East Tutor Orientation 101 - What a Difference a Day Makes!

23/Th 8:00 AM Owens

East, Betty

Type_Presentation 60-minute Concurrent Session

PresentationTitle Tutor Orientation 101-What a Difference a Day Makes!

Presentation_description  Tutor Trainers face a daunting task! Come and work with fellow trainers as we share ideas for a fun and rewarding one-day Orientation training session that meets the needs of your unique program. This interactive session will present a variety of techniques, and you will come away with practical plans.

Presentation_complement Trainers will be able to provide tools for the tutors to use on a "day-to-day" basis that will complement the tutors' academic skills and help them create an atmosphere of learning. By honoring individual talents and using diverse training techniques, Tutor Trainers can draw out the strengths of each tutor and train him or her to use these qualities on a day-to-day basis with a variety of students.

ProgramStrand_Primary Learning Assistant Center Management

ProgramStrand_Secondary   Peer Tutoring

Purpose of the Presentation: Tutor Trainers vary in experience, but one thing they have in common is the desire to provide meaningful training sessions to tutors at all levels of expertise, not just fill the allotted training time. This presentation will focus on what can be accomplished in a one-day training session for all tutors, along with follow-up trainings aimed at specific targets during the semester that will enrich the tutoring experience for both tutor and tutee. If that is not enough to encourage resourceful planning, then the idea that the well planned Orientation should be interactive will be demonstrated, thereby changing the trainer's role from "dictator" to "facilitator."

II. Learning Objectives: Trainers need to focus on specific target areas for training, and a one-day session to begin each semester pairs returning tutors with the new "recruits" through a series of interactive exchanges that model good tutor qualities in a variety of areas. An array of ideas and plans will be provided, such as:
1. Goal Setting-simple plan of action to get students moving on a project
2. Role Play-difficult situations and how to handle effectively
3. Training Requirements-tutor assignments that can build a catalog of resources
4. Brainstorming Campus Resources-ideas for guest speakers, campus tours, etc.
5. Schedule for the Day-samples from previous successful Orientations
6. Follow-up Trainings-sample lists of tutor-requested trainings
7. Breakout Sessions for discipline specific training
and others as time allows. Each participant can take back ideas that fit specific program needs. No one plan is right for all situations, so the well prepared trainer needs to start with a goal for the day and then have more than enough activities to meet the stated objectives. Using other resource personnel and services on campus can add needed information in a format centered on a variety of different experiences in several locations, thereby retaining interest and encouraging interaction.

III. Significance to the Field: Using the CRLA Certification model for tutor training is the ideal way to provide unity in a tutor training regimen. In the hands of the dedicated trainer, Tutor Orientation becomes the tool to pass on vital information, while allowing tutors to learn and experience the important ideas through sharing and group activities. Once tutors see for themselves that they can master the tutoring techniques presented through role play, modeling, and practice, they are ready to use the information in real life tutoring situations, which is the goal of a well designed training program.

IV. Relevance to CRLA Members and other Conference Attendees: Since a big part of CRLA focuses on tutoring and the need for a uniform program to assimilate the required information for level certification, this session will provide practical and user-friendly ideas to take back to the individual program, along with sample training schedules for a one day Orientation, and end with a time to share ideas that work for other Tutor Trainers and can be used to enrich the training schedule for the participants in attendance.

V. Outline or Description: The 60 minutes will begin as each participant enters the door and is handed a packet, a notebook, a pencil, several note cards, and a small slip of paper for the door prizes. They will be told they are entering the Tutor Orientation Zone.

I. Introductions - first name basis - go around tables and introduce each "teammate"
II. "Pretend" day-long schedule introduced - each table coming up with ideas
III. Games and More Fun - beginning activities, ice breakers, food, prizes
IV. Training opportunities - lists of suggested schedules, guest speakers, CRLA topics
V. Afternoon opportunities - Breakout sessions targeting specific labs or needs
VI. Make It Personal Time - Participants adding ideas or relating plans that work
VII. Door Prizes awarded - information exchanged as new friendships are formed.

VI. Plans to Promote Audience Interaction and Engagement: Each participant will be afforded the opportunity to interact with others in small groups which will be assigned specific tasks to accomplish. As the groups discuss their project, each participant will have a voice in how the task will be done and then presented to the group. After trying some of the suggested activities and "tweaking" them to fit a particular need, the participants will be maintaining a list of the ideas that are applicable to their programs. As this list emerges through the session, the participant will then leave with plans that appear useful, innovative, or fun for a training session. Each attendee will also have an opportunity to share in the closing exercise entitled "Make it Personal."

VII. Instructional Materials for Participants: Each participant will receive a packet of suggested schedules, sample training games, ice breakers, and exercises designed to meet specific needs, but the main thrust of the presentation will be interactive, so a blank "Training Notebook" will be provided to encourage participants to take notes and create the list mentioned above. At the end of the session, participants will be encouraged to take the information and try the ideas in their training sessions and then continue adding ideas to their "Training Notebook" that work for them. This will be an excellent tool for sharing with other programs or passing on to a successor. Imagine receiving such a valuable tool when first starting or expanding a training program!

VIII. Presenter’s Experience with the Topic: I started as a part-time tutor when the tutoring program here at VC was just beginning. I moved into a full-time position when my supervisor took a newly created director's position and had to leave the tutoring center. I have tried to build on her vision for a permanent tutoring center and the commitment of the Student Services administration to develop a tutoring program. I have seen the program grow for the last 15 years, from our humble beginning with no dedicated space into a strong tutoring program with 5 centers on campus. Much of the growth of tutoring on our campus can be traced to grant funding, and the Title V initiative allowed me to participate in CRLA conferences, where I received the information to begin the formalized training by applying for certification. I am now in charge of all tutoring on campus, and the program requires certification for all tutors. I have benefitted greatly from all the support here at VC and from CRLA.

PresenterBio I have been at The Victoria College for more than 15 years, serving first as a part-time tutor and then moving into my present position as Tutor Coordinator in 1999. I tutor English and maintain my office in the Tutoring and Study Center, one of the 5 tutoring centers on campus. I have been married for 44 years to my now retired carpenter husband, and we have two wonderful children, a daughter who lives in Austin with her husband and our three bright and talented grandsons, and our son who lives in Victoria and worked with his father until his retirement, but not before the two of them built our son's home here. I love my job because I have the unique opportunity to reach out to students in a less formal atmosphere than the classroom. In our tutoring centers, I strive to maintain an atmosphere of learning with an environment that is relaxed, secure,and friendly. I have earned the reputation of "feeding" people because our centers offer coffee, snacks, and the occasional meal to help our students feel at home here. If I had to put my tutoring philosophy into words, it would be that "every student deserves our best, and a cookie couldn't hurt!"