Tutors and students, what are your tutoring experiences? (1 Viewer)

dinomyte

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So I'm starting to tutor a class for English. Throughout the past year I've been private tutoring and I've always conducted my lesson in a Socratic way, with the understanding that it is the student coming to their own opinions and interpretations that matter the most as opposed to me rattling off the answers to them.

However I'm starting to teach a class and it's become a lot harder to get the same kind of critical discussion that I've had in my private lessons. I'm guessing this is because they are not very keen to talk extensively about what they think in a class situation in front of their peers, and because I have a more "distant" relationship with them as opposed to 1-on-1 lessons.

So for tutors - how do you conduct your lessons and what do you think is the most effective/ineffective ways of tutoring? And students, how do you judge your tutoring experiences? Which ones work for you?

But you can tell me about any fun, interesting or totally awful experiences - I would love to hear it haha!
 
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Sien

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I'm that sleeping guy but I sleep with my eyes open in class

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I guess you either need to make the class fun, or the discussions more personal/open ended question and relate to them more. For example "Have you ever felt torn between two obligations? Like going to your friend's party or studying for a test tomorrow?" Then pick someone out and force them to say something and then choose someone else. Finally you bring it back to Hamlet (for the example's sake) being caught between his father's medieval desire for revenge and Hamlet's humanistic renaissance ideals.

At this point they should all be nodding in agreement and writing in their books.
 

Drsoccerball

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When I tutor a class of ~ 20 if someone's sleeping I start asking them questions and focusing on them more until they're awake.
 

davidgoes4wce

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Engaging with student, trying to make the lesson interesting, use different sources/texts outside the course they are using, reinforcing concepts by practicing similar questions. I have found for me teaching in a group of 2 or more students difficult than teaching on an individual basis, part of the reason being when you are teaching in a group, you will have students that pick up the content slower/faster. As a tutor you have to find the balance between moving on and being patient to pick up the 'slower' learning kids. (Not everyone learns at the same pace). Teaching in a one-on-one scenario is alot more easier as at the end of the day its about simply 'knowing more than the student.' (its a 1 v 1 battle). How many times have you come out of a university tutorial/lecturer and heard students say 'the tutor doesn't know what he is talking about'. I don't blame the tutor, part of the process of learning is what the student does outside contact hours.(eg sourcing out their own tutors, putting in their own hours, asking friends, studying texts outside the scope of their course) To totally rely on a tutor to get a student over the line is an over-reliance.

I also had an instance last week when tutoring my student he had about a 5-10 minute period where he dozed off. A way of waking them up ? (in a polite way) . You could speak a bit louder, in order to wake them up to give them your attention.
 

minisu

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I'm that one student at school who sleeps in the corner xD pays no attention but at tutoring i just doze off into space and listen.

i went to this tutoring centre which was hella good ;_; lol wont say what centre cause im too scared someones gonna be like "OMG IS THAT YOU ON BOREDOFSTUDIES" omglord all these nasty post i make.


the teacher at this tutoring centre is really loud... like so loud that you cant even sleep and always adds random jokes from time to time xD the teacher was like magnetite FROM POKEMMON (yeah i cant phrase this)
also 5-10 minute break IS ESSENTIAL (i went to this centre for trial and they didnt offer breaks in between... so i was basically sleeping in that 2.5 hour session) not sure if you can do that in your class o_o

BEST WISHHHESSS
 

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