The Difference Between a SI and a Drop-In Tutor

            This past week I was working both as a supplemental instructor and as a drop-in tutor. During the week I found several differences between the two positions. As a supplemental instructor it is easier to help students that come to my study sessions because I know exactly what the professor wants from her students. I attend the same class as the students and listen to the same lectures. I also took the class with the instructor last semester so I have experienced the class from their perspective before. On the other hand, working as a drop-in tutor is a bit more challenging when it comes to helping students with their assignment. Most of the time students who drop in are not in the same class that I work in. Therefore, I do not know what the teacher expects unless the student tells me. This makes drop-in tutoring more challenging because if a student does not come in with their prompt then they have to briefly explain to me what is needed for their assignment; which can lead to the student leaving out important information. It is also difficult when students have to write papers on a specific book that I have not read before. However, just because I have not read the same book as the student does not mean I am completely unable to help them. As a drop in tutor there are other ways to help students without knowing all of the material for a specific English class. Things like working on grammar, thesis and sentence development, and paragraph structuring are some of the things you can focus on as a drop-in tutor. All in all, when a student wants help on an assignment for a specific class they can benefit most when directed to an SI that works in the same class.