So you've been assigned to meet with a new student! After making contact with the student to arrange a time and place--you are ready to embark on the first session.
At the outset, the student may approach the tutoring experience with a number of different feelings, attitudes, and beliefs about what tutoring should accomplish or involve. Consider that the student may:
- be anxious or nervous
- question your ability and/or knowledge
- possess a negative attitude either about the course or seeking assistance
- feel discouraged about the material, his/her ability, etc.
- be concerned only with a grade, an exam, passing the course, etc.
- blame the professor for "being a lousy teacher" or "expecting too much"
- blame him/herself for being a "bad student"
- expect all problems to be solved in a half an hour or less
- expect you to solve difficulties single-handedly--to "do for" rather than to "do with"
- feel intimidated by you
- feel overwhelmed
- be preoccupied with personal issues
- resent needing to seek help in the first place
- be confident in your ability, eager to learn, and determined to succeed
Of course, some of the above positions can be seen as obstacles or challenges for the tutor, especially because these feelings may not manifest themselves immediately, if at all. "Reading" your students can be difficult, particularly if you jump immediately into concepts or practice difficult problems during the first meeting.
It is very important that when working with a student for the first time that you start with basic introductions. Make sure you tell them a little bit about you as a person and as a student, and get to know them as a person and as a student. If you have this basic level of connection with them, the student is more likely to feel more comfortable with you and thus open up to you more. Anything you can do to foster a real relationship with the student will aid in your tutoring sessions to follow. For more concrete examples of how to strengthen this first meeting, as well as any later meetings, click here.
