Homework is Not a Test
Tutors find they are often engaged for homework support. Homework frustrates both student and parent. Parents may find it encouraging to understand that homework is not a test; it is a chance to practice a skill. The skillful tutor devises a way for the student to practice the skill and retain the information while having fun!
I Do It, We Do It, You Do It
Good teaching entails modeling (I do it) followed by assisted practice (we do it) and finally mastery (you do it). Modeling occurs beautifully in the classroom, but assisted practice presents a dilemma. Teachers deal with limited time per student. Homework becomes a necessity when the teacher simply can’t spend adequate time helping each student. So, tutors, your job appropriately includes assistance at any level the student requires in order to practice correctly. After all, incorrect practice takes the student in the WRONG direction! Confusion on the part of the student destroys motivation. So, great tutors watch for confusion and intervene immediately. Then they allow plenty of processing time for deep understanding.
But What if the Tutor Ends Up Doing the Homework?
Sometimes a tutor needs to support at a very high level, such as writing the answers for the student to trace over. In this case, best practice means writing a note to the teacher/parent explaining what supports were used and why. This prevents the teacher from assuming the student has mastered material that he or she has not.
He’s Already Got Two Hours of Homework — How Can We Add Tutoring?
With tutoring, the student spends less total time doing homework. The tutor makes sure the student doesn’t get stuck. Explanations and examples happen at the point of need. The student stays focused. A tutor serves as an advocate for the student when the homework load needs to be reduced. A good tutor recognizes the danger signals when a student approaches “Quit Point
Why Pay a Tutor? Shouldn’t Parents Help With Homework?
I tutor professionally. I enjoy tremendous rapport with my students. But while homeschooling my daughters, I found that preserving our relationship sometimes required hiring a tutor who wasn’t Mom or Dad. Additionally, my daughters wanted to study subjects in which I lacked expertise or passion. The wise tutor knows when to step out of the picture and encourage a student to work with a different person.
Tutoring Sounds Hard; Who Would Want to Do That?
Tutoring challenges the tutor’s intellect, patience, knowledge base, and people skills. Such intensity certainly brings on mental exhaustion sometimes. But I find tutoring the most rewarding of the teaching professions. A tutor gets to hear the student say, “I understand now; let me try it myself!” Nothing beats that experience!
by Yvonna Graham, M.Ed.
dyslexiakit.net
@GrahamYvonna