This post isn't about teaching ESOL in the elementary setting, but about my part-time tutoring job at the community college. Tutoring algebra walk-ins is my forte, but lately I have been scheduled to tutor biology students by appointment as soon as I arrive. Here's the rub: I'm no expert or even a science major. How can I prevent what happened last Thursday, where a type-A student came in with the assumption that I would know more than I do, without the benefit of any context from her class coursework or notes, just her abstruse pharmacological text? I guess I shouldn't panic and I should maintain a humble attitude. In addition to the Internet resources (my fear was that she would be turned off by my typing straight into the search engine, which is something she could do herself), I could introduce her to more basic biology texts from our cabinet.
Reflecting on how I crumbled in the face of her expectations to be given lucid explanations straight from the horse's mouth, regardless of a student's ability level, they must learn to ask the questions and begin to do the work themselves. In other words, teach them to fish (as opposed to just giving them the fish)....
My regret last week was that I ended up describing what she should do...we wasted time when we could have been using resources together, armed with guiding questions facilitated by me, if she didn't seem to know where to begin. Be a professional learning facilitator--this is where training should kick in :)
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