Just got a job at my uni to tutor ochem and calc.
Any TAs/tutors here? Any stories, advice, etc?
TA/tutor general, I guess.
It'll be my first time doing any tutoring, so emphasis on the "advice". For sure I won't spoonfeed, but I don't have a specific way I'd teach anybody.
>>7737037
Don't really know what to say about Calc, but I can definitely give you some advice about tutoring O Chem. I tutor it actively and did for about two years before. Plus I TA an OChem lab. I'll give you advice wherever I can.
>>7737061
Yeah, anything helps. I basically came out on the top of the class for both parts of the sequence and out of nowhere the professor offers me the position for ochem; I haven't the slightest clue how to teach.
I've tutored for two years and the only thing I can say is just be patient with students. Don't lord your "superior position" over them. Your duty is to help them learn, not to fuck around and use them to make yourself feel better or show off.
I find now and then some people need motivation/talks about soft skills, discussion about university in general, degree-planning etc. That obviously goes beyond your formal role but if you help people out in that way they'll be greatly appreciative of it.
>>7737078
Many thanks, friend.
What are the "right" ways to teach 1 on 1?
I have been just asking relentless probing questions to help students 'figure it out' on their own. I think this is a fairly effective technique
>>7737078
>Don't lord your "superior position" over them. Your duty is to help them learn, not to fuck around and use them to make yourself feel better or show off.
We have one TA who does this all the time and he's annoying as fuck.
please don't make them take notes unless you really have to, show them stuff, visually.
maybe a good youtube video, you all watch together.
you're not a teacher, remember that.
if you have the test answers let them have the smallest one, so they know you're on their side. I'm sure that doesn't make or break a test and will get you so much RL Karma
>>7737037
Pick one guy and praise him all the time, while at the same time putting the rest down. It'll make them all stronger in the long run.
Always make fun of your students' mistakes.
>>7737037
Only TA'd, never tutored, but looking like you know your shit, being honest when you do bump into something you don't know, and having some level of command (that should not at all be arrogant) with which you effectively find their capacities and teach to them goes a long way
>>7737037
>what not to do
Don't yell or get frustrated at a student. Be calm and try to help them out. In other words be patient.
Don't do their work for them. The student should have the pencil in their hand ready to get to work.
Don't rush through exercises, I've seen other tutors do this and it just shows a lack of sincerity.
Don't ever say "this is easy", its discouraging and it doesn't really contribute to the learning process.
>inb4 calc is easy
>>what NOT to do
Don't hit on/flirt with a student while on the job. Its just not professional.
Don't critique professors on campus. Nothing good comes out of doing this.
Don't be that tutor that says "good job" every ten seconds.
>>>what you shouldn't even think about
Don't do someone's midterm for them, just don't even fucking think about it.
Goodluck to you, I just got a job tutoring the first year of physics and calculus. Calculus is easy, but tutoring physics seems like it could be a pain since I'll need to recognize when to use formulas that I haven't touched in a year and I can't possibly have all of them memorized.
>>7737068
Same anon here. Like a lot of people are saying, don't act like some high-and-mighty O Chem god that laughs at pitiful mortals for not understanding it. Relate to them and be friendly. When they get something wrong, don't emphasize immediately that they fucked up, instead tell them that they're "on the right track", or point out what they did that was correct. Keep pushing them ever so slightly, but not aggressively. You're essentially trying to find what the actual problem they're having is, not just trying to do their homework for them. Once you determine what their problem is, you can really start to help them build a good knowledge base, and over time, they'll be able to do things they considered impossible before. I had this one student who was absolutely clueless on what a mechanism was, and by the end of the semester he only needed a 30/100 on the final to get an A. Of course, there will be students who annoy the shit out of you, but that's part of the job.
>>7737037
> ochem and calc.
Ok let me get this straigtht.
Not only did you pick the absolute worst subject to TA, but you also added the second worst subject?
Have fun offing yourself.
>>7737909
You don't even have to give them the question but a 'guys remember to study X wink wink'
>>7738021
just do a freshen up a few days before each class, I've got to say that TA's/Teachers that don't remember their shit and start lagooning in middle of the class are the worst classes you can get, you end up learning nothing more than the teacher doesnt give a single fuck about this course.
>>7737909
>TA
>showing a youtube video
>>7738303
This desu senpai
>>7737037
>le reddit amphibian
>>7737909
Do not do this, as a graduate student I could lose my job if I pulled some shit like that.
