Benefits of Becoming a Graduate Student Tutor While in Graduate School

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The Benefits of Becoming a Tutor as a Graduate Student

A bit of extra money and a chance to put your lessons into practice - tutoring is an ideal opportunity for a graduate student.

Tutoring can be a positive experience for all parties involved, and it provides the tutor with new connections to peers, the community and the school. Even if you do not plan on entering the field of education, as a graduate tutor you will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge that you have already gained in your prior coursework.

There is no better way to learn than to teach. One of the many benefits of tutoring students is that tutors often master the subject matter more comprehensively while they are teaching it. In addition to the satisfaction that comes with helping others, graduate student tutors gain a sense of accomplishment, as well as more self-confidence.

Tutors enhance their skill sets through working with other students. They often improve their communication, interpersonal, time management and study skills. They also further develop their organization skills and acquire knowledge of the learning styles that they and others employ. As they work to improve the learning and study strategies of their students, tutors also improve their own.

And of course, perhaps most importantly for graduate students - tutors are often paid. Who doesn't want a little extra money for doing something that will benefit them anyway?

What's Required of a Tutor

In order to be successful and helpful, graduate tutors must be patient, enthusiastic and empathetic. They should also remain motivated and offer their students reliability and dependability. Students will need their tutors to be responsible and available, as well as to maintain a positive outlook. Other characteristics of a good tutor include open-mindedness, creativity, understanding and a sense of good ethics.

A good tutor will be a hard worker who is mature and consistent. Confidentiality is of great importance to students, and the establishment of mutual respect is crucial. Tutoring has much to do with collaborative learning, in which the roles of tutor and student are of equal importance. Both tutor and student are challenged to think on a new and higher level.

The Basics of Being a Good Tutor

When beginning to tutor a new student, gauge their learning style and tailor your instruction to suit. It's important to understand what the student is required to do, in terms of work. Tutors may or may not have access to the student's instructors, so it is essential that there be an open tutor-student dialogue. The student may have a need for tutoring in broader areas as well, on such things as time management, study skills, note-taking or organization. Graduate student tutors have the benefit of experience and are encouraged to share the tips that worked for them in their own studies.

One of the keys to successful tutoring is posing appropriate, open-ended questions that encourage interaction. Remember that, as a tutor you are not meant to replace the instructor. Tutors serve more as guides. Don't give students answers - guide them toward finding their own answers by posing appropriate questions. This is known as prompting, and it will help you long after you've left the world of academics.

From time to time, students will pose questions to which you do not know the answers. If you don't know an answer, admit as much and consult another tutor, a supervisor or professor. Students will respect the fact that the tutor does not have all the answers.

Graduate tutors must engage in active listening when dealing with students, as they can get their lectures someplace else. Many students respond well to breaking down large tasks into smaller steps. Tutors should maintain focus and give students some variety in teaching methods. While tutoring involves some observation, it is much more of an active process. Don't do the student's work for him or her - give the student time to digest information and to think before answering questions. Silences can be awkward, but they are necessary.

Each tutoring session should be planned out by the tutor ahead of time. Unorganized tutors are not successful and are rarely helpful. What is helpful, however, is teaching students self-correction techniques. Self-correction reinforces the material being learned and also promotes a student's confidence. Reviewing and summarizing material is often helpful to students, and it can serve as a method of assessment for the tutor. Discussion is a major focus of tutoring, but the use of drawings and diagrams can be helpful to students when appropriate.

All students need to receive effective praise from their tutors, including verbal and non-verbal reinforcement. Do not underestimate the value of humor in tutoring. If tutors and students can share a laugh or two, both parties tend to feel more at ease. In addition, do not underestimate the importance of the ethical issues tutors face. As a tutor, you will not want to support plagiarism in any way, and the last thing you want to do is pass judgment on the ideas and beliefs of your student. It is also important that you not allow the student to spend much time complaining about the regular instructor in a course - that is a waste of energy and time. And of course you should never in any way suggest that the student's negative appraisal of a professor is justified.

Becoming a graduate student tutor can be one of the most beneficial experiences of your graduate school years. Whether you engage in tutoring to meet new people, earn some cash or add to your resume, you are likely reap the academic and personal rewards that the job affords. If tutoring is something that interests you, reach out to your graduate department to determine where you can step in and help.

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