Re: tutor training discussion

[00cljohanek@bsuvc.bsu.edu]

I haven't had much luck with role playing, but I've
had better success with scenarios.  I forget the source
right now, but there's a great story about a tutor (I think
it's in WCJ) who tried to "coax" the word "whisk" into an
international student's vocabulary.  It worked well with
my tutors--to demonstrate that you can't coax or be a sounding
board for students who have nothing to "sound" in the first
place or who are so overwhelmed that they WANT to take 
responsibility for their own learning, but they don't know HOW.

Cindy Johanek
Ball State University

You wrote:  
>
>This fall we used role playing between the tutors-in-training and an 
>experienced tutor (acting out the roles of some of our most typical 
>tutoring situations *and* a few more difficult scenarios) to great 
>benefit.  The experienced tutor studied a few sample information 
>sheets and sample texts from actual students (both used with the students' 
>prior permission) before our session, so she was able to enter the role 
>play "in character" with an actual text in hand.  The tutors each did a 
>mock conference while the rest of the group took notes and later offered 
>their comments/criticisms/suggestions.  The new tutors later said that 
>this was one of the most valuable activities we did, so I plan to repeat 
>it periodically for new and experienced tutors alike.  Perhaps this 
>would work with your group, too?
>
>Judy Davis
>The Catholic University of America
>
>On Tue, 11 Nov 1997, Muriel Harris wrote:
>
>> 
>> OK friends, here's a "whadda-ya'all-do" kind of question.
>> 
>> Our undergrad tutor-training class this semester has some students who
>> have expressed views about the role of the tutor that may or may not
>> indicate views they've reflected on at length. Or they may be taking a
>> lightly considered stance, and if so, I want to help them think more
>> deeply about the views they're promoting.  I'd appreciate knowing your
>> take on all this and what you do in your classes at this turn in the
>> conversation.
>> 
>> We've been considering what tutors' ethical responsibilities or
>> commitments are to writers.  One person in the training class
>> hangs on to the facilitator role, holding to the idea that he's there
>> to be a sounding board, answer the writer's questions, and let the
>> writer compose his/her own paper.  When I asked what happens if the
>> writer doesn't know what questions to ask, his response was that it's
>> the writer's obligation or responsibility to know what he or she needs
>> to know.  ( A side thread in this conversation was about how involved
>> tutors should be in  helping students learn to write on computers, so he
>> tossed in the additional comment that the writer needs to start by
>> doing the online tutorial for Microsoft Word, available in all our
>> computer labs.) Another person in our class, following down this road
>> of focusing on the writer's responsibility  stated that his job is not
>> to motivate the writer. If the writer doesn't care, why should he?  
>> 
>> There were a few others who seemed to accept this, and if they all do,
>> it's their perogative.  Not all the class will be invited to join the
>> peer tutors' staff, but that's not the point. Whether or not we want
>> these people in our Lab, I want  to be sure that they really have
>> arrived at a clear understanding of what's involved in their
>> viewpoints. What would you do? Create some scenarios for them to see
>> how all this plays out? Give them something to read that will stir
>> some thinking? If so, what?
>> 
>> Mickey
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Mickey Harris
>> harrism@omni.cc.purdue.edu
>>