Being a SAAS Tutor is more than simply being a tutor. We hold our employees to the highest standard, and with that comes the responsibility of serving as a tutor, a leader, and a role model. During this week’s round table discussion, we talked about what exactly it means to be a role model/leader and how that correlates with tutoring. Here, we have compiled a list of key takeaways based on that discussion with hopes that the rest of our tutoring staff can benefit!
Lead by example. “True leadership is a picture, not just words. If you’re not leading by example, you’re not leading!” This quote applies to pretty much every situation, especially tutoring. Be the student that you want to tutor. Be on time, organized, and prepared for each session. If your students sees you doing these things routinely, they are more prone to do the same.
Maintain open dialogue with your students. In order to be an effective leader, you must know how to follow. Allow your students to take the lead sometimes and teach you something. This way, you can gauge their understanding of the subject and get away from lecture style sessions. This also shows your student that you have a genuine interest in them and their academic success.
Self reflection is essential. Take moments to evaluate yourself and your tutoring style. Are you connecting with you students? Do you feel that students benefit from sessions with you? How have you grown since the start of your tutoring career? Doing this will allow you to assess your strengths and weaknesses and know how to improve moving forward.
Be patient… with yourself and your students. We don’t expect you to know every single thing, this is a learning experience for everyone. Take your time, ask questions, and be honest with yourself. Don’t get overwhelmed and if you need help, just ask a LTA – that’s why we’re here!
Be adaptable. Here at SAAS we deal with a diverse group of students that have varying learning styles. A great tutor is able to meet their students where they are in an effort to help them understand material.