The AVID Tutorials

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.