{"id":766,"date":"2014-06-06T16:35:50","date_gmt":"2014-06-06T16:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mytutorweb.co.uk\/blog\/?p=766"},"modified":"2022-06-30T09:59:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T09:59:01","slug":"going-extra-step-self-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/students\/going-extra-step-self-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Going the Extra Step: Self-Teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Tutors are a lifesaver for many students, regardless of their academic ability and goals in education. They become the first port of call for any tricky questions, or complicated pieces of coursework, and can always be relied on to explain something more clearly than a classroom teacher. However, it\u2019s important not to let this reliance go too far. Some students may find it easier to ask a tutor<\/a> for the answer, instead of researching it by themselves \u2013 which is by far the better option in terms of gaining life skills, and important requirements for further study.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t to say that all tutors should turn their pupils away when they ask questions. Instead, try to nurture your student\u2019s capability to teach themselves: facilitate their learning, and be a guide rather than an answer<\/p>\n

1. It\u2019s a necessary skill<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being able to teach yourself about subjects, find your own answers and not need to rely on others is a vital skill both inside and out of education. At university, students will be expected to complete coursework, exam preparation, seminar work and dissertations with minimal input from lecturers and teachers. Most courses expect students to be able to do their own research and understand the ways to go about learning on their own. Similarly, in the workplace, individuals are required to search for their own knowledge, make their own calls and use their initiative: something that can be blunted by excessive \u2018spoon-fed\u2019 education.<\/p>\n

2. Learning is everywhere<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best lessons usually aren\u2019t found inside a classroom. Encourage your students to participate in different societies, pushing their boundaries and comfort zones. There\u2019s little point sticking to the same routine if you want to learn more things and expand your mind, and as a tutor, you can suggest various ways to participate in activities. Having new responsibilities and a new hobby to learn about can encourage students to work in different ways, and utilise parts of the brain that aren\u2019t touched during classroom lessons.<\/p>\n

3. Extra work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before you panic \u2013 I\u2019m not suggesting that you set your students piles of essays and assignments after each session! What you can do is ask a question, or pose a problem that your pupil can take away and ponder over and work on in between your sessions. Begin by nudging them in the direction that they will be able to find the information, and as they get better at self-teaching, you\u2019ll be able to simply ask the question and leave it at that.<\/p>\n

4. Facilitate, don\u2019t dictate<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you have an audience that loves to hear you impart your knowledge, it\u2019s easy to spiral off onto tangents, instead of including your student in any debates and discussions. Ensure that you aren\u2019t merely telling your pupil about something \u2013 get them engaged and asking questions, and using as much of their brain power to aid their own learning!<\/p>\n

Tutoring is a fantastic way to improve any student\u2019s ability to self-teach; it\u2019s just down to you to implement the right tools to achieve it.<\/p>\n

Robert Grabiner<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em>– Founder of MyTutor<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

View LinkedIn profile<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tutors are a lifesaver for many students, regardless of their academic ability and goals in education. They become the first port of call for any tricky questions, or complicated pieces of coursework, and can always be relied on to explain…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[789],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoing the Extra Step: Self-Teaching | MyTutor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/students\/going-extra-step-self-teaching\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Going the Extra Step: Self-Teaching | MyTutor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tutors are a lifesaver for many students, regardless of their academic ability and goals in education. 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