How to Tutor Peers
Tutoring peers is a little different than the traditional scenario of teaching someone younger than yourself. If you want to develop a good working relationship with peers, you have to try and equalize the power in the relationship a bit. If someone needs to come to you for help, she may be a little shy about asking questions, especially if they are your peer. Peer tutors also often make the mistake in trying to be a "good guy." He sometimes will do work for a peer, rather than giving her the tools to achieve their goals alone. If you want to learn how to tutor peers, here are some helpful tips.
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Instructions
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Set the pace. Try to establish a good rapport with a peer by talking with him about what it is he needs from you. In some circumstances, someone may not even know what it is he needs. Having a peer talk out loud will help him articulate how the relationship will progress. Be sure to let your peer do most of the talking.
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Take a consultant workshop. Many universities have workshops at language labs about how to establish relationships with peers. Education departments sometimes offer free tutorial software for both graduate and undergraduate students. Get a job or internship with a university or community college writing center to learn how to tutor peers.
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Know your subject matter. If you are an English tutor, you will need to have more than a working familiarity with English-related topics like literature, literary theory and philosophy to teach a peer effectively. This is also true for math tutors, as well. Math tutors need to be familiar with differential geometry. Try not to pretend you know more than you do. This will damage your credibility and future relationships.
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Be confident. If you want to tutor a peer, you will need to be comfortable with your ability. You can do this by getting "on-the-job training" as a teacher's assistant or teaching intern. Most interns also volunteer at local elementary schools, day cares and other educational facilities. The more teaching practice you have, the better you will be able to tutor peers.
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Make mistakes. Know that most teachers, educators and tutors do not know "everything." When a peer asks you a question, it is fine to admit that you do not know the answer. Tell your peer the two of you can find the answers together, if the situation ever does arise. Giving your peer this insight may be another way to establish trust.
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Tips & Warnings
Get a formal education. Most tutors are former college educated classroom teachers.
Avoid power struggles.
