My objective when I tutor students is to try and understand why a student might have difficulty understanding a certain concept, idea, or rule. My difficulty with higher math makes it easier to understand that people learn in different ways and the tutor is there to assist in breaking barriers that sometimes exist. Since everyone does not learn the same way, it is sometimes necessary to be creative and really delve into what might be easier for a student. My recent graduation in May of 2009 from UNM with an English degree makes everything I learned still very fresh in my mind. I remember all the papers I had to write and what it takes to accomplish the many deadlines. Again, understanding the rules of writing make such a task much easier.
I currently tutor 100 level UNM students, and some of those students' assignments could be made easier with some basic understanding of how to write papers and some basic English grammar rules. I tutored upper level English students this past summer at CNM, but other than more requirements for upper level courses, a lack of fundamental understanding of how to write papers and the rules of English grammar pose the same problems for those students. My success with those students is based on finding what works best for each student, sometimes deviation from structure and the norm is best. With hard work, as necessary, and persistence, the goal of being successful in English can be attained.
Key to learning is patience and repetition and sometimes hard work. Impatience by the student or the tutor only creates frustration. It really is easier than it seems.