I’ve enjoyed tutoring this semester a great deal and would like to return eventually to tutor again. I’ve learned a lot about myself from this experience and I’ll share some of it here based on the SSC Tutor Assessment Rubric.

Approachability: I need to make better eye contact, not just with tutees, but in life. I used to be a lot worse about this but I still have room for improvement. Making good eye contact I believe is key to clear communication. I established a good rapport with my tutees, but at times I may have been a little too relaxed and joked around a little too much during tutoring sessions, but that was fun anyways.

Processing Time: This is what I need to work on most if I return to tutoring. I know I could have given students more time to figure material out on their own, but I was so anxious to explain I may have jumped the gun on their thinking process.

Learning skills: I really feel this was my strong point. I’m pretty good at providing useful memory tricks that are necessary in Biology and make learning a little more fun. My song for lipids, “Three fatty acids and a glyrerol!” seemed to be quite a hit. I also taught more effective highlighting and margin note-taking to make looking over reading a lot more productive.

Attitude: In general, I had a positive attitude about tutoring itself, but I know I did not have a positive attitude about all of the material being covered. Considering I kind of have my feet out the exit door for my Major in Biology, it was difficult to act like I still held a significant amount on interest on some of the less fascinating topics covered in General Biology. Hopefully if I tutor again, I’ll be tutoring something I really love, so I won’t have to act.