Goals for the Classical Conversations Tutor

This is our family's fourth year in Classical Conversations and my third year as a tutor.

I had the privilege of leading tutor training this summer in my area and this was my challenge to new and returning tutors.

K-Know the material yourself.  The best thing you can do as a tutor is to know the material backwards and forwards.  This keeps you from looking back at your notes again and again in class and allows you to more fully interact with the material and the students.  The past two years, my daughter and I have worked toward the goal of Memory Master together which has really benefited me both as a teacher at home and a tutor at CC.

I-Involve the other parents.  Send out a weekly email to communicate what you're doing in class.  Have the parents present join you at the table for all the activities, in circles, chants, whatever.  If you've ever sat in a class that someone else is tutoring, you know it can be a bit on the boring side.  Overcome boredom with staying busy and encourage the other parents in your class to be Memory Masters as well.

T-Transition smoothly.  Transitions are the most difficult part of a fast paced CC morning and can make the difference in finishing the material or not.  Plan out your day so that you're up and moving and then down and working and think through the way you'll transition from one thing to the next.

C-Change it occasionally.  Our memories work best through repetition but also through surprise.  A great tutor creates a reliable routine in class while providing enough surprise to maintain interest and keep students and parents on their toes.

H-Have fun.  Nothing is always fun but fun can be found in almost anything.  Find ways to make your class laugh and enjoy learning by being silly at times, providing drama, or exaggerating a point.  When you can affect students' emotions, memories are made that are difficult to forget.  

KITCH....I couldn't think of goals that started with E and N.  But if you'd like to fill in the blanks for a perfect acronym (KITCHEN), go ahead.

If you are tutoring in a CC community, what are your goals?

Make the Most of It

This fall I thought it would be  nice to remind myself of why we've chosen to educate our children the way we have thus far.  Each style of schooling has its own benefits but it's easy to miss the ones particular to you in the whirlwind of the school year.

In August, I made a short list of 8 things I'd like to keep central throughout this year.

1. I want to enjoy time with my children.
2. I want to learn and explore the world together with them.

3. I want to take pleasure in the benefits of being at home with them four mornings a week.
4. I want to create a positive learning environment for my children where they are motivated to learn as much as they can.
5. I want to stay on a reliable routine that they can learn to trust from start to finish each morning.

6. I want to strive to become the teacher I would love for each of them to have.
7. I want to be present and available for them as they work and patient when they face difficulty.
8. I want to help them focus on and improve upon character and relationship issues (both theirs and mine) that arise as we work together.


These are my goals to flourish in the garden where we're currently growing.  What are yours?  For your particular school situation, how can you make the most of it?