How can peer tutors avoid burnout?

Keeping a well-maintained calendar and schedule will solve most of your problems as a peer tutor. A student wants an emergency session? Great, if there is room on your tutoring schedule then you can accommodate them. If not, you don't need to stress about it. If you don't have a clear idea of your schedule you will end up squeezing in people and accommodating last minute requests and burn yourself out.

This is a good topic! People choose to participate in peer tutoring for a number of reasons, but regardless of the why, the tutor can feel overwhelmed at times. Often times people point out time management as a key contributor, but I find that it is not a lack of time management that plagues me most but rather a since of obligation to helping out my peer even when I myself have a tight deadline. I believe that as a team we all do well when everyone does well so it is hard to sit back when I know I can help a peer out.

First, define what EXACTLY the goal of the tutoring is and the timeline for achieving it. Next, design a feasible schedule or timetable for the tutoring sessions. Have an accountability system too. Take breaks, sometimes, as arranged with the others.

Teach peer tutors the importance of prioritizing tasks. Help them identify high-priority items and focus on them first. This ensures that crucial responsibilities are addressed, and there's a sense of accomplishment.

As a peer tutor, students are going to ask for your time unexpectedly. They'll need an emergency session 2 hours before their big test they forgot about, or they'll beg you to help them write their entire essay that's due the next day. Make sure you know what your boundaries are as a tutor and don't be shy about enforcing them. Desperate students will ask for way more than you should be expected to provide!

Suggest peer tutors implement a "buddy system," where they pair up and periodically switch roles as both tutor and learner, fostering a supportive and reciprocal learning environment. Encourage the incorporation of brief mindfulness exercises into tutoring sessions, helping tutors manage stress and maintain focus. Additionally, advise peer tutors to participate in regular debrief sessions with a mentor or counselor to discuss challenges, share experiences, and receive emotional support to prevent burnout.

The first step in creating a successful tutoring relationship is to build a foundation of trust. Your client needs to see you as a person and it helps for you to see them that way too! Those little opportunities to take a break and talk about your lives are important. You will learn so much about your clients that is useful and important to your tutoring sessions. It will also cause them respect and value you more.