RAPPORT
Issue 5 (August 2020)
following up with them to ensure we
integrate them into the process as
soon as possible' (Portfolio 6, CS 2)
Learning from mishearing and
misunderstandings
Listening within the personal tutor
relationship sometimes leads to
misunderstandings. Personal tutors
reflect on this and appreciate the depth of
challenges in the role:
'Instead of interpreting the body
language of the students as nonactive
it could [in fact] have been
their way of expressing interest, or
thinking about the encounter so they
were in actual fact making the most
of the experience … There clearly is
learning for me to take away from
this in terms of my behaviour to
ensure my requests are understood'
(Portfolio 7, CS1)
'On reflection, I think that,
unintentionally, I had perhaps talked
at him rather than with him up to that
point, and allowing the welfare officer
to take a lead on some of the
interview gave him the opportunity to
express himself more.' (Portfolio 27,
CS 7)
Reflections on the Case Study
Evidence
Personal tutoring, when done well,
provides a positive experience for the
individuals involved and provides a near
magic bullet for the many metrics
demands placed on higher education
institutions, but to be done well demands
an awareness, appreciation and
application of good listening.
Listening is important in any genuine
interaction with students, enabling a
better and more meaningful response to
students:
'the mental process of listening is an
active one … [and] has an emotional
dimension since it requires an ability
to share, and quite possibly
understand, another person's
feelings, and to understand his or her
situation' (Griffiths, 2009:82).
Listening matters in the personal tutoring
relationship. It is evident through the case
studies that these personal tutors practice
good listening, understand the benefits of
it, reap many rewards from it but also
perhaps absorb too many pressures
emanating from this relationship. There is
a need for correct training for personal
tutors, to understand the tricky balance
between listening enough and in the right
ways but not to take home too many of
the worries or to take on duties that fall
out with the role. Grey & Osbourne (2018)
argue strongly for the need for all
personal tutors to regularly receive and
engage in training and CPD in relation to
their personal tutoring practice, whilst
McFarlane recognises the problems
associated with scant training available
for personal tutors despite the role
reflecting many key skills associated with
the training needs of those working in the
caring professions.
Listening is not always an easy thing to
do, especially when conversations are
emotional or upsetting or very personal.
Tutors therefore need active support in
knowing how to actively listen. Jones
(2011:98) suggests that personal tutors try
hard:
‘the majority of [whom] who feel they
just botched a support episode
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