Got a job tutoring on campus

[MaenadsDance]

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As the title says, I was offered a job by my bio professor from this past semester to tutor for the class for the following semester, and I'm nervous as heck. The job description includes staffing weekend study sessions (not a big deal except the weekend prior to exams). What makes me nervous is leading the small-group study sessions, where every week I would be leading two or three separate groups of ten students in an hour long review.

I have no formal teaching experience, and frankly people in my family have tended to poke fun at my poor teaching ability. Both my father and my brother are naturally talented teachers, and so I know what good teaching looks like - I'm just not very good at it myself.

Anyone have any tips? Confidence-boosting advice? I know, I know, SDN = Super-Duper Neurotic, it's just I'm so excited for this job and I want to be good at it!

 

[lobo.solo]

Prepare thoroughly for the review sessions. Be upfront about what you know and you don't know. Be friendly and approachable and be exited about what you're teaching(hopefully it's something you enjoy)

 

[gettheleadout]

Emphasize to your students that you're only there to help them, so they should offer you feedback to help you help them. If you be upfront about this it can be helpful when your students actually tell you what works for them and what doesn't, because often you'll never know.


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[354844]

The best quality in a tutor is for them to be passionate and, since you've taken enough time to create this thread, I can already see that quality in you. You want to be good, right? Well, you already have familiarity with the material otherwise he wouldn't have offered you the spot. Just be upfront with your abilities... No one expects a tutor to be perfect. Create an open environment where collaboration is encouraged. Brush up on the material before the session. Finally, just have fun with it. Do the best that you can and I'm positive that it will go well. Best of luck!

 

[dsoz]

If there is something that they learned in class, but someone is asking for clarification, and you don't remember all the little details, just ask one of the other students to help out. Between everyone in the group SOMEONE should know the answer, or have it written down in notes.

Also, as a tutor, it is better to be the one to ask questions than to just straight lecture. The students already had lecture once. They need to PROCESS the information, not just hear it again. If you ask more questions about the material, as they answer the questions they will think about the material more.

Another trick I have found is to start a sentience and pause before a key word and wait for a student to "fill in the blank." For example I would say something like "in the chemical sodium nitrate the cation is..." And I would wait for one or more students to process what I am asking for and have them say "sodium." This process allows me to engage the students and they want to look like they know what they are talking about so they will try to "fill in the blank" so I would keep going.

Good luck with your tutoring job. It is very rewarding to help people succeed in their classes. I tutored for several years in college and made it my career for a long time. Now I want to move into medicine and be rewarded by helping people in a different way.

dsoz

 

[cbarne01]

My UG had a group learning program where the tutors made up practice questions for each session. I found that answering these (sometimes exam type, sometimes thinking and analysis type) helped me to keep on track and recall the important things as we learned them.

 

[ribbondino]

Just be relatable and open with them. They want your help, and their feedback and input will help you as well. Just make sure that they know that you are there to work with them and make it as comfortable as possible. Be down to earth and admit when you don't know something. I think a good tutor doesn't necessarily know everything but has the ability and desire to help the student find the answer.

In relation to teaching: remember to focus just as much on the process of finding the answer rather than just supplying the answer. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself what it would require of a teacher in order for you to understand the material. Teach the method of finding the solution and you will be fine. 👍

I'm sorry if that didn't make much sense, I'm awful at putting things in my head in words.

 

[neuro nephrons]

first of all, congratulations! I've been a tutor of general biology for 3 years now. It can be a very rewarding endeavor, but the first few times you tutor someone can be quite daunting. The best advice I can give you is to calm down. You were selected by your professor because you clearly excelled in the subject! You know all of the material, it is just a matter of learning how to teach someone the material. The tutoring process is a win win situation....I found that some of the subjects where I was not particularly confident have become much more solidified for me (for example the Krebs cycle). When I was a mere freshy, I struggled with the krebs cycle, but now, I have it down to a science. Learning how to get it across to someone else will make you understand it even more.

Also, you can not be judgemental. Realize that the students you will be tutoring are from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some of them will have great difficulty with subjects that come extremely easy to you. You have to treat everyone the same way. The person who has complex questions about the krebs cycle needs to be given the same compassion, respect, and attention as someone who is still trying to understand what an ionic bond is. Example: when someone is solving a hardy weinberg problem and you write the answer as 0.20 on the board....do not question them or laugh when they say "Excuse me, I got .2 for the answer and you got .20, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong!" Lol.

Most importantly, remember that you are dealing with people from all over in terms of intelligence and background. Also, many people will be shy, reserved, and feel inadequate when they come to you! Reassure them that you are there to help! The end result of seeing someone's face light up when they finally understand something that has been giving them particular difficulty (and knowing that you are the reason they understand it now) is immeasurable. It's a great feeling.


One last thing: be aware of the student who comes in after failing a test that they didn't put any effort into and says "I don't get it". They are the worst!!!🙂

 

[gettheleadout]

On that note be careful not to judge your performance as a teacher based on your students' performance in the class. Just don't.


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[marl0nbrand0]

I'm a bio tutor as well! don't be nervous! I would prepare before every discussion and review session that I had...like practicing a speech.

 

[Si Se Puede]

Make sure you make a positive impression the first study session or students will tend to be reluctant about coming to more sessions. You should know the material inside out, whether you have to prepare for hours or not does not matter. Also, it is a good idea to be friendly with the students instead of acting like the supreme authority in the room. Lastly, get the students involved in discussions with each other and make them come up to the front and work problems or discuss problems.

P.S. if you make a blunder, then admit it and correct it right away. The students know that you are a student too and will forgive you. If you pretend that you didn't make a mistake, there will be a kid that catches you and rats you out and embarrass you for the rest of your sessions.

 

[MaenadsDance]

You guys are the best 🙂 Don't have the time to write a long response to everybody - I'm heading out the door for dinner soon - but I just wanted to say I'm grateful for everybody's feedback. I knew there'd be a lot of experienced tutors out on this forum, and thus a lot of wisdom, and you haven't disappointed.