Venus TS #7

 

Date/Time: June 2nd, Monday at 3:00 PM
Location: Kellogg Building
Topic/Skill: Diagnostic Assessment

Feedback provided to the tutee:
This was my first session with Nejoud, and we kicked things off with an assessment conversation to map out her goals, strengths, and hopes for our tutoring time together. From the start, it was clear that Nejoud has a strong command of English, but wants to hone the kind of speech that will help her navigate an American graduate program.

She stated that she wanted to focus on speech, specifically academic speech. Focusing specifically participating in class discussions, asking for clarification respectfully but assertively, initiating conversations with professors, and navigating the unspoken “how to be a grad student in the U.S.” norms. 

Homework:
For our next session, Nejoud will jot down a few real-life scenarios she’s either already faced or anticipates encountering soon such as, how to ask a professor to clarify a grading policy or how to politely push back during a group project disagreement. We’ll use these as case studies to build her speech toolkit and role-play responses.

Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned:
Every student brings a different strength and personality to the room. With Nejoud, I’m reminded that language learning, especially at the graduate level, isn’t just about grammar or pronunciation. It’s about power. Like- who gets heard? Who gets to ask for help without feeling like a burden? Our work together is going to be about fluency, but also about confidence, strategy, and cultural navigation. I’m excited to build this roadmap with her.

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