Subject Tutoring: ITTPC Level I Training

Subject Tutoring Forms

Tutor Confidentiality, Tutor Ethics and the Academic Integrity forms will be signed and turned in at the live training for new tutors in September. 

Business Office Forms

If you have never worked on campus before, you are required to submit employment forms and two forms of government-issued identification (student ID's don't count) to the College's Business Office before beginning work at Subject Tutoring. Acceptable forms of ID are listed below:

• driver's license
• passport
• social security card
• birth certificate

You must also complete the forms found in the following link and return them to the Business Office before you can begin your on-campus job. 

New Student Employee Forms

Shadowing:

All new tutors must shadow a Certified Tutor and complete the Observation and Reflection Form by the date announced in training. Much of what we learn is through observation, and shadowing is a great opportunity to learn from peers who have already gone through the process.

Guidelines:

1. Shadow a veteran tutor in your subject (if possible).
2. Let the tutor know ahead of time that you plan to observe their tutorial.
3. You are just an observer – do not interject or interrupt the tutorial.
4. You will want to take notes on the session so you can complete the Observation, Shadowing & Reflection Form.
5. After the tutorial, feel free to ask the observed tutor questions.

This video is used for training purposes during live training. 

The Training Evaluation is to be completed after the live training.  You do not complete the evaluation after the modules. 

Module 2: Definition of a Tutor & Responsibility

Hours: 0.5

Adapted from NC State Productive Tutoring Techniques: Millennium Edition, Gattis, K.W. (2002)
What is a tutor? For our purposes, a tutor is a current Roanoke College student who excels in a major or a particular class and assists peers in the learning process. A tutor can take on the following roles: 

• Helper 
• Peer Learner 
• Teacher
• Employee of the Center for Learning & Teaching (CLT)

Watch Video

Complete Module 2 Activity

Module 3: Basic Tutoring Guidelines

Hours: 0.5

Tutoring is used to practice material covered in class and re-explain/teach concepts that are unclear to the tutee. It's a supplementary resource for students and should be used in addition to going to class, keeping up with assignments, and meeting with professors. Moreover, the tutee should be as actively involved in the tutorial as the tutor. Tutoring is not for completing homework and projects, nor for supplying false hope the night before a test. The main objective of tutoring is to assist students in becoming successful learners who know where and how to access information independently.

Complete Module 3 Activity

Module 4: Golden Rules for Tutors

Hours: 0.5

Guidelines for professionalism in Subject Tutoring:

1. The tutor is present and professional:
   • Use of cell phone or other electronic forms of communication are not permitted inside Subject Tutoring. Even if you’re not currently tutoring a student, your personal conversations are distracting to other tutors and tutees.
   • The tutor should be mindful of maintaining a learning environment and avoid conversations that are loud or distracting.
   • Tutors may work on homework while waiting for appointments; however, the tutor must happily leave assignments when a tutee arrives.
   • The tutor never engages in negative talk about professors.This behavior isn’t helpful to students, and it could have negative repercussions for tutors.
   • The tutor will arrive on time (10-minutes before assigned shift) to review the appointment form to prepare for the tutorial.
   • The tutor will be familiar with the website and online scheduler to offer assistance to students seeking information (www.roanoke.edu/tutoring).
   • The tutor remains active in the subject that is tutored by checking in with professors and taking opportunities to review concepts.
      
2. The tutor promotes study skills and Subject Tutoring:
   • Look for opportunities to suggest different methods of studying.
   • When appropriate, encourage tutees to meet with an Academic Coach for study skills help (www.roanoke.edu/academiccoaching).
   • When appropriate, encourage tutees to schedule additional tutoring appointments.
      
3. The tutor informs students of limitations of peer tutoring while offering solutions:
   • We don’t help students with homework, but we can help with similar problems/concepts.
   • We don’t help students edit compositions, but we can review the paper to identify problematic areas to be addressed in a different context.
   • We don’t help students outside of Subject Tutoring, but we can refer them to the website to schedule an appointment.
   • We don’t help students with concepts that are outside of our understanding, but we can refer them to the professor and brush up on concepts for the future. 

Complete Module 4 Activity

Module 5: Ethics and Academic Integrity

Hours: 0.5

Being a Subject Tutor is a serious responsibility that requires maturity, empathy, and discretion. Moreover, tutors have the added obstacle of navigating their overlapping roles as peer learner, educator, and friend. The Tutor Code of Ethics was developed not only to protect the tutee, but also to help tutors use good judgment in their many interactions with tutees. 

Complete Module 5 Activity

Module 6: Using Different Learning Styles

Hours: 0.5

All students learn differently; however, there are four basic types of learners:

• Visual 
• Read/Write
• Auditory
• Tactile

A student may have a strong preference for one style of learning, but that does not mean it's impossible to learn from other types. When helping a student with a weak subject, it's best to tutor in their preferred learning style. This can be a challenge when the tutee's preferred learning style is the opposite of your own! Good tutors actively try to incorporate all 4 learning styles into each tutorial.  

"Teach me my most difficult concepts in my preferred style.  Let me explore my easiest concepts in a different style. Just don't teach me all the time in your preferred style, and think I'm not capable of learning."

Read Different Types of Learning Styles.

Determine your learning preferences. Remember to record your scores!

Learn to understand your results.

Read about Learning Strategies.

Complete Module 6 Activity.

Module 7: Using WC-Online & Tutor Chat

Hours: 0.5

WCOnline is the program Subject Tutoring uses to schedule appointments. It also contains Client Report Forms that are used to document tutoring sessions. Tutors regularly use this program to check appointment schedules, create accounts, make appointments for tutees, and enter brief tutorial notes under the Client Report. 

Watch video.

Complete Module 7 Activity.