Lesson plan or no lesson plan: depends on the mood?!?

Have you been in a situation at school as a student, when your teacher gave you an assignment in class and you just could not concentrate in completing it because all you could think about was your new video game at home? If only you could write about it in your assignment... wouldn't it be wonderful?

Well, if writing about your new game in an English class at school is not possible, remember that it is a good option in a tutoring class. Tutoring is the fun part of schooling. So now that you are a tutor, you can actually allow your students to really write about their video game. Remember that no matter how long and how thorough you plan your lesson, you still have to feel the mood of your students and adjust accordingly. So if you notice that your students are distracted and cannot complete simple tasks that they are usually so good at, then it is time to reconsider your options, as well as theirs. Ask them about what is on their mind. Start a conversation about what they did "yesterday". I am sure that eventually you will get to the bottom of things and actually figure out what the reason behind that empty distracted face is. As a flexible tutor, you need to learn to use every situation in your advantage. All they can think about is their game? Great! Lets talk about the game... using the proper grammatically correct sentences of course! Keep correcting your student and giving him/her pointers and suggestions. Let your student even write about it. Believe me, they will much more appreciate your flexibility and willingness to listen to them brag about the new game, than you insisting that there is a lesson plan you need to follow.

Speaking about what they like is very engaging also because it is a virtual rehearsal for your students. Now they have told their story, it has been reviewed and corrected by their teacher, they learned how to express and describe something they like... so they are ready to tell this same story to someone else... but more confidently now. It is very important to convince your students that the place to make mistakes and have them corrected is in your class. They will gain confidence by knowing that you are always well prepared, but very flexible too.