Sticky Situations
What is the term for when a student relies too heavily on the tutor for validation on every single step, refusing to make an independent move?
tutor dependency
TRUE OR FALSE: A tutor should try to guess or "fake" an answer if they aren't sure, just to keep the session moving.
FALSE
Before diving into brainstorming, what document should the tutor and tutee review together to understand the grading breakdown and exact requirements?
Grading rubric or prompt
If a student is completely lost while trying to balance chemical equations in General Chemistry, they are likely missing this core math skill.
What is basic algebra (or solving for variables / ratios)?
The people you contact during working hours (8am - 4pm)
Danielle & Learning Commons
What concrete strategy can a tutor use if a student is overly talkative about their personal life or complaining about their professor?
Boundary setting / Agenda looping / Redirection
Study technique that involves testing yourself on material rather than just re-reading notes
Active Recall
When a student is assigned a massive 10-page paper or a major cumulative project due in a month, what planning strategy should the tutor use?
Chunking, breaking down technique
A student failing to grasp the concept of "Limits" in Calculus I usually lacks a deep understanding of these two foundational mathematical concepts.
What are Functions and Trigonometry (or Pre-Calculus)?
Front Desk staff
What boundary should a tutor set if a student shows up with a take-home exam or a quiz and asks for "help with just one question"?
How should you handle a situation where you don't know the answer to a student's question?
Be honest, look it up together using reliable resources (textbook, tutee's notes, previous notes)
A student's homework is due tonight and the tutee wants you to do all the work, how can you redirect?
Socratic questioning, redirecting the questions back to the tutee
If a computer science student cannot grasp "Recursion," a tutor should pause and review this specific programming concept first.
What are conditional statements / loops / functions?
How could you prepare for a topic you aren't 100% confident about?
Read the tutee's comments, skim the section of that textbook, watch a Youtube video
What should you do if a student wants to extend their 25 minute session?
Take a pause and message Danielle asking approval for extending the session to 55 minutes
What active tutoring strategy naturally shifts the pressure off the tutor's memory and forces the student to rely on their own current class notes?
Socratic questioning / Guided inquiry
To ensure a student can independently complete a multi-step problem type on their upcoming homework, what teaching model should a tutor follow?
Before a Spanish or French student can successfully learn the subjunctive mood or the past tense, they must first master this foundational concept of matching verbs to subjects.
What is verb conjugation (or subject-verb agreement)?
What type of question should a tutor prioritize to get a quiet student talking: open-ended or closed-ended?
open ended
What should a tutor do if a student puts immense amount of pressure on them to perform miracles? (i.e teach them chapters 1-10)
Establish boundaries, abide by policy (you are not a professor), ask Staff to help!
What are the two best resources a tutor can consult during a session if they realize they aren't familiar with a new curriculum method or concept?
The student's syllabus/assignment prompt, the official course textbook/online portal
At the end of a prep session for a future assignment, what should the student generate to prove they know what to work on before their next tutoring appointment?
An actionable action plan / "Next Steps" checklist
In Physics, a student struggling with complex kinematics or vector addition problems in this specific branch of math.
What is right-triangle trigonometry (SOH CAH TOA)?
Where can you find all the policies and protocols for being a Learning Commons Staff member?
peer-tutoring-allstaff channel - top links at the header