Jill Marie Runnion finds tutoring to be a very worthwhile and fulfilling experience for both the tutor and the tutee. When working with young children who have never used a tutor before, she finds that those students can have troubles at the beginning of their sessions. These tips will help other tutors when taking on a new tutoring client.
- Students who have never used a tutor before may be intimidated by the process. Adding to that fearful emotion, the student may have self-esteem or anger issues as a result of their needing to be tutored in a subject. The tutor must establish a respectful relationship with the tutee at the onset of the sessions.
- New tutees are likely to enter their early sessions with a defeatist attitude. It is important to break the negative thought patterns. These children are apt to feel they “can't do it”, “will never learn it”, or are “too stupid to get it”. Tutors have to find a way to get the child past those unproductive emotions so they can actually start to learn the material being presented.
- One of the best ways to make progress with a new tutee is to get them involved in the lesson and the overall goal of the tutoring session. Even with younger children, offering options and giving them the chance to address what they wish to learn from the sessions will go a long way to opening up communication, an area where Jill Marie Runnion is very skilled.
