.
Listen carefully.
Have the student repeat anything you do not
understand. You may have to do this many times, so
don't be embarrassed about it. Your goal is to understand
the student's needs.
As you listen to the student, notice the words
(s)he uses. Let that be your tutoring vocabulary with
this student.
Don't be afraid to ask the student to restate
his or her questions or answers in other words, so
you can understand him or her.
Respect the student's native language and culture.
If the student needs help with written English,
help him or her learn to write in English, rather
than in the native language. Translations rarely work
as English compositions.
Explain unfamiliar words, jargon, English idiom,
figures of speech. Have the student keep a vocabulary
notebook to remember new words. This is particularly
helpful for math, English, and the social sciences.
Be patient. You could not learn Chinese overnight,
so don't expect your students to work language-learning
miracles either. Praise them for their successes.
Be very specific when giving assignments, setting
appointments, and explaining what you expect from
the student. Have him or her repeat the information
back to you, to make sure it's clear.
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Section 4: Work
Study Information
" Let curiosity be your best teacher ."
Anne M., Age 14
Academic Assistance is committed to making your work
study experience meaningful to you as you perform your
job, and helpful to you as you apply for other work
experiences outside the college. In addition to the
information for tutors contained in this handbook, you
will have a few special responsibilities as a work study/service
learning student. If your responsibilities are clerical,
rather than teaching, your job description follows in
this section.
Hiring
If you qualify for work study funds and would like
to work in Academic Assistance, indicate that to the
Financial Aid Office, which forwards the information
to us. You may have a short interview with Academic
Assistance personnel, to determine what you would like
to do and what jobs you may be qualified for.
The financial aid office will give you a Notification
of Employment form that will be filed with your supervisor.
You can then set up the hours you can work and receive
your client schedule. If you need to change your working
hours, you must notify the Director and Lead Tutor,
in order to prevent scheduled clients from going without
tutoring services.
Should you decide that working in Academic Assistance
is not for you, you may request reassignment from the
Financial Aid Office. Should any of the breaches of
conduct enumerated in the Service Learning Handbook
occur, you may be terminated from your work study employment.
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Time Sheets
and Pay Periods
You are responsible for keeping track of the hours
you work. You enter those hours on your time sheet,
an example of which is located in the Appendix. Be as
accurate as possible, recording fractions of hours as
tenths. Your financial aid award includes the number
of hours you may work per week, usually twelve. You
will not be allowed to exceed the number of hours you
have been allotted in a semester.
Timesheets are due on the schedule posted in the Appendix.
The Director must have your signed, completed timesheet
by noon on the due date. Sheets received after that
time will be paid on the next pay schedule, which could
delay your check for up to a month.
You will be paid every two weeks, beginning four weeks
after your employment starts. Checks may be picked up
from the college operator (with a photo identification)
or they may be deposited directly in to your checking
account or mailed to your home. Questions about payment
procedures or wage amounts should be directed to the
Financial Aid Office.
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Supervision
New River Community College 's service learning program
enables you to develop a portfolio of work experiences
that will help you as you continue in your career. Your
supervisor in Academic Assistance has the responsibility
of evaluating your performance three times each semester,
discussing any problems with you, and filing a copy
in your portfolio. Positive evaluations show other prospective
employers your strengths; progressive evaluations show
that you are willing to work on areas that may be difficult
for you.
Attendance is an important part of positive job performance.
Your clients and co-workers count on you to be at work,
on time. Always call Academic Assistance (540-674-3664)
if you will be late to work, or absent. Unexcused absences
can be grounds for termination.
Being able to relate professionally to clients, faculty
and staff forms the other tenet of positive job performance.
A warm, friendly demeanor can help clients feel at home,
and can make other tutors' jobs much more pleasant.
In addition, your attitude on the job affects you..
You also will have an opportunity to evaluate your
supervisor and give feedback to make him or her a more
effective manager. Your evaluations provide information
that helps managers to create and maintain a good work
environment.
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Community
Service
Because New River Community college receives federal
funds for work study employment, our students must perform
some community service activities. In Academic Assistance,
we provide tutoring to elementary, middle, and high
school students when necessary. Tutors can also work
on-site in local elementary schools in reading and math
programs. If you would like to work with younger students,
or at an off-campus site, please indicate that to your
supervisor. You will not be asked to do those things
if you are uncomfortable with them, or if transportation
is a problem. Most younger students come to the suite
in Martin 109 for tutoring sessions.
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Clerical
Responsibilities
Academic Assistance offers job opportunities for non-tutoring
students, who serve the vital functions of being public-relations
managers and office workers. The clerical position's
duties include
Acting as receptionist and greeting clients,
tutors, and faculty members at the front desk;
Being familiar with Academic Assistance's policies
and procedures and able to answer questions about
them, or know where to find the answers;
Answering the phone in a professional manner
and taking accurate messages;
Assisting with records management, including
filing, sorting, entering data, making copies and
related tasks;
Running errands when necessary;
Organizing supplies, books, and teaching materials;
Other duties as assigned.
General Guidelines for Work Study Students
Remember that your work study job is just like a job
in the private sector. The following guidelines serve
as a brief review for what you already know but may
want to remember in your career as a work study student.
Be on time – others count on you.
