For Tutors & Mentors

Thank you for your interest in Upward Scholars’ Tutoring & Mentoring program.

Upward Scholars’ Tutoring & Mentoring program provides an opportunity for community volunteers to work one-on-one with Upward Scholars students at a time and location that is convenient for both parties. Tutors help students with their coursework, most often in intermediate and advanced ESL classes. Mentors provide support for students embarking on new careers.

Below are resources to help you learn more about these programs and be a more effective tutor or mentor.

Tutoring & Mentoring Application

If you are interested in volunteering as an Upward Scholars tutor or mentor, please complete the Upward Scholars New Tutor & Mentor Application.

Substitute Tutors

If you need to miss more than one or two tutoring sessions, please contact Programs Director Diana Viscarra at diana@upwardscholars.org. She will try to find a tutor to take your place while you are unavailable.

Important Dates for Summer & Fall 2024 Semesters

SMCCD Important Dates for Summer & Fall 2024

PCCD Important Dates for Summer & Fall 2024

Presentation for Tutors

Tutoring: Effective Approaches & Strategies by Professor Danielle Pelletier

+ Other Presentations for Tutors

Upward Scholars Tutor Orientation: A presentation to clarify how our Tutoring Program works, set tutor expectations, and provide helpful tips for tutor/tutee success.

Canvas Training: A virtual presentation to help our students learn how to navigate the college Canvas system, especially during distance learning.

Tutors as Mentors: A presentation about resources that tutors and mentors can share with students

This presentation includes a plethora of resources that tutors can share with their students, including legal resources, housing resources, and food-related resources as well as a description of resources available to students at Cañada College.

Financial Literacy: This is a concise, entertaining, and information-paced presentation created by Upward Scholars tutor Susan Speicher that all tutors can share with students. A Spanish version is available here.

Effective Techniques for Working with Canada College ESL students. The password to watch this video is SASStraining.

Upward Scholars Teaching Grammar Presentation: This presentation provides tips for teaching grammar to ESL students. It is geared for ProjectRead tutors, but may be useful to Upward Scholars tutors as well.

Resources for Tutors

+ Writing & Editing

+ Reading Comprehension

+ Grammar & Writing

+ Conversation-related activities to use during your sessions

Activities and Ideas

+ Online grammar activities for tutors to share with students

+ Online grammar sites (recommended by Upward Scholars tutors)

Grammar Bytes: Easy-to-understand explanations of grammar terms with clear examples
Inglés Mundial: Good explanations in Spanish of selected topics (but not comprehensive)
The English Page: Extensive collection of online grammar exercises
English Grammar Online: Extensive collection of online grammar exercises
Using English: Comprehensive collection of grammar quizzes
Simple past, present progressive, present perfect progressive (download): Excellent PowerPoint for students enrolled in Grammar and Writing III (ESL 923 at Cañada College.
The Ultimate Grammar Resource Guide: Resources to help hone grammar skills.
How Good Grammar Saves Lives and Other Reasons It’s Still Important: A great article about the importance of good grammar and how to fix common mistakes.

+ Recommended grammar and writing books

The following books are highly recommended by ESL teachers. They can be expensive, so you may want to purchase them used. Upward Scholars can reimburse you for any book you purchase in connection with tutoring.

Azar, Betty Schrampfer, Basic English Grammar. The first book in the series, it covers most but not all of what is taught in Grammar and Writing 2 at Cañada College. You can purchase either the third or fourth edition. Make sure you get the textbook and not the workbook.
Azar, Betty Schrampfer, Fundamentals of English Grammar, 3rd or 4th Edition. The second book in the Azar series, it is more advanced than Basic English Grammar. Make sure you get the textbook and not the workbook.
Raimes, Ann, Grammar Trouble Spots: A Guide for Student Writers. This book helps students identify and correct common grammatical errors.
Weal, Elizabeth, Writing in English: Step by Step. This is a good review of basic English grammar. Students should be familiar with this material before they enroll in Grammar and Writing 2, the first Cañada College writing class that Upward Scholars students take. (This book is available free for all tutors. Let Elizabeth know if you’d like copies for you and your student.)

+ Grammar summary cards

Grammar summary cards provide concise summaries of key grammar points. Two that we recommend are:

+ ESL sites for current events

These sites may be useful if you want to encourage your student to take advantage of online current event sites for ESL students.

Voice of America News: You might start or end tutoring sessions by reading a few captions from The Day in Photos.
Breaking News English: Leveled reading passages as well as exercises that you can print and give to your student.
Simple English News: Very short news articles and vocabulary with video clips.

+ ESL podcasts

Listening to podcasts, and then discussing them, is a great way to engage with your student. FluentU has an excellent selection.

+ Encouraging Your Student to Read

Reading is an excellent way for ESL students to increase their knowledge of English. If you and your student meet at a library, make sure your student has a library card. Then, help them find appropriate books.