Peer Tutor Job Description
Peer tutoring is an excellent way for students to engage with each other and learn from each other in and outside of the classroom. It is also a way to solve the problems of a mixed-ability classroom, as well as a way to diversify learning. It is somewhat easy to follow instructions in becoming a peer tutor.
Other People Are Reading
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A Supplement to Lessons
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Peer tutoring should never overtake the role of the teacher in lessons and teaching. It is meant to supplement lessons in various subjects that the teacher has already gone over in class. A Peer tutor should understand that his job is to review, not teach new materials. The job of the peer tutor is to give the tutee a hands-on experience with the material they have just learned from the teacher.
Requirements
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Students from elementary school to high school can be peer tutors. It is important that peer tutors, however, whether on the younger or older end of the spectrum, respect the tutee. In addition, a peer tutor can be the same age as the tutee or can be older than the tutee. It is rare that a younger student will take the role of a tutor to an older tutee.
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Responsibilities
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Usually a teacher will give a set of instructions and material for the peer tutor to review with the tutee. It is important, first and foremost, to follow the teacher's prompts. Second, it is important for the peer tutor to correct the tutee wherever he finds mistakes; however, it is just as important for a peer tutor to praise the tutee when she has done something correctly and intelligently.
Reading Peer Tutors
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Oftentimes, a class is diversified in terms of ability. In order to be a reading peer tutor, a student must have higher reading skills than the student he is tutoring; or the tutor must be older, and at a different level, than younger tutees. In this way a peer tutor will be able to help students whose reading levels are lower, by having them read out loud, correcting them when they stray and making the process enjoyable too, by discussing the piece of writing the tutee is reading out loud with the tutee. Sometimes review questions help; sometimes just a conversation about the book that can challenge critical thinking helps.
Math Peer Tutors
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In the area of math, a peer tutor can tackle arithmetic such as subtraction, addition, multiplication, and so on, as it is a perfect playing ground for peer tutoring. Students can quiz each other, and they can also work on harder problems as well. This is particularly helpful for students that have a hard time finding math "fun" as peer tutoring can become a game or enjoyable exercise.
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References
- Photo Credit apple on a book image by inacio pires from Fotolia.com
