29th October 2010 10:29
By Harriet Boulding
Of all the issues tutors face, dealing with students who are put under extreme pressure by their schools, families, and even themselves can be the most challenging. The rapid increase in the number of students applying to university coupled with the rise in university entrance requirements has created a situation in which many students become stressed to the point at which they can no longer approach their studies in a productive way.
This can be a very difficult issue for tutors to deal with, because whilst our expertise lies in teaching our subjects, we are often lacking the experience and training to deal with the pastoral aspect of this work. The way in which it is necessary to approach this issue is often more complex than it might appear. For many of us, our instincts compel us simply to encourage students, complimenting them on good work and letting them know we believe in their capacity to cope with the A level and applications process.
However, this approach can often result in the tutor becoming a source of pressure themselves, rather than someone who can alleviate it. Showing appreciation for a student’s ability forces us to walk a fine line between encouragement, and expectation. Because when tutors continue to emphasise that a student can do really well, the underlying assumption is that they expect them to, which can lead to the feeling that the student is letting the tutor, their family and themselves down if they do not continue to excel.
My advice to tutors in this situation would be to emphasise choice. Yes, we should be encouraging students, but we should also make clear that what they do with their skills and interests is totally up to them. Further, tutors should be there to help students achieve their potential in the most broadly defined sense of the word. If universities are now sausage machines, it shouldn’t be tutors turning the wheel – we have to help students reach the decision about what is best for them.