Re: tutor training discussion

[becky.rickly@umich.edu (Becky Rickly)]

Well, I did...the one we took was a shortened version, not truly a MBTI
test as I had implied.  The one we took was a shortened Keirsy Bates
Personality SOrter, or something like that, and when I went back to it to
check it out, apparently the son of Keirsey asked them to remove it....This
was at a sunsite.unc.edu address.

I tried a quick search, and I found a similar site at

http://www.davideck.com/links/keirsey1.html

They claim to provide the information you need to address the test, so it
may well be a good way to do something like this.

As for my students' InterChange discussion, I haven't webbed it, though I
suppose I could sometime....I'll keep you all posted if I do!

--Becky

>Sounds interesting--do you have the web site address for this?
>
>On Thu, 13 Nov 1997, Becky Rickly wrote:
>
>> Mickey and Neal, we had a fascinating InterChange discussion on the idea of
>> biases after taking the web version of the Myers-Briggs Personality Type
>> Indicator in class.  The students were all pretty much angry at being
>> catagorized on so little information, and we used that as a way to examine
>> how our own biases might affect our tutoring.  It was bumpy, of course, at
>> times, but a really enlightening conversation on all fronts.  Something
>> like that may not get to the heart of where these biases come from, but
>> it's certainly a way to get us all to *reflect* on those biases.
>>
>> --Becky
>>
>> >Neal, good question...where do biases and predilections come from? I
>> >don't know how I'd begin to help them unearth that until they see how
>> >their biases play out. I totally agree that a goal of tutor training
>> >as well as staff development IS to confront one's predilections, and
>> >I'm searching for a way to help them do just that. One thing I'm
>> >considering is perhaps asking them to describe how they learn
>> >something, especially something difficult for them, and see where that
>> >goes. Stay tuned.....
>> >
>> >
>> >Mickey
>> >
>> >P.S. One of the peer tutors who overheard the class conversation
>> >(since we meet in one corner of the lab..where the couches are) said
>> >that she wanted to punch the guy out when he said that it's not his
>> >job to do much of anything since students have to do their own
>> >work. We tried to convince our eavesdropping tutor (who was rankling
>> >at his lack of commitment, compassion, etc.) that drop-kicking the guy
>> >isn't the best way to let him know how important compassion and caring
>> >are.    ;-)
>> >
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Mickey:  I wonder where your students' notions of tutor/student
>> >> responsibility comes from.  In other words, they can role play, study
>> >> scenarios, or do just about anything, but their notions of tutor/student
>> >> responsibility sound quite entrenched.  Would it be helpful or do-able
>> >> for them to trace the origins of such ideas?
>> >>
>> >> With my staff, I try and have them idealize tutor and student
>> >> responsibilities, but then apply that ideal to excerpts from actual
>> >> tutoring sessions.  Tutors sometimes find that the dictum "students
>> >> should be motivated" is much more complicated in real life.  What do
>> >> "motivational" behaviors look like?  How fixed are they by culture and
>> >> context?  I guess what I'm saying is that one goal of staff development
>> >> for me is for tutors/consultants to understand and confront their
>> >> biases.  I'm not always successful.
>> >>
>> >>       Neal Lerner
>> >>       Mass. College of Pharmacy
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >Mickey Harris
>> >harrism@omni.cc.purdue.edu
>>
>>
>>