Tutoring @ TJ’s

Attitude 4- I really enjoyed tutoring this semester and I enjoy the material, biology. I feel like I was able to help students with the material because I myself understand it. I think that tutoring a subject that I enjoy helped me become more comfortable and confident with the material.

Encourage and supports 4- I really tried to be uplifting and supportive to the clients who came in for help. I would not be over supportive or enthusiastic because that might freak them out.. like think of me as the freaky biology girl, but i would smile and encourage them to keep up the good work. I think that facial expressions give off a good message without being over exuberant.

Approachability 3- I think that I was approachable and kept good eye contact. i tried to make the appointments comfortable and relaxed. I gave the client the option of where to sit, most of the time I sat on the couches. I never want the client to feel like there in the classroom again. The point of tutoring is for the client to be in a different setting where they are getting a different point of view. I tried to keep eye contact and look at them while asking constant questions to see if they knew the material or not.

Processing time 2- I think that some times I felt like I was rambling on and on about material that they were not understanding. I think that I thought that no matter how many times I explained the subject they w ould understand it. I need to work on that area of my tutoring skills. I also think that some times I did not give the client enough time to process that information before I moved onto the next topic. This is something I want to work on in order to become the best tutor that I can be!

I had some really awesome experiences tutoring this past semester. I really feel like I was able to help students with their studies and gave them the confidence to succeed on tests and quizzes and study habits. I had a frequent client that gave me good feedback on how I was helping him. He made appointments before all tests and before his exams. I think that I really did help him which makes me feel great! Most people think tutroing isn’t hard, but it is because it has to do a lot with personality clicking. In order for your advice as a tutor to impact the client, your personalities have to understood by each other or else the client will just sit there adn nod their head while the tutor struggles to explain the subject matter. During a few sessions, I felt like I was not getting across my point to the client. That makes the session frustrating because because the tutor knows when the client isn’t understanding what in the world your saying. i only had one bad experience during a tutor session. It started off badly because I hadn’t checked my schedule past 1oclock that day so i thought I was off for the night, but at 8:05 I received a phone call notifying me that I had an appointment. I was so embarrassed because i would never not show up for anything so when I got there 15 minutes late, my client was kind of ticked at me..oopppss…. So I finally got situated, and asked the client what we would be working on that night. he explained to me that he had a lab report due the next day and had a few questions about his paper. So he opened his lab top and began asking me editing type questions. he was a little rude and chauvinistic in his words but I blew it off thinking it was just an arrogant type of personality.. whatever haha. I gave him editing advice and then he wanted me to start looking things up for him online and actually do his project for him. i explained to him that it was not my job to do that for him and that it was a waste of our tutoring time for me to Google search the entire time. I didn’t think think this was unreasonable but apparently he did because he complained about me. i guess he was just anxious and on a time crunch with his lab report to get it done because it was due the next day and he still had a lot of work to do on it, therefore he wanted me to the things he was having a hard time doing. I guess i would consider this experience an ugly one. All in all I love tutoring and ca not wait for next semester.

I have been asked countless times how I find the time to tutor and why I do it. And the answer always is that I find the time becuase I like it. I think that tutoring at TJs has been one of the most rewarding things I have done at Rollins. It is great to take a student who seems to be so unsure in what they are doing in class and get them to the point where they really don’t need you anymore. The point where I know I have done a good job is when my clients become tutors themselves. They then learn what a rewarding experience it truly is…as corny as that sounds.

But, I think it has helped me as much as I have helped others. I am more confident in my knowledge now and am not so hesitant to help out others. I know how to approach and explain a problem in a more clear manner. These are lessons that I can use everyday!

Because Pete makes the most delicious smoked turkey!

How many times have you had a kid come in who doesn’t have his book, has no clue what material they are even studying, and then hands you his homework assignment to do it for him? Hopefully not that many, but I’m sure that it has happened. Then, when you tell the student that you cannot do the work for him, you get a blank stare and a negative comment placed into the comment box at the end of your meeting. How do you all deal with this? Honestly, I just laugh…it’s the cure to everything. Don’t worry, though, I do not laugh in his/her face. You have to wait until they leave…that’s the trick. Unfortunately, these situations are not even the worst…

Now, how many of you have had a client who comes regularly and has showed promising strides at times, but then appears to a meeting as if he had never been in the class? (more…)

I want to share a great experience I’ve made 2 weeks ago. Somebody made an tutor appointment for ECO 203. I called him in order to ask what material he wants to discuss. He said what it was and I assured that I will look into it and prepare myself. However, I realized very fast that I forgot about most of the required material and did not feel comfortable to help him. I thought it would be embarassing to not know anything. So, I called that student and asked him to make another appointment with another tutor, because I would not feel comfortable with the language, cause I am German, and the material. This student would not let go and convinced me for 30 minutes just to try, that maybe I would know more than I thought. So I met with him and we worked together. I taught him what I remembered, but he also taught me. Together we figured out how to do the material. Afterwards, I felt so incredible great and thankful. I thanked him and said that I’ve learned so much. It was definitly one of my best experiences with students in TJ’s. Now I feel comfortable and now that I will always try and see whether it works out.

