Transcript The Tutoring Cycle

The Tutoring Cycle
from Ross MacDonald’s The Master
Tutor: A Guidebook for More
Effective Tutoring
The Tutoring Cycle
Greet client and determine
Step I: Beginning
purpose of visit
Set Setting
agenda, tutor, and
1.Greeting
and
Climate
 Step II: Middle
check for understanding
Make future plans and bid
2.Identification
of
Task
 Step
III: Conclusion
5.Setting
an Agenda for the
Session
client farewell
3.Breaking the Task into Parts
6.Addressing
the Task
9.Confirmation
4.Identifying Thought Processes that
7.Client
Summary
of Content
10.What
Next?
Underlie the Task
8.Client
Summary
of Underlying
11.Arranging
and Planning
the
Process
Next Session
12.Closing and Goodbye

Providing Academic Support, Promoting
Independent Learning
Step 1: Greeting and
Climate Setting
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task
Step II:
2.
Middle
3.
Step III:
4.
Conclusion


Purpose: Set up the session for success
Methods:





Warm, genuine greeting
Chair and table arrangement
Eye contact
Positive body language and verbal choices
Keep your hands off the client’s work!
Providing Academic Support, Promoting
Independent Learning
Step 2: Identification of Task
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task
Step II:
2.
Middle
3.


Purpose: Determine the reason for the visit
Methods:

Step III:
4.
Conclusion

Ask! (kindly, indirectly if necessary: “How is
your essay coming along?”)
Follow-up questions
• Narrow general statements into specific items
• Determine what he/she already knows about the
task
• Pause, restate, empathize—prompts him/her to
specify further and gives him/her a chance to
agree or disagree
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Step 2 (continued)
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task
Step II:
2.
Middle
3.
Step III:
4.
Conclusion
Don’t accept “I want you to
proofread/edit my paper”
 We don’t do that! You shouldn’t
provide that service to anyone! That
should not be any client’s task for the
tutorial!
 More on this later . . .
Providing Academic Support, Promoting
Independent Learning
Step 3: Breaking the Task
into Parts
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task

Step II:
2.
Middle
3.
Step III:
4.
Conclusion

Purpose: Determine how much can be
accomplished in one session and how much
time to spend on each part
Methods:

Restate
• “So, you’ve got to write a thesis statement and
add an introduction and conclusion?”

Prompt
• “Do you think we can do that in the time we
have?”
• “Which of those three is most important to you?
Where should we start in case we run out of
time?”
Providing Academic Support, Promoting
Independent Learning
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task
Step 4: Identifying Thought
Processes that Underlie the
Task

Step II:
2.
Middle
3.
Step III:
4.
Conclusion

Purpose: Help the client learn how to
approach this type of task next time
Methods:


Ask what he/she knows about how to do it
(the writing strategy or technique involved)
Make course materials (textbook, handouts,
workbooks, lecture notes, etc.) the source of
information rather than you! Ask client to
refer to them—help him/her get information
for himself/herself
Providing Academic Support, Promoting
Independent Learning
Step 4 (continued)
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task
Step II:
2.
Middle
3.
Step III:
4.
Conclusion
Summary of this step:
 What is the process for doing this type
of task, and where is the process
explained?
How can you apply this if the client
asks merely for proofreading/editing?
 What can you do if the client has no
course materials?

Providing Academic Support, Promoting
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Steps 1-4: Summary
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task
Step II:
2.
Middle
3.
Step III:
4.
Conclusion


What message has been in the footer of
each slide?
How does it relate to

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
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Your keeping your hands off the client’s
work?
Your asking the client to identify the tasks in
the agenda?
Your referring to course materials rather than
simply providing information yourself?
Your refusing to serve as a
proofreading/editing service?
Providing Academic Support, Promoting
Independent Learning
Steps 1-4: Summary
(continued)
Step I:
Beginning
1.
Greeting and
Climate
Setting
Identification
of Task
Breaking the
Task into
Parts
Identifying
Thought
Processes
that Underlie
the Task
Step II:
2.
Middle
3.
Step III:
4.
Conclusion
To what extent have you applied these
four steps in the tutorials you’ve
already conducted?
 How difficult will it be to implement
them in future tutorials?
 Keep in mind how these steps set you
up for success with the next steps in
the tutoring cycle . . .

Providing Academic Support, Promoting
Independent Learning