T H I S P R E S E N TAT I O N WA S P R E PA R E D BY A U B U R N U N I V E R S I T Y K- 1 2 O U T R E A C H

O F F I C E O F T H E V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F U N I V E R S I T Y O U T R E A C H

GEAR UP ALABAMA (GUA) TUTORING PROGRAM

ORIENTATION

GEAR UP AlabamaA United States Department of

Education Grant

GEAR UP Alabama (GUA) is a University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) project that focuses on serving students in Alabama’s Black Belt region. The project’s primary partners include (1) the Alabama State Department of Education, (2) Auburn University, and (3) the Black Belt Community Foundation.

Who Does GEAR UP Serve?

GEAR UP Alabama spans across 18 counties in the Black Belt region of Alabama, serving over 9,000 students in 21 school districts, helping to effectively prepare students for postsecondary education. The GUA project will serve a cohort of students beginning in their 6th and 7th grade years and follow them for the next 7 years, providing them with supplemental education and summer activities to promote their readiness for college.

GUA Tutoring Program

The purpose of GUA tutoring program is to facilitate one-on-one and small group academic tutoring between college students and GUA school participants.

GUA Tutoring Program

Expected Outcomes Increased math, science, and

English/Language Arts achievement for GUA students through individualized assistance

Improve GUA students’ exposure to college-age near peers in order to promote a college-going culture

Leveraging Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) resources in order to improve the academic success of students in Alabama’s Black Belt region

GUA Tutors

Students enrolled in IHEs with an official GUA partnering program who have an interest in working with middle school students and demonstrated proficiency in math, reading, and science are encouraged to participate.

Tutors’ Commitment

Agree to the commitment to Terms of Service (dates, times, location, duration)

Use appropriate tutoring strategies to help students achieve success in their designated content area

Agree to participate in tutor orientation, tutor training, and teacher conferences as needed to update teachers on student progress

Complete electronic Student Progress Forms following each session and submit to designated Team Leader and teacher

Develop positive relationships with students

Tutor Terms of Service

I hereby acknowledge the following: I have made a _____hour weekly commitment to the GEAR UP

Alabama Tutoring. I understand that I am making a commitment to my community

and my peers by volunteering to become a tutor. I understand that by agreeing to be a tutor for GUA, it is my duty

to attend my designated shift, and to perform to the best of my abilities.

I will exercise appropriate behavior during my interaction with students and teachers (see GUA Tutor Guidelines)

If I am unavailable to volunteer during any given week, I will notify my College Coordinator. I understand that my failure to do so will bring myself and the GUA program into a negative light.

I understand that if I continually miss my designated shift, I can and will be dropped from the program.

Tutor Session Procedures

Students to be tutored will be selected based upon a referral by their teacher

Referrals will be submitted by the Team Leader to your College Coordinator

You will be assigned a student to tutor by your College Coordinators based upon your academic match/preference

On the days you tutor, your college will provide transportation for your group of tutors to the designated GUA school

Upon arrival, students will be escorted to the designated tutoring location

At the conclusion of the tutoring session, you must complete the Student Progress form for your student, briefly documenting the accomplishments for the day and submit it electronically to the Team Leader and the referring teacher of the student being tutored.

Guidelines for Tutor Conduct

Use appropriate languageConduct tutoring sessions in area/location designated

by the schoolMaintain friendly and non-intimate (inappropriate or

suggestive physical or verbal expressions) interaction with students

Wear appropriate attire that closely adheres to GUA school’s dress code (e.g. no spaghetti straps/tank tops, revealing attire, clothing with inappropriate or offensive language or graphics, pajamas)

Report any unusual incidents immediately to GUA Team Leader

6 Strategies For Tutoring Success

1. Greeting your student: Start your session by saying hello and establish eye contact, be friendly and try to establish a common bond with them.2. Outline your goals for the session: Before the lesson, draft a written outline of how you plan on structuring your time with your student during the session. Tell the student what you intend to cover, and try to stick to it.3. Presentation and discussion: Take time to explain the topic in a methodical way. Start with the basics and build up. Making the tutorial session interactive also ensures that your student stays focused and interested throughout the session.

6 Strategies For Tutoring Success

4. Be flexible: If you notice that your student is particularly tired or mentally drained on a given day, don’t be afraid to veer from previously laid plans and put the focus on fun in the subject area (e.g. math games, high interest reading etc.)5. Do they really understand the topic: Watch out for subtle signs that their students are failing to grasp an important idea. If you sense this, go over the concepts again in a different way and always try to use as simple and as practical example as possible, so that your student does not feel that the concept is too esoteric or intellectually demanding.6. Sweet endings: As the lesson draws to a close, tell them what they will be encountering in your next session. Tell them you have a special challenge in store for them; most students will be excited by the prospect of a new game or puzzle. We encourage you to find and utilize additional strategies from various resources (e.g. internet, college tutoring center, etc.)

Teacher Referral Form

Teachers will complete referral form Included on the form:

A. Referring Teacher InformationB. Student Information C. Subject Area for TutoringD. Areas in Subject For Student FocusE. Types of Assignments Students Need

Assistance With

Student Progress Form

Tutors will complete student progress formIncluded on the form:

A. Tutor’s InformationB. Referring Teacher Information C. Student InformationD. Progress in Referred Subject AreaE. Progress on Teacher-Designated

AssignmentsF. Tutoring Strategies Used

GUA College and University Partners

Alabama Community College SystemAlabama State University Auburn UniversityMontevallo UniversityTroy UniversityUniversity of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama BirminghamUniversity of West Alabama