Some links for tutoring tips

http://www.literacyconnections.com/Writing%20Instruction

I really liked this website. It was incredibly comprehensive and discussed a lot of material; it gives ideas concerning reading, spelling, and vocabulary. Unfortunately, it largely focuses on young children. There are some easily transferable ideas, but I don’t think it would be very useful for the average tutor. I found that the sheer amount of information available was hard to ignore.

The link that I found was http://cityyearblog.org/blog/2010/10/13/5-tips-for-tutors/ but I noticed that it was actually a part of http://cityyearblog.org/blog/category/tutor-2/

I think this website is good because it has both articles about tutoring in general and it offers relevant advice for a variety of subjects. Many of the articles don't provide tips but rather emphasis the importance of tutoring. Still, each tip provided also included a link if the reader wanted more information. I thought it was particularly relevant because many of the ideas listed echoed ideas from the Tutoring Cycle listed in the Generation 1.5 reading.

http://www.tutornation.com/index.htm

This website seemed okay but I thought it would mostly benefit people who are already established as a tutor. It had good “tips for tutors” section but the overall layout of the website suggested that it was primarily a marketing tool rather than an online resource for tutors. I got the feeling that it is meant to be an employment opportunity. I know some people are already qualified as teachers/tutors, so I figured it would be useful for them.

http://istudy.psu.edu/FirstYearModules/PeerTutoring/PeerTutorInfo.htm

I like this one particularly because it specifically addresses peer tutoring. They also provided several useful tips outlining how you can be an attentive listener or how to ask the appropriate questions. The website also provided a link concerning body language which I didn’t expect but found useful nevertheless. I didn’t even think of the messages subtle body language can send to a tutee.

http://schoolblast.net/

Some of the “tips” made here were definitely unique and I found others to be a bit too personal (I’ve never heard of combining sleepovers with tutoring sessions regardless of gender). The suggestion about going to the movies wasn’t as radical but I still felt like those comments were a bit unprofessional. The tutee should feel comfortable and the atmosphere should be friendly, but I don’t think the tutor has to literally become the tutee’s friend. I did find, however, the topic of tutoring and technology very useful. Considering today’s technology-centered youth, I think the author’s recommendations regarding Skype and online tutoring were good.

http://www.couchclan.org/tutor%20training/level%202%20documents/Tutoring%20Tips%20based%20on%20Learning%20Style%20Additional%20Learning%20Styles%20Resources.pdf

This was the last bit of information I could find that seemed useful. It became increasing difficult to find websites that offered relevant advice that wasn’t generic. The link provides a very good approach to tutoring whether a student is a tactile or auditory learner. I think some of them are a little contrived, but they seemed to be effective techniques.