Have you ever been tutoring at a session when your tutee says something you have no idea how to respond to? Oftentimes, peer tutoring goes beyond only answering example problems from class. Empathetic tutoring can help you prepare and respond to unique issues that may arise in a session as well as bond with your tutee in the process.
What Does Empathetic Tutoring Mean?
Empathetic tutoring means evaluating the needs of your tutee in order to give measured, informed responses to help them achieve. Empathetic tutoring could improve your sessions for both you and your tutee. Tutees will feel more comfortable and motivated, which will lead to them being in a better place to understand the subject material. As a tutor, your tutee will be able to communicate with you better, minimizing the frustration in the session, and allowing more to be accomplished in one session.
Evaluating Student Needs
Not all tutees will feel comfortable telling a tutor when they are struggling with material or a specific concept. Some tutees may also have a hard time identifying that they’re having a problem. While it’s not a definitive list, there are some signs that you can watch out for:
- Easier to notice signs: visible frustration, frequently asking questions, or
hesitancy to move on to harder problems.
- Harder to notice signs: tutees trying to change the subject, zoning out, or being unable to explain the steps for a problem.
A tutee’s needs have to be evaluated in order to provide the best help suited for them.
Responding to Students
After evaluating a tutee’s needs, you can respond appropriately. Taking a
moment to examine why a tutee may be saying something allows you to craft a better reply. This strategy is especially important for situations in which a student says something unexpected. One such example that you may have heard: “This is so stupid”
Here’s a list of possible motivations your tutee may have to say this, as well as some ways you could respond accordingly:
- Frustration with a specific problem: Suggest to come back to it later, or offer to make it a focus next session instead. You could recommend they ask a friend for help, since they may just need to hear a different perspective on how to solve the problem.
- Frustration with the concept: Try different ways of wording your advice in order to bridge the gap. Share a story about you, a friend, or a classmate who may have also struggled with the concept.
- Frustration with having to take the class in general: explain why the class is important for them... or agree! Sometimes tutees can have valid complaints about the course material or why they need to take the class, and hearing you agree could help them manage their feelings about it.
It’s also helpful to consider how you may want to respond to common issues that come up in a session. A common reason students attend tutoring is because their test is coming up and they want to be prepared. What if your tutee expresses that they’re still feeling anxious about their exam? Here are some reasons why they may be feeling that way, coupled with some responses that could help them:
- Worried about the test format: Ask if their teacher provides any past exams to reference. Many newer students may have troubles with finding course content in Canvas, BlackBoard, etc and could use your help looking for resources. Tell them how the test was when you took it, but note that it may be different.
- Not confident in test taking: Provide some test taking strategies for the class you’re tutoring. If this is a math test that grades with partial credit, advise your tutee to write out as much as possible. If it’s a long multiple choice test with a strict time limit, share some strategies of how to manage time on a test.
- Not confident in course knowledge: Ask if they’d like to do another session before the test. If it’s too late for another session, offer to be their tutor again before the next test and start doing sessions earlier. Offer some ways to self study suited for their specific course (flashcards, mnemonics, practice problems, etc).
Taking a moment to step back and examine your tutee’s motivations for coming to tutoring, what they say, and how they behave, can greatly improve your sessions. As a peer tutor, you’ll know that students can be under a lot of stress. Empathetic tutoring can help ease some of that pressure off of your tutee and yourself.
