Goal of Tutoring The goal of the tutoring is to help students overcome academic challenges and lead them to autonomous or independent learning. It is a special kind of teaching that is different from the teaching performed by teachers, friends, and parents. You offer students one-on-one attention, individualized explanation, and a chance to ask as many question as they like (some of which they may not ask people they know) in a nonjudgmental atmosphere. But remember, the goal of overcoming academic challenges must be realized by promoting academic independence in the tutee and not dependence on the tutor. An academic problem a student faces may be a very particular challenge, as specific as a spelling or math question. A teacher who is asked a spelling or math question may respond by saying to look up the word in a dictionary or the problem in a math book, because they do not have the time to give the student one-on-one attention. It is likely not be a response which will overcome the student’s problem or lead to independent learning Independent learning involves learning how learn. It involves empowering a student to overcome their own academic problems autonomously. A parent or friend may respond to the same spelling or math question by spelling out the word or solving the problem for the student. But such a response makes the student less confident and more dependent on the parent or friend. It overcomes an academic challenge but does not lead to independent learning. Tutoring always tries to liberate students by help them become academically autonomous and not to entrap students by making them academically dependent.B. Tutoring context and relationships. The goal of helping students overcome academic challenges and lead them to independent learning can only be realized is a particular social context and tutor-tutee relationships. The social context of tutoring refers to the social norms in the setting. Social norms are the rules in a particular context for what is appropriate behavior. For example people may say and do Goals a. To appreciate the goal of tutoring. B. To understand the relationship a tutor has with a student and with the student’s subject matter teacher. C. To recognize the importance of diagnosing students’ academic problems D. To understand tutoring techniques and strategies. E. Troubleshooting Problems and Evaluating Tutoring. different things when sitting in church than in a classroom. Questions and comments appropriate for one setting may be inappropriate in another. To some extent you as a tutor create the norms for your tutoring sessions. The norms you create should allow for open, honest, and respectful communication about academic matters and for casual social and personal dialogue. But you are not the students’ “friends” so you will need to create boundaries between the academic and the personal. If crossed, the boundary can be reinstated gently but firmly redirecting the conversation back to the academic topic. However, as will be discussed later, if conversations arise of a legal or ethical issue, you will have to address them head on with the proper authorities.