After reviewing UNC’s client evaluation form, I have one grouping suggestion.
Scaffolding, encouragement and support can be made into one criterion, because they are all largely interdependent. Scaffolding is a support system, whereby students are guided and given helpful outlines and tips to achieve things, which they might not be able to do on their own. The sense of achievement from the scaffolding support system encourages students to keep up the work. Scaffolding, Encouragement, and Support are just different words for the process by which we can help tutees reach goals.
Hopefully a quality tutor exhibits most of the qualities mentioned on this evaluation form. I’d like to think that I adequately provide scaffolding, guidance, encouragement, support, active learning, ___ knowledge, etc. There is one criterion that I need to work on.
That would be attendance. While on the TutorTrac system, I often found myself double-booking timeslots or having to cancel in advance. To improve my attendance record, I chose to build a more personal connection with the group of students I tutor. Instead of using TutorTrac, my clients know to text, email or call me to set something up. This has made my schedule both more flexible and easier to manage. So I can take on a higher volume of appointments, without missing any. Still, I feel guilty whenever I have to cancel an appointment or just say no. Hopefully my workload will be a little lighter next semester, so I can schedule and attend more tutoring sessions.
Other than my attendance record, I feel like I would get pretty strong ratings across the board. My strongest quality would be that I’m very approachable. I tutor finance, which is a pretty intimidating subject. So to ensure that my clients actually master key financial concepts, I have to be approachable. I make finance easier to face. Throughout my sessions I constantly ask clients if they have questions or if they understand various concepts. That way they aren’t intimidated to ask questions when they don’t know something.
A great way to help students understand difficult concepts is to participate in the learning with them. I am a strong believer in active learning. As an extrovert, I understand the importance that discussion has upon comprehension. (I always talk before I think. Talking makes me think.) So naturally, I strike up course-conversation throughout each tutoring session. It’s a great way to get the student to partake in casual learning.