Be ready to work; don't plan to use your work
study hours as extra study time.
Be accurate, in both Academic Assistance records
and your own time sheets.
Review your portfolio frequently and talk with
your supervisor about including lesson plans, sample
tests and other interesting items you generate at
work.
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Section 5: Resources
"An action researcher . . . is resourceful,
committed, tenacious, and above all, curious."
- Jean McNiff
Sounds trite, but no one knows everything. That's why
Academic Assistance has an extensive library of print
materials for you to use, as well as a collection of
other helpful resources – web sites, people, handouts,
software.
If you can't find what you need in these pages, don't
hesitate to ask. Other tutors will always be your best
help in finding the answers to tough problems.
Print
Resources
Academic Assistance has a library of textbooks, reference
books, and general information books in nearly every
subject taught at New River Community College . These
books are shelved throughout our suite, and are grouped
according to subject. A searchable database, maintained
by the front desk staff, can help you find the book
you need.
Remember that you can always copy significant pages
for your students' use, up to 20% of a complete work.
When making copies, note the textbook's title and the
author on the first page of the copy.
Students may occasionally check out non-current textbooks
from Academic Assistance. We do not allow students to
take current textbooks out of the suite because we use
these frequently, and they have a habit of not coming
back. If you need a particular textbook to help you
tutor, a limited amount of money is available to purchase
new books. Many instructors are happy to loan you a
copy of the texts they use, as well.
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Online
Resources
Some of the best resources for teaching math can be
found at http://www.ping.be/math/,
the website of MATH Abundance. This site has a wealth
of links to other great tutoring sites. A similar site
for English/Writing can be found at the Sweetland Writing
Center 's site, http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc/help/resources.html
. This site has numerous links to references
on grammar, style, syntax, organization, and documentation.
You may want to keep a list of the websites you find
most helpful, and you'll discover when you ask that
all the other tutors have favorite sites.
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Institutional
Resources
The New River Community College Library
In addition to its many volumes, the library has a
large reference section, many periodicals, videotapes
and databases for your use. It's important to be familiar
with the resources the library offers, since this will
be your students' primary source of research information.
You will also want to familiarize yourself with the
library's online catalogue. Through its web site, the
Library maintains links to many search engines and periodicals.
Information on virtually any topic can be just a few
mouse clicks away.
During the Spring and Fall Semesters, the library is
open from 7:50 a.m. to 9 p.m. , Monday through Thursday,
and from 7:50 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. Sunday hours
are from 2-5 p.m. During the summer semester, the library
closes early ( 6 p.m. ) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Students
may check out up to eight items with a valid Virginia
driver's license or a student ID. Remind students that
they can also check out materials via inter-library
loan.
Faculty and Staff
Your best tutoring resource may be your students' instructors,
or faculty members with whom you have established relationships.
Don't hesitate to ask faculty members for help. Keep
the following pointers in mind as you work with NRCC's
faculty to help your clients. Remember, also, that you
do not do your clients' work for them, nor do you help
them with work that carries a grade, unless you have
been given specific permission by the instructor.
Have the student make the first contact, if
there is a question about course material or an assignment.
If the student still does not understand what (s)he
is supposed to be studying, then contact the instructor
yourself.
Use email whenever possible, to avoid undue
interruptions. Be polite, friendly, and professional.
Never interrupt a faculty member's class or
conference with a student.
Never put yourself in the position of a student
advocate, arguing with a professor about a grade,
a test, or other assignments. Your role is to assist
the faculty in helping students learn, not to determine
the fairness or appropriateness of any particular
teaching instrument.
Always check with the professor if you feel
that a student may be asking for help with graded
work. Many professors tell us when they have graded
work, or extra credit work, that should be done without
any outside help, but not all do. When in doubt, check.
The staff of the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
and the staff of the Learning Enrichment Achievement
Program are always ready to help you work with their
students. They have excellent tutor-training materials
of their own that you may want to check out if you find
yourself working with deaf or learning-disabled students.
They welcome questions, concerns, and comments that
may help their students succeed in college.
Tutoring Software
Many classes at NRCC use tutoring software as part
of the course curriculum. The computers in the Academic
Assistance suite have access to Plato, Learning Plus,
Daedalus, and interactive software for physics, biology,
chemistry and nursing. The first three items require
a password for access. If you would like to explore
these programs, Academic Assistance can equip you with
a password. Your students will have their own access.
When you work with clients on learning software, remember
that the quizzes and tests frequently form part of a
course grade. Do not supply answers for the students,
but guide them through the learning process and help
them develop an understanding of the material itself.
Some students will not have worked with computers before
and will need you to help them become familiar with
the program's commands.
Orientation Materials
In addition to this manual, Academic Assistance provides
you with several tutor training resources. Before you
begin regular tutoring, read the manual carefully, making
notes in the margins, asking questions about things
you find unclear. You will also need to watch the tutor
training videotape, a short overview of Academic Assistance
and the related services the college offers its students.
Staff In-Service Training
The Academic Assistance staff meets every two weeks
to determine administrative policy, solve problems,
and refine teaching skills. Often we have speakers from
the faculty who give us tutoring guidelines and other
information about the courses they teach. Make every
effort to attend as many of these meetings as you can.
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