Moving on Up: Seven Ways to Get to the Next Status

By Gena Hymowech, Instructor Support Associate

Status changes reward tutors who are doing a good job, while also motivating those who have
the potential to improve. After processing so many status changes, I thought tutors might be
wondering what mentors are really thinking as they analyze whether a tutor is ready to move to
the next level. If you're stuck on a status change, you'll want to carefully read this advice from
senior mentors Allison S. (humanities) and Damian N. (sciences):

Tip #1: Self-Evaluate

"One of the best ways to get status changes is to be introspective," Damian N. says. "After a
session (and even during it), you should be asking yourself if there was something that could
have been improved. Leaving comments in the survey for your mentor to read tells him or her
how much you are learning from your experiences, and makes it easy for the mentor to work
with you. A tutor who takes charge of his or her own growth is similar to a student taking the
initiative in their homework - much more productive to work with."

Tip #2: Encourage

Don't just teach; make the student want to learn. Says Allison S., "...It is important to make sure
[your] tone is positive and friendly. Being positive can help make a student more comfortable
and even more excited about being in session." Adds Damian N., "Tutors who are simply ho-
hum and not particularly enthusiastic in sessions generally get lower ratings, even though there
is nothing wrong with the work. ... A positive, eager tutor is much more memorable to a student,
[and much more likely to result in a successful learning experience]."

Tip #3: Experiment

"The same approach is not going to work for all students," says Allison S. "It is important that
tutors are able to try new things to find out what works best for each individual student."

Tip #4: Tutor As Much As You Can

"It is important that tutors are active and tutoring regularly. This is especially important for
probationary tutors as they are just starting out. In tutoring as in learning, practice makes
perfect. When tutors go for long periods of time without actively tutoring, it can lead to quality
issues with the sessions," Allison S. says.

Tip #5: Recognize Feedback for the Gift It Is

Mentors are here to help tutors help students. Incorporating suggestions and working to alter
one's approach as needed will result in more successful sessions for tutors and students.

Tip #6: Once You Understand What Works, Keep Doing It

"Tutors moving from 1 to 2 or from 2 to 3 are often consistent with successful approaches and
don't need regular feedback on the same issues," Allison S. says

Tip #7: Support Student Perspectives - Even When You Don't Share Them
"Students come to us with many different topics," says Allison S. "There will be times when the
topic of the essay or research is something the tutor doesn't agree with." Remembering that our
work is to meet the student where she or he is at and help them to progress in learning will also
help us to put personal considerations aside and try to understand the student's perspective and
thought processes. We are not here to tell students what to think but rather to help them to
articulate and carefully evaluate and develop their thoughts.

Getting a status change can take time. It's important to remember that while, yes, you are a
tutor, in many ways, you are also a student, as we all are in life, striving to perfect the art of
delivering the best educational experience for our students. Never stop learning!