Four Tips for Implementing Peer Tutoring: What Educators Need to Know?

Haven’t you heard the phrase, “Two heads are better than one”? Well, in academia, research has shown that individuals love to learn from their peers. For example, individuals feel more comfortable asking a classmate rather than going to the teacher for help. Educators who are looking to implement peer tutoring should strongly consider these few tips. These tips are the following:

1. Acknowledge that learners like to work with their classmates. One should not take it personal when he or she sees one of his or her students ask another classmate for help. Most educators get disturbed and think that students do not want their help. Rather than get upset, listen in on their conversation to make sure that the correct information is being communicated. Educators should communicate to students that it is perfectly okay for them to ask and help each other with information. The first step in appreciating peer tutoring is to acknowledge that learners like to work with their classmates.

2. Learners need to be trained on how to peer tutor. Educators who are using peer tutoring methods need to make sure that they train their students. This will ensure that peer tutoring is effective in the classroom. Peer Tutor Training should include “how to” directions to work with other students. This should not be a one day training, but more of a week long training to allow for peer tutors to work with each other. In addition, it would be wise to provide them with scripts that will promote critical thinking and problem solving when working with others. Peer tutors should be facilitators not “answer givers”.

3. Educators need to be organized and patient.Peer tutoring takes a great deal of energy and it is extremely important for educators to be organized and patient. Most students who desire to be peer tutors will not have the required training so educators will have to be patient with them and always have lessons preplanned for success. Organization is key because educators will be sharing their instructional space with their peer tutors.

4. Understand that learners are constantly learning through conversation beyond the classroom. Peer tutoring brings a great deal of communication amongst classmates and it builds a stronger learning community. Given to these two positive attributes, learners are going to share their real world experiences with their peer tutors both inside and outside the classroom. As a results, educators may hear off topic conversations. Off topic conversations are okay if they are directly related to the information being learned in class. These type of conversations help learners digest the information resulting in being able to apply it at a later time.

Individuals who are thinking about implementing peer tutoring should consider these four tips so that peer tutoring can be a success for both their students and them.