Last updated on Aug 21, 2024

How can peer tutors develop their own skills and knowledge while helping others?

Peer tutoring is a rewarding and effective way to help others learn, but it also requires some skills and knowledge from the tutor. How can you develop your own abilities as a peer tutor while supporting your fellow students? In this article, we will explore some challenges and solutions of peer tutoring, and how you can benefit from this experience.

1 Challenge 1: Communication

Communication is a crucial element for any tutor, but especially for peer tutors who must build rapport, trust, and understanding with their tutees. You should be able to listen actively, ask open-ended questions, give constructive feedback, and adjust your style and language to the needs and preferences of your tutee. Communication skills are beneficial not only for tutoring but also for your own academic and professional development. To enhance your communication skills, you can practice with a friend or colleague and ask for feedback, observe other peer tutors to learn from their techniques, use online resources and guides to learn about effective communication strategies, and reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses while setting goals for improvement.

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Hannah Leah Greenwood

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Student at London School Economics
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As a tutor, effective communication starts with actively listening and engaging with the tutee to quickly identify any weak points in the material we're learning. By paying close attention to how they express their difficulties, I can tailor my approach to their specific needs. Constant revision of the material, and not hesitating to revisit the basics, reinforces knowledge, making it easier to tackle more complex concepts. Additionally, identifying what style of learning best suits the tutee (e.g. is an auditory or visual learner) allows me to adapt my teaching style, ensuring the material is presented in the most effective way for them to grasp and retain information.

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2 Challenge 2: Content

As a peer tutor, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the content you are tutoring. You do not need to be an expert in everything, but you should be honest and confident about your knowledge. Content knowledge is not only important for tutoring, but also for your own learning and curiosity. To increase your content knowledge, review your notes and materials regularly and refresh your memory. Additionally, seek help from other peer tutors, instructors, or online sources when you are unsure of something. Furthermore, explore related topics and concepts that interest you and expand your horizons. Finally, apply what you learn to real-world situations and problems.

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3 Challenge 3: Pedagogy

Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching and learning, encompassing an understanding of how people learn, what motivates them, and which methods and tools are effective for different situations and goals. As a peer tutor, you need to be able to design and deliver engaging and meaningful sessions that suit the needs and expectations of your tutee. Pedagogy skills are not only valuable for tutoring, but also for your own personal and professional growth. To develop your pedagogy skills, you can research and experiment with different learning theories and models, use a variety of resources and materials to support your sessions such as worksheets, games, videos or quizzes, solicit feedback from your tutee and evaluate your own performance, or join a community of practice where you can share your ideas and experiences with other peer tutors.

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4 Challenge 4: Ethics

Ethics is an important aspect of peer tutoring, which involves respecting the academic integrity and standards of your institution, as well as being mindful of the boundaries and expectations of your relationship with the tutee. To cultivate your ethics skills, you should familiarize yourself with the policies and codes of conduct of your institution and program. Additionally, you should seek guidance from your supervisor or coordinator when facing ethical dilemmas or issues. Moreover, it is important to respect the privacy and confidentiality of your tutee and their work, as well as acknowledge mistakes and learn from them. Peer tutoring is a rewarding and effective way to help others learn while also developing your own abilities.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Jessica Shepherd

Director of Service Delivery at Yipiyap - Inspiring Young People
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In order to develop yourself, you must first be open to the task of self reflection and accepting the areas you need to improve. If you struggle with this, your line manager or trusted people in your life should be able to help. Helping others is a great way of building your confidence and self esteem, so it should naturally make it easier to critically assess your performance and pinpoint the weaknesses.

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How can peer tutors develop their own skills and knowledge while helping others?

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1 Challenge 1: Communication

2 Challenge 2: Content

3 Challenge 3: Pedagogy

4 Challenge 4: Ethics

5 Here’s what else to consider

Peer Tutoring

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