Heiti

Recruiting is starting…and besides me and your professors asking students to tutor, you all can talk it up with your classmates. You guys know what being up here really involves. Be thinking of which of your fellow students would be good up here. Who would appreciate more opportunities to learn? …more insight into both the course content and the learning process that you all have developed while working at TJ’s?

Hello everyone! As an “veteran” science major I fell it is my duty to help out those just starting out! As a tutor I can offer my experiences and my knowledge to anyone seeking advice. Also, I believe communicating with profs is the best way to facilitate learning however, everyone seems to be a little intimidated or hesitant to do this. As a tutor, I can asure nervous students that profs don’t bite! Also, I can offer hope to any struggling student. I was there once too. And, last but least, I tutor because it keeps me fresh with past material.    

Happy Valentine’s Day! We love what you do up here in TJ’s!

Cancelled due to inclement weather… Sigh.

But it got us (we admin types for all these groups) to get our ecruiting materials ready. Ours are up in TJ’s, in front of TJ’s front desk. Encourage students who ask you about your job to take the next step. There’s also a brochure with info about all 13 peer education programs. (more…)

We are producing a handout with a blurb about each program, and that’s what I’d like your input on… Here’s a draft. What else should we include??? It has to stay short, always hard for moi. CHANGES IN BOLD.
Peer educators at TJ’s: Tutors are specialists who work within their majors or minors with courses they’ve taken and the professors they know teaching them. Tutors help students adjust reflect on their own and others’ learning styles and strategies to better help students adjust to course demands–tests, homework, papers, etc. Writing consultants are generalists, expert readers who talk with writers across the curriculum at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming a topic to structuring an argument to editing a final draft. Both groups earn academic credit for training courses and pay for time spent helping students. Both groups offer six hours of appointments a week, in a very flexible schedule. Some tutors are busier than others; writing consultants are often booked solid from after mid-terms on.

Honestly, I had never even thought about the possibility of tutoring until I received the e-mails telling me I’d been recommended by my professors. Being the strictly individual learner that I am, plagued with the need to write things down in order to commit them to memory, I had never seen a tutor myself, and therefore didn’t really know what to expect. Because of this, I was very uncertain as to whether or not this was something that I could do. I think what ultimately helped me to decide was having gone through these content-heavy introductory biology courses, I realized that more importantly than having learned such a vast amount of information, I had gained valuable experience as to how to master the material. How could I not want to share that experience with others?

FOR THE MONEY!$!$ Just kidding.

Similar to Joel, I too have often contemplated having a career as a teacher. I’ve often wondered if I’m capable of explaining material in a comprehensible fashion- I figure now is the time to find out. Also, I’ll be able to find out if teaching is something I’d really enjoy. I have always had a need to help others, but I’m currently at an awkward time in my life where I’m trying to figure out how I can best be of service in the world. To be honest, I don’t even know if I’m going to continue majoring in Biology, but right now I am thinking I will double major in Anthropology and Biology. As for now, I think it will be truly rewarding to help others who have started down the path I started down. This experience will also cement my knowledge of the material in my head which will be beneficial for me in life whether I continue with Biology or not. You may be wondering how it will benefit me to know this material if I don’t stick with my major. Well, I truly believe that because science is all about understanding the physical world we live in, the more one knows about these subjects, the more one can benefit from them in daily life. Hopefully from time to time I will be able to inoculate the students I tutor with the same sentiment. (ha ha, inoculate!)

I decided to tutor first and foremost because I feel like if you go through a rigorous course and understand it completely, you should help others come to the same understanding. Especially if you had to really work for your understanding then you should know what it is like to struggle and should therefore be more inclined to teach others. I can relate more readily to the latter. Secondly, I feel like tutoring will help me solidify the knowledge that I have just acquired, allowing me to have more comprehensive knowledge for graduate school entry exams. Lastly, I have thought about teaching as a career path on more than one occasion and think that this experience will help me in determining if that is a viable option for my future.

So far I am really glad I decided to join the team. I thought about it last semester, but I didn’t think I could make the time commitment and wasn’t sure how effective I’d be as an organic chem tutor. This semester though I am much more confident and excited about tutoring, especially after these training sessions and the online tips. I want to tutor mainly because I truly enjoy the material and discussing it. While I took these bio. classes I realized how important it was to not only study on your own but also with another person or in small groups. Verbally conveying all of the material really improved my understanding of it and it is an awesome way to study. I want to tutor not only because I could work with students and help them learn the material, but also because it will solidify my understanding of it and help me in future classes and standardized tests. I always appreciated that I could go to TJ’s and someone would be willing to help when I needed it, so hopefully I can do the same do the same for other students. Even though last semester I didn’t think I was cut out to be a tutor, I’ve realized that it’s a win win situation for everyone involved and really look forward to it.