Course Syllabus
M214 Building Connections
Level
Format
Delivery
Learning Activity
Overview
Safety and connection are key to the personal tutoring relationship. We know that learning happens best when the learner feels safe and connected to the people around them. Safety and connection also need to be present for students to feel comfortable discussing the details of their lives with personal tutors, especially when their circumstances are challenging. Safety and connection do not always happen organically, however, but they can be created with intention. This module draws on coaching insights and theories of interpersonal relationships to help tutors create safety and connection for the students they support. This will increase the effectiveness of the personal tutoring relationship, grow the confidence of personal tutors themselves, and contribute to student wellbeing overall.
What will you learn from engaging in this activity?
- Deepen their understanding of the role played by safety and connection in personal tutoring relationships
- Develop practical ways to increase connection with their students and promote a sense of safety and trust in the PT relationship. These will include strategies like acceptance (meeting the learner where they are), non-judgement, a curiosity mindset, effective listening, and silence.
- Reflect on their own experience of connection in a university context, and on ways they can apply that experience in their role as a PT
- Consider how they might develop further skills in building connection and safety in the future
What key concepts will you understand as a result of engaging in this activity?
- A sense of connection and safety is vital to effective learning
- Acceptance and non-judgement can be a powerful way of fostering trust and connection
- PTs do not have to ‘solve’ students’ problems. It is often more effective for students to come up with their own solutions. An environment of safety and connection creates the space in which this can happen.
- Effective listening, open questions and silence can support the creation of trust and connection.
What essential questions will this activity address?
- How might adopting a sense of curiosity or possibility change the way you show up as a Personal Tutor?
- When do you experience safety and connection in your personal life? How can you use such experiences in your interactions with students?
- What happens when we prioritise connection in our interactions with others?
- How can letting go of the need to be an expert help in the Personal Tutoring relationship?
Before you engage in this activity, we recommend that you have studied these UKAT Curriculum activities, or attained equivalent experience.
M101 What is Personal Tutoring? [Learning Module]
Framework Competencies Addressed
Relational:
R1. Build advising and tutoring relationships through empathetic listening and compassion for students, and be accessible in ways that challenge, support, nurture, and teach
R2. Communicate in an inclusive and respectful manner
R3. Motivate, encourage, and support students to recognize their potential, meet challenges, and respect individuality
Professional:
P2. Appreciate students’ views and cultures, maintain a student-centred approach and mindset, and treat students with sensitivity and fairness