My last recommendations centered on using ELL and internet resources. The former is helpful because the materials were created for educational purposes, and the latter is usually the most helpful if you know what sort of educational purposes will be served by the resources you are investigating. What if the ELL sources don’t work for you, though, and maybe you aren’t sure what the best type of materials to use? This resource isn’t so much about materials, but about building on the knowledge of others and utilizing the expertise of the network of tutors volunteering with LMS.
4. Steal ideas from experienced tutors - and seek them out!
So maybe you're intimidated, though, by the idea of finding your own materials, but you can't seem to find the just right thing through any of the print or digital materials that you've been searching through. I had that problem, too! With my second student, I was again faced with the question of what to read. I had a few good texts for our first meeting, and we did okay, but again I wanted to find the right thing for us to be reading. She seemed to have some interest in spiritual texts, but also indicated that she'd like to get out of her reading comfort zone and try something a bit new and different. What to do? I wanted to help her pick something out that could be appropriate, but I definitely didn't want to pick the wrong thing, especially something that might be too far out of the comfort zone and cause more distress than learning! Through interactions with other tutors, though, I knew that he was using popular novels with his tutoring group, to great success. This inspired me to think about finding a novel that spanned my own student's comfort zone, while also departing from it enough to provide for interesting reading and a doable challenge. We picked out a book which I think fits the bill, and I'll keep you posted on whether or not it was the best choice!
Whether it's choosing a popular novel, knowing how to help a student who's struggling in a particular area, or just general advice and support, experienced tutors are an excellent resource and, in my experience, happy to offer help to future expert tutors! You can use the Water Cooler to pose questions to fellow tutors, or seek them out at periodic tutor meet-ups. It's trite, perhaps, but when we all come together and share our knowledge, we see better outcomes for everyone!
4. Steal ideas from experienced tutors - and seek them out!
So maybe you're intimidated, though, by the idea of finding your own materials, but you can't seem to find the just right thing through any of the print or digital materials that you've been searching through. I had that problem, too! With my second student, I was again faced with the question of what to read. I had a few good texts for our first meeting, and we did okay, but again I wanted to find the right thing for us to be reading. She seemed to have some interest in spiritual texts, but also indicated that she'd like to get out of her reading comfort zone and try something a bit new and different. What to do? I wanted to help her pick something out that could be appropriate, but I definitely didn't want to pick the wrong thing, especially something that might be too far out of the comfort zone and cause more distress than learning! Through interactions with other tutors, though, I knew that he was using popular novels with his tutoring group, to great success. This inspired me to think about finding a novel that spanned my own student's comfort zone, while also departing from it enough to provide for interesting reading and a doable challenge. We picked out a book which I think fits the bill, and I'll keep you posted on whether or not it was the best choice!
Whether it's choosing a popular novel, knowing how to help a student who's struggling in a particular area, or just general advice and support, experienced tutors are an excellent resource and, in my experience, happy to offer help to future expert tutors! You can use the Water Cooler to pose questions to fellow tutors, or seek them out at periodic tutor meet-ups. It's trite, perhaps, but when we all come together and share our knowledge, we see better outcomes for everyone!