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TUTOR'S TOOLBOX

THE FIRST VISIT TO THE SCHOOL

• Call or email the teacher to introduce yourself and confirm when you’ll be there.
• Meet the secretary and introduce yourself, learn her name, and let her know you’ll be coming regularly.
• Give the principal’s letter to the principal when you meet, or if she/he is not there, leave the letter with the secretary.
• Find out from the teacher what his/her expectations are; ask specific questions regarding the type of help the student will be needing; make sure you know when the best time is for you to arrive so as to receive your log and any instructions for that day; find out where you’ll be tutoring.
• Give the teacher the assignment log folder and look over it briefly together.
• You may or may not be able to meet your student the first day, but if you do, let her/him know you’ll be back to do schoolwork together and to get to know each other.

THE FIRST SESSION WITH YOUR STUDENT(S)

• Arrive early enough to receive your assignment log and ask whatever questions you might have.
• If it’s the first time you’re meeting the student, learn each other’s names.
• Tell the student a little about yourself – make the information appropriate to his/her age; tell how old you are, what you’re studying, what you like to do for fun, what languages you’ve learned, etc.
• Ask the student about family, friends, home country, what she/he likes, etc.
• Tell the student what he/she can expect in these sessions, that you’ll be following the teacher’s plan for the tutoring, and that there will always be a few minutes to just talk and get to know each other better.
• Then get started with the day’s assignment.
• If you meet away from the classroom, you must escort the student back.

SUBSEQUENT SESSIONS

• Ask the teacher if you could contact the parents for a courtesy call.
• Always arrive punctually.
• If you are unable to go or know you’ll be late, call the teacher as soon as you can to let her/him know, and send a message of regret to your student.
• The first priority is to follow the teacher’s assignment log.
• If you have a lot of time left over, refer to the topics on the back of this page.

Contact is the vehicle for language learning. Communication must be two-way. Always share something about yourself, too. This is the way trust is built in the tutoring relationship. Research has shown that regardless of the academic content, school performance improves when the student is accompanied at least one hour a week by a trusted adult. THAT’S YOU.

TOPICS FOR UNSTRUCTURED TIME

• Vocabulary-building tools
  • Personal dictionary (use spiral bound notebook) for 6th grade or older
  • Flashcards (use index cards) for all ages
  • Themes: family/relatives, counting, sports, hobbies, money/currency, classroom procedures, clothing, food, friends, calendar, time, maps
    
• Conversation
  • Use open-ended questions
  • Themes: family, games, TV, “back home in country,” friends,
  • “Now ask me something about me.” (Set limits if your privacy is in question.)
  • Future plans, dreams, wish list, hopes, etc.
    
• Study skills
  • Note-taking, outlining, creating a graphic organizer
  • Formulating questions about a topic of interest (beginning research skill)
    
• Reading comprehension and literature (use Media Center materials)
  • Identifying literary categories: prose, poetry, drama
  • Types of prose: narrative, persuasive, descriptive, informative
  • Decoding text: find the topic sentence, distinguish main idea from details, identify main characters, paraphrase, plot summary.
    
• Math skills (find out from teacher what the class is working on currently)
  • Graphs and charts
  • Multiplication tables
  • Fractions and decimals
  • Equations
  • Word problems

The single most difficult math task for English Language Learners is deciphering word problems. The more practice they have, the better they will do on math tests and assignments. Teach them how to eliminate superfluous information and how to convert text into an operation or equation. Help them to determine exactly what information is being asked for. BEGIN WITH VERY SIMPLE WORD PROBLEMS, 2 TO 3 GRADE LEVELS BELOW THE STUDENT’S CURRENT GRADE. YOU WILL NEED TO ASK THE TEACHER TO HELP YOU FIND EASIER MATH TEXTBOOKS TO USE.

• Tips for tutoring high school students
  • Help is needed with projects, especially research papers.
  • If the student is enrolled in ENL, that teacher will direct your work.
  • If the student is not enrolled in ENL, you will need to connect with the subject teachers to know for what homework or assignments he/she will need assistance. The student will also share with you where she/he is experiencing difficulty.
  • Stay very professional and on-task. Older students seem to get crushes very easily on someone who is paying them a lot of personal attention at close quarters. Do not close the door to the room where you tutor if there is no one else present.
    

PLEASE DO NOT MEET WITH YOUR STUDENTS ANYWHERE EXCEPT THE SCHOOL SITE TO WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED, UNLESS PREVIOUS CONSENT HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM ESL OFFICE, THE SCHOOL AND THE PARENTS.

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