When reviewing the UNC-Greensboro client evaluation tutor form, I came up with a few recommendations to improve and shorten the sheet. Since attendance seems like a mandatory issue for all peer educators, this category should be removed from the listing. In addition, attitude, processing time, and scaffolding should be removed from the list in order to simplify client responses. Since the client should be the one to set the agenda / set the processing time for the session, this should be removed as a category. In addition, a peer tutor’s attitude should not be rated by the client but instead should be checked as part of the interview process before a prospective student ever becomes a peer tutor. Furthermore, the categories of verifies knowledge and modeling could be combined under the broad topic of concept review. As a tutor, it is important for the client to reiterate the concepts that you introduce to them. By helping them to verify knowledge and model the question, you are encouraging the client to review the topic material. Similarly, I feel like learning skills and active learning overlap enough to combine them into one general category of learning style.
The first category I would assess myself under is attendance. As a peer tutor, it is important to always be on-time, and if you are late, to maintain open communication so that nothing gets lost in translation. In general, I believe that being on-time and prepared to each tutor session is an integral part of being a peer educator. It should not be something that is graded, but instead is something that should be considered mandatory. It should be a pre-requisite if you are to become a peer tutor.
The second category I would assess myself in is attitude. Generally, I approach each session with an open and excited attitude. It is important for the client to feel they are welcome and not to feel intimidated by you. In this category, I would rate myself as a 4. It is pertinent that the client feels welcome, and I believe I fulfill this role well as a peer tutor.
The last category that I would like to assess myself in is fostering independence. Each time a new client enters TJs, he/she leaves with a stronger understanding of the material than when he/she entered. Although they comprehend the concepts better, sometimes I feel I could do more to foster a greater feeling of independence with my clients. I have been working on some techniques that encourage the client to work through the economics equations while I simply guide them, but without them reading the book beforehand, it becomes difficult for me to foster an environment of independence. I know I have some improvement to do in this category, and hope to develop skills for this as I continue tutoring into the next semester.
