How to Prepare for A Peer Tutoring Session
Prepare what you want to work on
Understand why you want to book a peer tutoring appointment. Identify what you need the most work on. Make a list of what you want to cover in the session, considering the time frame of 45 minutes. This can include a specific lecture, a chapter in the textbook, practice problems, a concept you want clarification on, an assignment you want to work on, etc.
Book the best appointment slot for you.
Book the best day, time, and mode for you. Book an appointment on a day and time when you are not super busy and a method (either online or in-person) that works best for you at that day and time. When you are booking the appointment, identify the reason for booking the appointment. Be specific and write down precisely what lecture you want to cover, the topic, the chapter of the textbook, the assignment, etc. This allows the peer tutor to prepare for the appointment so they can help you in the best way possible.
Arrive early and be prepared.
Try to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early for your appointment. If your appointment is in-person, arrive at the second floor of the Shawenjigewining building, sign in to the kiosk, and wait in the waiting area. Your peer tutor will call your name when it is time for your appointment. If your appointment is online, your peer tutor will have sent you a link to their Google Meet room beforehand. Before your appointment, ensure your camera and microphone are working; you are in a quiet spot, the Google Meet link works, etc. Ensure you are prepared with the chapter, topic, lecture, assignment, etc., you want to cover in the session.
During the session
Explain what you want to cover in the session to your peer tutor. Your peer tutor will help you work through topics/concepts/problems one at a time. Remember that the peer tutor will help you comprehend the subject and work through it with you, but they will teach the material differently than the professor and will not do any work for you. Ensure you are actively engaged with your peer tutor throughout the session, as this is where peer tutors and tutees collaborate to review course content. During the session, make notes to allow you to remember and check what you covered during the session later on. Also, feel free to ask your peer tutor questions or ask for something to be repeated; if you need help understanding what your peer tutor just said, tell them that. Your peer tutor is there to help you understand.
Reflect after the session is over.
After the peer tutoring session:
- Identify how your previous understanding of the topic has changed.
- Identify whether you require additional clarification or review, and schedule another peer tutor session if you need to spend more time on that topic or another topic.
- Review any notes you took during the session and incorporate the information you gained during the session into your studies for that course.
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