Embedded Files
Within the first five(ish) minutes of the session, you should get a good sense of who the student is, why they are here, and how they feel about their assignment. You also want to make sure the student feels comfortable working with you.
Every single session will play out slightly differently, but it’s good to keep the following things in mind when setting your objective(s):
How to start a session!
How to start a session!
Exchange names and pleasantries. Ask if they’ve been to the QSC before. If not, tell them a little bit about how tutoring sessions go. Make sure they are aware of the 30-minute limit.
Acknowledge and Share Diverse Experiences and Perspectives
Acknowledge and Share Diverse Experiences and Perspectives
UW Bothell students come from all over the world. In the QSC, we want to welcome students not regardless of their backgrounds, education level, or ethnicity, but because of who they are.
If you and the student speak the same language and the student would feel more comfortable speaking in your shared language during parts of your session, feel free to do so! Just make sure to cover important key terms and concepts in English as well so students can follow along effectively in class and on assignments and exams.
Shanti Bruce's chapter from ESL Writers: A Guide for Writing Center Tutors "Breaking Ice and Setting Goals” (evergreen.edu) offers some great strategies for greeting and supporting students whose home languages are not English. It is an article about a writing session but contains information relevant to QSC sessions.
Objective
Objective
It is QSC policy to set an objective for the session to stay on track and have a goal to strive for.
What Questions should I ask to set the objective?
What Questions should I ask to set the objective?
Here are some things you may want to ask when setting the objective:
What did you bring in to work on today?
Which class is it for?
May I see your instructor's assignment instructions or guidelines?
How do you understand the assignment guidelines?
Is there anything else you can tell me about your instructor's expectations?
Do you have any questions about the assignment?
When is your assignment due?
Where are you in the problem-solving process?
This is the student's time, and you are here to support them! Do your best to help them prioritize, while also acknowledging that the two of you may disagree on what needs to be focused on. Acknowledge what you think, but defer to the student's request.
Clarifying Requests
Clarifying Requests
Sometimes, students don't have the language to articulate what they want to focus on. In cases like this, ask questions like "what do you mean when you say ’coding’"? Or, “What feedback have you received on your assignments in the past”? You could also provide a few examples of things you could work on.
Long Assignments
Long Assignments
If the assignment is especially long, let them know you may not have enough time to finish the entire assignment. If there is a certain topic, concept, or problem they would like to focus on, ask for a brief summary of the whole assignment before narrowing in on that section.
Again, another writing center paper, but still very relevant to QSC policy.
Page updated
Report abuse