Training Freshmen to Tutor Freshmen: Surprise!
I have journeyed far and wide for two decades to find the right fit at the right time for the right kid. I have arrived at a surprising place: Freshmen are the best tutors of freshmen.
When I look at ability, availability, approachability, and awareness of the content, another freshman from the same classroom wins the contest.
Here’s what I said to my freshman tutors who have been working with me for most of the year. They needed a reminder of things we talked about way back in October.
Freshmen, would you fold your piece of blank paper in half hamburger style? Ok, fold it half again. And again. When you open up the paper you have eight small spaces on your paper. In the top lefthand space put your first name, last name, and the name of your study hall teacher.
I’m going to have you draw seven pictures. You will have 20 seconds to draw each picture.
With timer in hand, I have the freshmen tutors draw for 20 seconds for each of the following words:
Brick wall
Phone
Backpack
Smart
Scary
Busy
Available
I start with thanking them for their contribution to study hall and highlight the reality that the room in which they tutor would be dramatically different if they weren’t there.
Here is the gist of each word that I believe helps bring success to our 30-minute study hall that is opposite lunch.
Brick Wall - The best way to hit a brick wall in tutoring is to ask a freshman if they need any help. The answer is almost always “No!” Instead, look for a freshman who is unproductive or looks stuck. Ask the question “What are you working on?” and take it from there.
Phone and Backpack- We pay our freshman tutors with a release day on Fridays after working the other four days of the week. On Friday they don’t have to come to study hall. Because of that, we ask that they set aside their phone and their backpack during these 30 minutes of tutoring to sharpen their focus on helping freshmen.
Smart - Receiving the mantel of “tutor” makes them smart in the eyes of their peers; however, many freshman tutors don’t feel smart. They need to be reminded that they are perceived as smart. I also remind them that they don’t have to know all the answers. Their job is to help other freshmen find the answers. When they don’t remember something, calmly bring the other freshman along in discovering the learning.
Scary - Freshman tutors can be intimidating. If they feel some push-back from another student, it may be because that freshman doesn’t want to look dumb in front of their classmates. Be aware of that.
Busy and Available - We hire tutors to be available. We don’t guarantee that they will always be busy. Their job may be to be present and help students focus. That is a huge help right there.
Wrap-up
The value of freshmen helping freshmen sets the tone for what we expect for the rest of their high school career. We are all in this together. Yes, they are here to learn content, but they are also here to learn leadership and to help others for the next three years.