The successful tutor, the one students will be forever grateful for, is a combination of sound knowledge (yes, averaging an A in the subject is a huge plus), enthusiasm for the subject and thorough training in how to impart that knowledge.
Close observation of many successful tutorial support services reveals that the best method for training tutors in any subject is actually quite simple. The following three-step approach is a good way to prepare tutors for the important work they do.
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The tutor should prepare detailed notes/steps on how to solve a problem or accomplish a skill in the subject she tutors. Whether it be how to plan an essay, how to analyze a short story or how to read and annotate a chapter in a textbook, all skills and problems are made easier by breaking them down into clear, manageable steps.
The good tutor is not just well-prepared to deliver his script, he is also flexible in how he handles cases that don't fit the script. If, for instance, a tutor's prepared script says the first step in writing an essay is to make an outline, and the student seeking help can't work with an outline. Then the tutor should be able to suggest a less-structured first step--a free writing exercise, maybe--and adjust accordingly to suit the student.
The thing that separates a good tutor from an average or an ineffective one is of course her ability to communicate well. So the third important step to note about training tutors is that they need regular check-ups to test how well they are communicating with the students. Both the trainer and students should regularly assess the tutor's ability to communicate, and both should let the tutor know where she can improve if necessary.
These three steps can be used to create an environment where communication is a smooth flowing affair between tutors and students who seek their help. And that's the kind of atmosphere that spells success for any support system in an educational program.