The Anatomy of a Great Session

Over the years and millions of sessions, we have found that the key to a successful
session is to provide the student with an educationally sound experience that meets
their needs. While the Socratic Method is the gold standard for learning, there are times
when students will respond negatively to questions posed, or not possess the basic
content knowledge to answer questions effectively. There are a number of methods
that can be utilized to successfully help each student. These methods involve a variety
of techniques, but all rely on three major steps:

Identifying the student's needs

Interactively involving the student throughout the session as much as possible
Ensuring student understanding

Before we can ever begin helping a student, we must identify what our student truly
needs. In order to do this, we need to determine three things:

What is the student’s level of understanding?

Does the student have a strong understanding and just need you to check his
answers?
Does the student have some understanding, but needs a little guidance?
Is the student lacking in even a basic understanding of the concept/question
being asked?

What are the student’s expectations?

What does s/he expect to get out of/take away from the session?

Is the student looking to have his answers verified to see if he is correct?

Does the student want some help going through his problem, but wants to try it
himself first?

What method would be most effective with this student?

Does the student want you to go through an example problem to demonstrate and
explain the concept?
Allowing the student to do the work, offering praise for correct answers, and
providing guidance and/or additional steps/information when going astray.
Asking leading questions to get the student thinking more in depth about the
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concepts with which s/he is familiar.

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 Going through a sample problem (or the student’s own problem) to explain or
demonstrate the concept.

For a student with a solid understanding of the concepts, he may just want you to take a
look at the work he has done. In sessions such as these, you will often play the role of
cheerleader more than that of tutor. While it may be necessary to provide some
guidance, these students are often quick to pick up on their mistakes and take
advantage of suggestions and tips you offer.

For the students who need greater support, it will be necessary to further clarify their
needs before beginning the work. Some suggestions would be:

Determine the method the student is using in class to solve the problem. Some
teachers test on method. Others demand specific methods because future
concepts build upon particular methods. Therefore, we always want to use the
method the student is familiar with.
Ask the student if s/he has an example from class notes or a textbook. This will
give you an idea of how it is expected to be solved and whether the student has
the proper materials at hand for reference.
Determine if the student is able to define any relevant terminology.
Determine if the student has an idea of how to start the problem.

Once you have obtained this information, you will have a better understanding of what
is giving the student troubles and how much prior knowledge the student possesses.
You will then be able to discover the most effective way to help the student.

There is not just one way to provide a sound educational experience. It may be through
asking guiding questions, providing examples, steps, or information to students. These
are all acceptable and in some cases required parts of the educational process. The key
is finding the method that will get the necessary skills and information across to the
student. You may even start using one technique only to realize it is not effective with
that particular student. It is important to remember that each session and each student
is unique. What works for one student, may not work for another. The decision of how
best to help the student will depend on both the needs and level of understanding of
the student. As a tutor, you need to be able to adjust your tutoring style and modify
your approach on the fly. It is essential to keep your finger on the pulse of the student.

In each session, it is essential that you focus on the educational quality of the session.
What are the key concepts that the student needs to learn in this session? To
accomplish this, you will need to focus on your educational approach and adjust your
tutoring style to the needs of the student. It is not necessary to use the Socratic Method
if the student is asking for or could benefit from a different approach. Some of the
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approaches that can and should be used depending upon the student’s level of comfort
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with the subject are:

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 Providing an example or demonstration of how to solve either a similar
problem on the student’s problem.
Allowing the student to show their work and then confirming for them
whether they are correct.
Using a modified Socratic Method in which you are using a mixture of guided
questions and providing information when guided questioning is not
working. Giving a step or a formula to may be needed to keep the session
moving forward. Give the step/formula and then focus on helping the
student understand why it is needed and how to apply it.
Using test prep sites provided in the Tutor Resource Center to provide skill
building exercises for state tests.

No matter which method you utilize, it is always important to keep several factors in
mind:

1. Focus on using the student’s time efficiently. Asking the right questions, giving a
step, or using an example if the student would like are all ways to ensure the session
keeps moving forward. Knowing what the student needs is essential to ensure the
approach you are taking is not one that will lead to frustration.

2. Have a plan of approach for each session. Figure out what you need to explain to
the student and what the simplest way is to get that information across. It is like
figuring out the best route to a new destination. You don’t want the one with the
twists and turns. You want the most direct route. Present information clearly. Set
up time expectations for the student at the beginning of the session. If the problem
is long, provide a roadmap for the student. Break the problem down into clear and
concise steps.

3. Keep an eye on the student’s level of frustration. Tutors should ask only the
questions they need to ask. Asking too many questions frustrates students. Pay
attention to what the student has to say, listen to his concerns, and adjust your
approach as needed to meet him at his level.

4. Give the student the benefit of the doubt. Students come to us because they are
stuck and frequently frustrated. They have been working at something for a while
and they cannot get it. They sat through an entire class, did not understand the
concepts and did not feel comfortable asking a question. Our job is to help them
and not to judge them. The way to do that is to find a way to help them to achieve
understanding in the most educationally and non-frustrating way possible.

5. Manage your time with the student effectively. It is never a good situation to
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arrive at a point in the session in which one party or the other unexpectedly runs out
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of time. The key to dealing with time is to set expectations at the beginning of the

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 session. If for any reason, time will be an issue in the session, tutors should address
that issue up front.

6. Transfer sooner rather than later. The best approach is to decline the session if you
are not at least 80% sure that you can help the student. If you do accept the
session, please clarify the question immediately and transfer quickly if unable to
help. Waiting 10, 15 or 20 minutes before transferring students only frustrates them
more. Clarify quickly, know your limits and put the needs of the student first.

7. Ensure understanding. If a tutor does not take the time to engage the student in
the learning process and/or ensure understanding, then the time spent working
together is for naught. Be sure to ascertain the student’s level of understanding at
the beginning, end and throughout the session. The more involved the student is,
the more he will retain.

Each student should leave a session feeling that it was a clear, efficient, knowledgeable
and supportive experience. There is not just one way to provide a sound educational
experience. Providing examples, steps, formulas and other information to students –
these are all acceptable and in some cases required parts of the educational process.
The key is finding the method that will get the necessary skills and information across to
the student in a way that is both educationally sound and appropriate to the student.
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