Express Care

Expressing Care shows youth that they matter to us before, during, and after the math instruction time.

Make time before and after math learning for casual conversations, playing games, etc. so that youth know you care about them holistically. The following actions can Express Care, and you'll find activities below. Click here to download this page as a PDF.

Commit to your students.

As we build relationships with young people, we want to create a stable learning environment. This is core to Expressing Care, and it explains why many tutoring programs see the importance of pairing tutors with the same youth over the course of a year or even longer. Some ways you can commit to your students are:

Learn the preferred names of every student.
Minimize distractions so you can be present with your students in both one-on-one conversations and group settings.
Check-in regularly and directly with each student.
Plan tutoring lessons with student interests in mind and include relevant real-world examples of math.

Make room for casual conversation.

Showing youth that you enjoy being with them through empathetic and proactive communication. Here are ways you can be more proactive in how you talk with your students:

Let your students know you enjoy being with them.
Leave time for informal conversations, including sharing about yourself if you are comfortable (e.g., hobbies, why you become a tutor, your interest in math, a time you struggled)
Encourage laughter, storytelling, and the occasional non sequitur.

Believe in your students and let them know it!

By approaching learning with an assumption of success, tutors help students see intelligence and learning capacity within themselves that they may not yet see. Here are ways you can show students you believe in them:

Tell your students they are capable and intelligent, especially when they’re struggling through a math problem.
Regularly let your students know that they can do well in math if they try.

Actively listen to your students.

Offering focused attention when you are with your students is a fundamental way to Express Care. Here are ways you can actively listen to your students:

- Check in about their lives before, during, and after the learning experience.
- Give attention to students’ preferred way of expression with their facial expressions and body language.
- Listen between the words for clues to how they’re feeling.

Encourage your students.

Affirming the hard work of your students will go a long way to improve their learning experience. Here are ways you can encourage your students:

Call out the successes of your students, both one-on-one and in group settings.
Regularly reframe mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
Connect with students at the level of their personal interests.
Offer tailored encouragement (i.e., notes of appreciation, a gratitude letter box, notes on written work).

In what ways do you show your students that you care about them?

How do you show your students that you are fully present when you are with them?

Activities that Express Care

Some program practices that facilitate Expressing Care include frequent, individual check-ins that gauges each students’ emotional states and needs. Here are specific activities you can use to Express Care in your learning context: