Frequently Asked Questions
- What should I do when my tutee is absent?
You should ask the teacher if there is anyone else in the class
who may need help with whatever subject you were planning to teach
your tutee that day. If there is no one for you to help, ask if
you can sit in the class for an hour and observe, and reflect
on these observations.
- What should I do when the teacher sends my tutee
with class work?
The teachers should already know that Partners for Success tutors
bring their own lessons; however, many don’t. Politely tell
the teacher that you already have a lesson planned, but that if
you have extra time during the lesson, you will help your tutee
with his/her class work at the end.
- What do I do if I think that my tutee has a learning
disability?
If you highly suspect a learning disability but haven’t
been notified that your tutee has one, ask to speak to the teacher
in private before or after one of your sessions. You may find
out more information from the teacher. If the teacher does not
know of any disabilities, explain your observations to the teacher and ask for advice. As a tutor, you can not diagnose a disability
and should do your best to meet your tutee's learning needs.
- What is the best way to make sure I have enough
time at the end of my lesson to include time for closure?
A good way to prevent running out of time is to break up your
lessons into smaller parts when planning them. This way, if you
feel like you are going to run out of time, you can leave out
one of the parts of your lesson and use this time for closure,
since closure is very important. Then you can use the part that
you left out as an opener for your next session to see if the
tutee remembers what you had gone over the time before.
- What do I do if I can’t get in 16 lessons
by the end of the semester?
You must have at least 16 session or else it will affect your
grade, so it is important to make up sessions on days other than
the ones you are already assigned. Talk to the teacher about another
time or day that would work, and try to spread them out.
- What are some other resources for math lessons?
See the “resources” page on the PFS website.
- How can I keep my tutee motivated during the lesson
without using candy as a reward?
Be sure to praise your tutee for his/her efforts instead of getting
an answer right. This should increase your tutee’s motivation,
hopefully making him/her more intrigued. Start out each lesson
with your “objectives” for the day, so that the tutee
knows exactly what you will be doing. Providing structure can
help children. Also, if their behavior gets really bad, tell them
that if you get through all that you wanted to get through, and
if he/she tries hard, that you can spend the last 5-10 minutes
reading a choice book from the library, or just talking. Just
keep in mind that it’s important not to make this into a
habit.
- My tutee was rewarded with candy by his previous
tutor. What can I do so that he won’t expect this from me?
Try to convince your tutee that because he/she is so smart, they
shouldn’t need candy to do well. Tell them that you are
very excited about being there with them, and that alone should
be enough of a treat. You can also blame your SLA if you’d
like, and tell them that you just aren’t allowed.
- Can I reward my tutee with treats?
We strongly discourage getting into this bad habit. This leads
to the tutee’s dependence on being rewarded with material
objects rather than your praise. Furthermore, they will then expect
that from every other tutor they have. This can also distract
the children being tutored around you, so please try to avoid
using this method.
- What should I say to my tutee if they ask me why
I’m leaving them after a semester?
First of all, you should tell them in advance that you are going
to be leaving so that it is not a complete surprise to them. If
they are sad and ask why you’re leaving, tell them that
you are going home (even if it’s after first semester),
and that you really don’t want to leave. Tell them that
because you are in college, you go to school at different times,
and make sure that they know it has nothing to do with them. Emphasize
that you love spending time with them, but that unfortunately
you have to go, and that they will probably get another tutor
who they can have just as much fun with.
- What is a good activity to have on our
first day?
You can use many different get-to-know-you activities, such as
worksheets that you both can fill out about your favorite color,
favorite food, what you want to be when you grow up, etc. This
always serves as a good icebreaker. Also, you can have them give
you a tour of their school. This makes them feel grown up and
eases the tension that might exist at first. Also, you can read
a fun book or magazine; this is not only fun for the tutee, but
it gives you an idea of their reading level (if you are working
on language arts with them).
- What is a good closing activity to have on our last
day?
Your tutee might be sad that you are leaving, so try to do something
fun, but also something that is related to what you have covered
over the semester. If you have covered geometry, for example,
try to bring in clay or markers and make fun shapes. If you have
done poetry, both of you can write and decorate a short poem and
give them to each other.
- What should I do when I can’t make it to a
lesson?
Communication is very important. E-mail your SLA as soon as you
know that you won’t be able to make it, and call the school
and give the secretary the name of the teacher and your tutee.
Your tutee is counting on you though, so try to make it to every
lesson.
- If I go to the school and my tutee is absent, does
this count as a session?
NO. The only way this counts as a session is if you tutor another
student in the class, or if you observe. You must also thoroughly
fill out a reflection for it to count.
- How can I contact my tutee’s teacher?
The best way to communicate with the teacher is to speak with
him/her after your session, if they have time. If you need to
contact the teacher when you aren’t in the school, however,
call the school and leave a message with the secretary. Some teachers
use e-mail, so ask the teacher for her e-mail address. This is
usually the easiest way to contact the teacher, but again, not
all teachers use email.
- My tutee is very fidgety and easily distracted.
What can I do to make my sessions more productive?
Distraction is usually caused by surrounding noise and movement.
Try to move somewhere that is quieter, like a hallway (if the
school allows it). Also, tell the tutee that if he/she focuses
and puts a lot of effort into the lesson, that you can read something
fun or talk for the last 5 minutes of the lesson. This will, in
the long run, make your time together more efficient.
- My tutee always wants to play games with me. How
can I be strict without making him/her mad at me?
It is important to be firm from the very first day so that they
do not take advantage of you. You must set clear boundaries and tell your tutee your expectations for the lesson. Setting boundaries can easily be done without
being mean. Tell them that you aren’t there to play games,
but that learning can be fun, and that you love learning with
him/her. The child may get mad at you, but most of the time they
forget about it by the next session.
- Can I take my tutee outside if the weather is nice?
This policy is different for every school, so be sure to talk
to the teacher. However, if you take them outside, all of the
other tutees will want to go outside as well, and this could be
very distracting. If the school allows it, do not make a habit
of it, because then they will want to go outside every time. Try
to stay inside in an environment better suited for learning.
- My tutee is absent a lot. What should I do?
This can be a big problem since you need to complete 16 sessions.
Speak with the teacher. If it just happens a few times, tutor
another student in the class. If they are constantly absent, however,
e-mail Sarah List at sarah.list@duke.edu so that further arrangements can be made.
- What are some fun ways to get kids to memorize and
learn multiplication tables?
Flashcards normally work well. Make them with your tutee in fun
colors, and turn it into a fun project for your tutee to master
by the end of your time together.
- Can I talk to my tutee about personal family problems
if he/she brings them up?
We would suggest steering away from personal issues, as you are
there to tutor math and language arts. However, if you believe your tutee is in danger, immediately talk to the teacher or school counselor about it. You should also call Sarah List immediately at 660-2445 if your child reports an incident of abuse or neglect to you.
return to top
