At BijlesHuis, we've found that personalized, interest-driven approaches can make all the difference when connecting with a student. One of our tutors was struggling with a high school student who disliked classic literature. So they took the time to learn about the student's interests: graphic novels and superheroes. By drawing parallels between the student's favorite comics and literary themes, the tutor was able to reframe literature in a way that resonated with the student. For example, the tutor compared the journey, personal challenges and moral dilemmas of Batman with the character of Odysseus in The Odyssey. A bit unorthodox maybe, but in this way the motivation of this particular student skyrocketed. My advice for other tutors: get to know your student's world outside of academics. Find connections to what they already enjoy and use those as bridges to make learning more relatable and fun.
Building strong rapport with students is vital for effective tutoring, as it encourages trust and openness. Literature tutors can enhance connections by understanding the student's interests and preferences. Engaging in conversation to discover their favorite literature or hobbies allows tutors to tailor lessons to align with these passions, making sessions more relatable and engaging. For instance, introducing literature related to a student's love for graphic novels can foster better engagement.
Hello, I'm Hayley Spira-Bauer, a dedicated educator and leader with extensive experience in pioneering innovative learning frameworks, from my early days with Teach for America to founding a progressive elementary school in New York City. My work at Fullmind has allowed me to shape and implement research-based strategies that foster meaningful connections in diverse educational settings, a passion I bring to every aspect of learning and teaching. What advice would you give to literature tutors who are struggling to connect with a particular student? How can they build a stronger rapport? Getting to know a student in literature tutoring starts with authentically learning about the student's interests, feelings, and learning style. Get to know your students-what types of topics do they gravitate towards, what are their hobbies/interests, what current events are they passionate about, etc. and design a conversation that will continue to challenge them; if you have a student that loves music or digital storytelling, you can club different types of media with those topics to make learning more relevant and personal. Perhaps an unconventional approach to avoid the stubbornness of such perspective and forgotting these can be inviting the student to share interpretations of the text, instead of their own attributions than comparison references of media they have enjoyed (movies, games) that mayh helps them to understand may be the point of the text and create co-created interpretations of what they are reading in the style of that media they are familiar? While this may sound unconventional, it emphasizes the need of cacophonitting styles of learning in order to connect with the individual instead of following a pre-determined set of teaching. Creativity and being flexible often make for the best connections, whereby the student embraces literature with a newfound interest and confidence. Best regards, Hayley Spira-Bauer Chief Operating Officer & Chief Academic Officer at [Fullmindlearning.com](https://fullmindlearning.com/) Progressive School Founder | Teach for America Alumni | Lifelong Educator Host of "Learning Can't Wait" Podcast | [Podcast](https://podcast.learningcantwait.com/) | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-spira-bauer/)