In a tutorial, a class session, or even a full semester, my end goal is for a student to--at the very least--feel more comfortable, have greater confidence, and take pride in their work. Confidence and feeling good takes precedence--from there, the learning and growth will follow.

Get to know the student! Everyone is so, so, so different and each student has her own unique learning style. I want to work at my student's pace, prepare for future tutorials, and adapt my teaching style to her learning styles.

Agency. Reminding the student that, ultimately, her grade is in HER hands. Not mine. I hope to give my students the tools to grow and push themselves, so that I don't only help them with (for example) 'one paper' but help them work independently on the papers to comes.

Passion. I'm obnoxiously passionate, and I'm told it's contagious (sometimes). But, also, more seriously, reminding students WHY they are here--why they care about school, what they want to learn, and why do they want to improve?

Back it up. Back it up and slow it down! Often having a student explain what they DO know and from there talking it through. But taking it slowly, remembering that gaining a new skill or concept is a process.

Asking questions is always helpful, whether I'm working with a new reader or a graduate student. Helping students understand purpose (the purpose for reading, the purpose of the reading), finding key focus points (subjects, characters, thesis, argument, what have you), and--likewise--encourage students to ASK questions as they read (or after they read) as well. Asking questions (whether this entails asking me, their tutor, the questions or doing a quick post-freewrite reading response), helps a student better internalize, untangle, and understand their reading.

Acknowledge how they've grown, acknowledge where they were strong to start and how it's improved, and acknowledge the areas that are still wonky but that are still--nonetheless--improving. Thank the student for her time, her effort, and for showing up: trying and putting the time into gaining skills in a subject alone is an accomplishment.

Passion! It's addictive. Discussing what they're most drawn to within the subject, how it connects to their every day, or how they can draw such connections. Showing excitement for the subject myself and helping them see that they CAN master it.

老式的头脑风暴。讨论ideas, points of weakness, and points of strengths. I also use rapid Q&As. I try to make these fun--where I ask questions about the subject (ex. if they're developing an essay, the questions would be geared toward the topic) and make them a wee oddball and exciting. As I most frequently tutor in writing, I point out habits, repetition, and common syntax errors. This is less fun but is often extremely helpful in long term learning. I also read essays out loud for students or have them read it out loud.

Ensuring that the student is comfortable is key, so (especially if it's in person) I start with some low-key questions about the course, the assignment, the teacher, and how they feel about their work. Also reminding them that I--a grad student, instructor, and long-term writing tutor--still struggle deeply with my own essay writing opens students up in a tutorial quickly. From there, diving right in. Questions are always key, encouraging a student to dig deeper, to go even more specific. Having them read their work out loud is also effective, and vice versa.

As I mainly tutor in writing, asking questions. Once we've been working a tad long term, and perhaps a student and I are approaching a new essay, I'm far less directive in my approach. I'll have the student do more of the leading, prompt her to catch her errors (passive voice, run-on sentences, incomplete ideas), and wait a few seconds longer before answering a question to see if she comes up with an answer on her own. I love seeing a student build up their confidence and skill set over time--for them to believe in their writing--so this element of tutoring (checking for understanding) is a particular favorite of mine.