Transcript Minimalist Tutoring Strategies By Jessica Wong “The goal of each tutoring session is learning, not a perfect paper” -Jeff Brooks.

Minimalist Tutoring
Strategies
By Jessica Wong
“The goal of each tutoring session is learning, not a
perfect paper”
-Jeff Brooks
Strategy #1: Having the tutee read aloud.
Bypasses awkward moments
while you read the tutee’s paper
Tutee will be involved in his/her
paper.
Allows the tutee to correct his/her
own errors, and will help make the
paper sound “good”
Effectiveness of
reading aloud
8%
9%
20%
Slightly
effective
Effective
Very
effective
n/a
63%
Strategy #2: Giving complements
easy
8%
5%
13%
moderate
25%
Slightly
difficult
difficult
49%
n/a
By giving complements
you point out what the
tutee is doing right.
Shows the tutee that the
paper is a text to be
analyzed, helps points
out strengths and
weakness in a paper.
Allows the tutor to break
away from the role of the
editor.
Strategy #3: Making the Tutees do all
the Talking
How?
Ask your tutee “leading questions” when
the tutor discovers a problem in the
paper
Questions such as “what do you mean
by this?” and what’s you reason’s for
putting Q before N?” will help the tutee
find their own errors
Asking open questions beginning with
what, why, how, or when will allow the
tutee to respond with more than just a
few words.
When tutors ask these questions this
forces the tutees to think
Tutors should try not to rephrase the
question or even try to answer the
question.
what tutors said about
strategy #3
0%
not
effective
effective
13%
very
effective
n/a
49%
38%
Strategy #4 Responses to Tutees
How tutors felt about Strategy
#4
11%
0%
33%
not
effective
slightly
effective
effective
n/a
56%
Occurs when tutee says “What
should I do here?”
The Tutor should respond by:
Saying “I don’t know” or “I can’t
tell you”
Effects:
Prevents the tutee from forcing
the tutor into the roles of the
editor
Tutees will not be upset by this
response and will accept this
answer
When Minimalists Strategies Work
The Unresponsive Writer:
33% effective
67% effective
The Antagonistic Writer:
22% slightly
effective
67% effective
11% very effective
The Writer with the “Perfect”
paper:
33% not
effective
34%
slightly
effective
22%
effective
11% n/a
Though minimalist tutoring strategies are effective, tutors need to play all of the roles
They need to be an ally, coach, editor, commentator, and collaborator.
1. Makes the tutor more efficient
2. Tutees will most likely learn something out of their session