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| Setting the Agenda |  Remember the Clock
Remember to keep in mind time limits. Just as a runner steps into the blocks, runs the race, and kicks in that final sprint, so too you will need to establish your session at the beginning, continually observe your tutee’s achievements, and finish your session with a final summary.
Imagine you are scheduled to tutor in the TASC from noon to 1:30 PM. Since most sessions last around an hour, you think you have more than enough time for a walk-in student. But, this can get a little sticky, since not all tutoring is appointment based. What will you do if your tutee has a couple of hours to spare and drops in the Center around 12:45 p.m.? He expects to get a good two-hour session. If there is no mention of time, he may be astonished, disappointed, and even frustrated when 1:30 PM rolls around and you say that it's time for you to leave.
Not to have such a situation, you should always inform your tutee how much time remains before you are to leave. You should do it at the beginning of every session. If the tutee would like to learn more than can be learned in the time allotted, the tutor should explain this up front. The tutor should then help the tutee prioritize these items so that the most essential concerns are covered first. If you do this, you will not have any surprises, and expectations for the session are set ahead of time.
Monitoring the Session
After setting the schedule, it is both the tutor and tutee's responsibility to follow this schedule and to change it if necessary. If you feel that you are moving too fast, by all means, go slower. Your tutee should also have enough control of the session to guide its tempo. Let's say you and a tutee decide to learn three concepts during your session. Nevertheless, you find that the tutee needs to use better note-taking skills in order to learn efficaciously. You need to inform your tutee of this obstacle and alter your schedule together, taking time to include note-taking as part of the session.
You are not an instructor who has to get through a certain amount of information. You can cover topics based on the retention of information and student’s ability to show understanding.
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