TRF

What are AVID Tutorials?

Tutorials take place twice a week, either on Mondays & Wednesdays, or Tuesdays & Thursdays. The AVID tutorial process is divided into three parts---before the tutorial, during the tutorial, and after the tutorial. These three parts provide a framework for the 10 steps that need to take place to create effective and collaborative tutorials.

Trained tutors come into the classroom and help guide student-centered groups answer their own questions about assignments, schoolwork, and much more. Tutorials are when we help students learn how to develop and answer higher level thinking questions. Just as Binder Checks are the organizational cornerstone of AVID, Tutorials are the inquiry cornerstone of AVID.

Tutorial Process

*When assigned by a teacher, or the night before tutorials, each student will develop at least one question they have in a class they may be struggling in.

*Students will be divided into groups upon entry into the classroom.

*Students lead one another with collaborative group discussions and questioning to determine the answers to the presenter's question. Tutors and the AVID teacher are merely guides in this student-centered activity.

*NOTE: Collaborative discussions and the inquiry process are the keys to tutorials, not necessarily coming up with the exact answers. There will be times students might leave tutorials with their questions unanswered and this is okay. If a student comes to the conclusion that they cannot answer their question, it leads them to realize they must seek further help from their teachers, parents, etc.

What is a Tutorial? How do I fill out a TRF? I need a TRF!!

TRF: How To Tutorials!! Tutorial Analysis/Reflection

Tutorials are a collaborative environment in which students use the inquiry process and Socratic dialogue to address Points of Confusion from their content classes in order to come to a more complete understanding of what they are learning.

Tutorials have been a core practice in AVID classrooms since the start of the AVID Elective class. As an English teacher, Mary Catherine Swanson understood that writing is a reflection of thought, and she asked the AVID students to take notes in each of their classes. These notes were a window into what the students understood. Swanson knew that she could help her students with questions in English or history classes, but she did not have the expertise to advise them in science or math classes. Therefore, she decided, with the approval of her administration, to hire former students currently attending universities who were strong in science and math to work with AVID students in those areas. AVID students were being held accountable for their coursework, and their notes gave the tutors and Swanson insight into what was occurring in their classes so the students could receive the needed support to excel.

Click here to learn more about AVID's Six Tutoring Principles for STUDENT SUCCESS!!!

Tutorials are a collaborative environment in which students use the inquiry process and Socratic dialogue to address Points of Confusion from their content classes in order to come to a more complete understanding of what they are learning.

Tutorials have been a core practice in AVID classrooms since the start of the AVID Elective class. As an English teacher, Mary Catherine Swanson understood that writing is a reflection of thought, and she asked the AVID students to take notes in each of their classes. These notes were a window into what the students understood. Swanson knew that she could help her students with questions in English or history classes, but she did not have the expertise to advise them in science or math classes. Therefore, she decided, with the approval of her administration, to hire former students currently attending universities who were strong in science and math to work with AVID students in those areas. AVID students were being held accountable for their coursework, and their notes gave the tutors and Swanson insight into what was occurring in their classes so the students could receive the needed support to excel.

Tutoring is a fundamental component of education, but did you know that many approaches to tutoring have little to no effect on student outcomes? Don’t waste your time and money on unproven tutoring approaches! AVID has logged over 100 million hours of tutoring in our four decades of experience and has developed differentiated tutoring models to support all students: individual or 1:1, Collaborative Study Groups with peers, AVID Elective Tutorials, and AVID Excel Scholar Groups.

Nationally, AVID serves millions of students who will be the first generation in their families to attend college, are often from families living on a low income, and are predominantly students of color. In our mission to close the opportunity gap and prepare all students for college and career readiness and success, we have developed and implemented a variety of tutoring models that encompass the following six principles.

AVID tutoring is:

Structured: A process of repeatable steps allows for consistency across models; teachers, tutors, and students are trained on, reflective of, and continually coached in that process.
Student-Centered and Safe: All tutorial models are built on a foundation of relational capacity so that students feel supported while seeking solutions.
Inquiry-Based: Tutors and peers ask higher-order questions instead of offering answers.
Collaborative: Peers use their collective agency to resolve points of confusion and support each other.
Equitable: Defined roles and responsibilities ensure equal participation.
Metacognitive: Students identify where they are confused, and then summarize their new learning and reflect on the process.