DO begin your session by sitting down beside (not across from) the student. That way, any materials you use will always be right side up for both of you. If you are right-handed, sit on the student’s right; if you are left-handed, sit on the student’s left. That will help you avoid the impulse to write anything on the student’s work.
DO encourage the student to write and work on problems actively throughout the session. Never write on the student’s work or worksheet! Do keep scrap paper and pencil handy for jotting down any rules or examples you want to demonstrate visually. Allow the student to keep those notes.
DO urge the student to talk as much as possible during the session. Ask open-ended questions that begin with “Why. . .?” or “What if. . .?” Listen carefully to get a sense of the student’s thinking process.
DO grab every opportunity to compliment and affirm the student. Be on the alert for whatever the student does well and remember to let the student know. Smiling, nodding and saying, “good” and “right” quietly are all good ways to keep the stream of encouragement flowing.
DO encourage the student to become self-aware and to identify specific areas for improvement. “I’m not a good writer,” or “I’m bad at Math,” are not useful self-assessments. “I need to learn to find my verb errors and fix them,” or “I need to learn which formula to use for these kinds of problems,” are examples of specific and useful self-assessments. Many students need support and guidance, at first, to be able to translate their instructors’ comments into useful self-assessments.
DO keep in mind that there is always support available for you, the tutor, whenever you have questions or need help with strategies to assist a student.
Taken from tutoring training material provided by Orange County Community College.
