Creating an inclusive tutorial environment

Ailise Beales, Head Tutor in the School of Marketing and International Business, gives advice on how to create an inclusive tutorial environment.

It’s important that students feel safe and included in your tutorials. Students who feel alienated and uncomfortable will quickly stop attending and disengage with course material. Even more importantly, it may have a damaging effect on their university experience and overall wellbeing.

As a tutor, you’re often the first touchpoint a student has with university staff, so one of your many jobs is to keep an eye on your students’ welfare and point them in help’s direction should they need it.

Creating a happy environment is not always easy, but with the following tips (tried and tested), the job may become a little simpler.

Establish the initial tone, rules, and expectations

I always begin my tutorials by approaching my students at their level—generally leaning on something or sitting sideways on a chair—and saying something along the lines of:

"Hey team, my name’s Ailise. I’m one of the Head Tutors for SMIB, and I’ll be your tutor for X course.

A couple of ground rules before we get stuck in. I really only have two: hide your phones and be kind to one another. That means listening, being present for your peers, treating them with tolerance and respect, you know, just being a nice human. Deal? Sweet.

So, like I said, my name’s Ailise, that’s my email up there. It’ll be in the top corner of every slide so you don’t need to rush to write it down. Feel totally free to flick me an email any time if you have any questions, comments, concerns…preferably marketing related."

Firm but fair is my motto

I’m only 23, and I started tutoring when I was 19, so it always seemed silly to create any kind of strict power imbalance. That being said, ‘firm but fair’ is the motto I’ve leaned on.

If students ever begin to talk over me or get out their phones, I simply stop talking and wait. By establishing a benevolent relationship with them from the get-go, I find that I quickly earn their respect, and very rarely have issues with behaviour as a result. Plus, by treating them as my equals, they’re always much more willing to contribute and participate in discussions.

Take the roll and establish a relationship

I’ve never been good with names, so right from the get-go I try and find fun ways of linking names to faces. As I take my first roll, I always ask them what animal they would be, and who would play them in a movie about their life. Oddly enough, students tend to choose animals or actors that they somewhat resemble or embody, making it much easier to commit to memory.

From then on, I begin subsequent tutorials with a ‘question of the week’ during the roll. It’s good practice on the naming front, and it’s also just a nice opportunity to chat to my students and establish a friendly rapport with them. I ask questions like "Student’s name, what TV show are you watching at the moment?" or "Where is the next place you’d like to travel to?"

Thomas Lyttle, another Head Tutor at the School of Marketing and International Business, has written a fabulous piece on learning names. I suggest you check it out for some more detailed tips.

Check in with them one-to-one

When you’re a student, it’s easy to feel like a tiny wee fish in a huge pond.

As well as learning students’ names, it’s important to check in with each individual one-to-one. This gives students the opportunity to raise any issues or questions they might have in a confidential, low-pressure interaction. I often finish a tutorial by setting everyone up with a task and making my way around the room to chat to each person while everyone else keeps busy with an activity.

Be proactive with international and ESOL students

On that note, it’s absolutely vital to be aware of your students’ needs, particularly international and ESOL students. The University has over 3,700 international students from more than 110 different countries, and each of these countries has its own education system and norms.

New Zealand subscribes to ‘Western’ educational methods, which are quite different from many South-East Asian cultures. There are well-known differences between individualistic Western practices and collectivistic Eastern practices. Western practices feature a more casual teacher/student relationship, a focus on critical thinking, and free discussion. Eastern practices are characterised by group orientation, conformity, standardisation, and self-perfection through rehearsal. These differences need to be carefully managed in a tutorial setting, so as not to alienate international students.

I’ve found the following guidelines useful for ensuring my international students feel comfortable, included, and understood:

• Don’t call them out in front of the class unless they volunteer. Allow international students time to observe the class dynamic and adjust to the differences.
• Give clear instructions (particularly if ESOL) and provide many opportunities for students to let you know if they are confused and need the task reworded or explained again.
• Make an effort to learn proper pronunciation of their names, greet them, and check in individually with them regularly.

Know your role

Essentially, your job as a tutor is to guide your students to reach their absolute potential. I always remind my students that I’m here because I want to help them all succeed. So I encourage them to visit my office, send me an email, hang back after class and chat to me about their worries; I’m here for it.