Tutor Information School Site Etiquette

There are certain things that you need to be aware of before you start tutoring at your assigned site. First of all, you are going to be in a unique situation in that you are not a student, as you may have been the last time you were in elementary school. You are not a teacher yet. You are not a member of the school or site's staff. You are not a volunteer who is tutoring without pay. You are not an aide. You ARE one of a group of Federal Work Study eligible college students who are employed to tutor children in the public schools in their reading and math skills.

As an America READS Challenge tutor, you are a valuable member of the school or site's team. Because you are not in the school or site all day everyday, as most of the other individuals are, you may get the impression in some schools or sites you are not held in high regard. This is not the case. The school administration is not only pleased, but eager, to have America READS Challenge tutors in the school or site. There are certain things that you can do which will help you carve out your place at the site where you work and be accepted. A general rule you should follow is to pay attention to principal, teachers, and site supervisors and take your lead from them. Certain specific related items that should be brought to your attention follow.

Schedules

Every minute of every day is scheduled in a public school or after school program. The schedule is not always followed to the minute but you are not in a position to alter it. You should pay close attention to the schedule. That means if you are scheduled to see a child at 8:20, you need to be in place, organized, and ready to see that child at 8:20. If you do not arrive on time or are not ready for the child at the designated time, the teacher may make alternate plans for that child for that time. By the time you arrive, the child may be involved in another activity and your tardiness causes a state of confusion. This applies to after-school programs as well.

Be respectful of your child. If you are scheduled to see a child and do not arrive on time, that child may be very disappointed. Your absence may even be interpreted by the child as rejection. You can ruin a child's day by not being responsible. And when you ruin one child's day, that can have a ripple effect on classmates and teachers. Children with learning problems are more susceptible to disappointment because their self-esteem and confidence may already be low. Be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, unless it is absolutely unavoidable. And then you should try to get word to the school personnel that there has been an emergency if you are unable to attend.

Site Rules

Sites will have rules and handbooks. If your site has a handbook, ask your site supervisor for a handbook on an early visit to the school. Read the handbook and obey all the rules in it.

If the site has outlawed gum chewing, you should not chew gum. If the school says no running in the halls, do not run in the halls. Nothing will end your honeymoon period at the school faster than disobeying rules or considering yourself above the rules. Usually the rules have been developed over time in response to problems or issues that have arisen. That means that there are good reasons for most of the rules. Not all the rules may seem logical or fair but you are not in a position to question or change them. You are in a position to obey them as well as enforce them when a child is in your charge.

It is also important that children respect you. It is therefore important to try and NOT be a "buddy" to the children. You should be looked upon as an adult. Build rapport with them, like them, but remain an authority figure.

Lounges

Teachers' lounges in the schools are usually extremely small. There is not enough space, not enough seating, and not enough privacy. For these reasons even if you are invited to the lounge, you should keep your visits to them brief and infrequent. Often time teachers need to discuss a child but hesitate to do so in front of non-teachers because of their concern for the confidentiality to which the student is entitled.

Attitude

One of the most important things you can do as you work as a Fresno READS tutor is to have a good attitude. You will be given direction and tasks from teachers. Be prepared to jump in and get to work. Be willing to do what is asked of you. Your words should be appropriate as well as your body language. Eye rolling and sighs, for example, say volumes about how a person feels.

Some of the things you will be asked to do may not coincide with your philosophy or perceptions of what you are to do. If you are consistently asked to do things that you feel are inappropriate, you should discuss the issue with one of the Fresno READS personnel. You are in the schools to provide tutoring in reading and occasionally math. If requests are made of you that do not fit the intent of the program, you need to keep a log of these items and report them to the Fresno READS Coordinator or your Site Supervisor.