1. Learning & teaching
  • Top Tips for Personal Tutoring

    Having a clear and unified approach

    Ensuring that all within your School know the policy and provide the same information for
    students about what personal tutoring provides and where else help might be available

    Being proactive in personal tutoring

    Students often need us to initiate the contact at first and if we have not heard from a student
    for a while to follow them up

    Using group tutorials

    Using group tutorials for some aspects of the process can help all realise they have the same
    issues as well as saving time. In addition it can help promote study groups and peer support and
    feedback

    Use personal tutoring to explore development

    Remember that part of a being a personal tutor is about discussing your students overall
    personal development especially as they move towards the end of their programme and are
    considering what they might do next

    Ensure other services and support are advertised

    Other services around the University are not always obvious to students or how they can help so
    It is useful for you to know what is available and how they can help. In addition these services
    Can often help us as tutors

    Targeting students who need additional support

    If you have students who you know are having difficulties such as failing or not attending they
    often do not come for help but you could e-mail them or phone to see if they wish to meet up

    Use peer support for tutors

    It can help to use a more experienced personal tutor to discuss issues with and to
    learn from. This helps you develop but also enables issues to be shared

    Recognition

    It is nice to be recognised for supporting students by your colleagues as well as the students. if you know someone who does this well chose them as your mentor and tell them why. Learn from those who do it well.

    (Laycock M 2009 Personal tutoring in Higher Education – Where Now and
    Where  Next? A literature review and recommendations SEDA Special 25)