A class tutor is the leader, organizer, and educator of a class, as well as a right-hand man and backbone of the school leadership in their work. I have worked as a class tutor at the Radio and TV University (RTVU) for over 20 years and served as a class tutor of full and part-time classes for 18 years.
These years’ experiences as a class tutor have helped me work more efficiently. Therefore, I’d like to draw on my years of work experience and share some views on how to implement the Party and state’s educational policies in teaching and the significance of how to make scientific management align with modern open and distance education as an RTVU open education class tutor.
Ⅰ. To strengthen the study of teachers’ ethics of responsibility and dedication
The key to influencing students lies in tutors’ quality, having strong morals in particular. Thus, tutors must have strong morals and scientifically cultivated ideas. The RTVU’s open education class tutors have the most direct connection with students. Since they work for students with varied work experiences and educational backgrounds, class tutors’ ethics and their attitudes towards work are the most influential on students. As such, class tutors must keep up their theoretical studies on strengthening political ideas and professional ethics to improve their own theoretical cultivation, as well as establish a right and sound world outlook, life view, and value system. When the significance of educational work is better understood, work responsibilities will be better defined. With a strong sense of responsibility and high level of professionalism, class tutors work hard to perform their duties without haggling over time or rewards.
Ⅱ. To possess educational concepts suitable for RTVU open education development
Compared with students of closed, traditional education, the learning environment of modern and distance education learners are more open, autonomous, and complex. The RTVU open education and its teaching methods demonstrate a student-centric autonomous learning mode. Class tutors play an essential role in facilitating students’ natural adaptation to the new learning style. Class tutors must make continuous effort to strengthen their understanding of modern education theories and the teaching management approaches of the RTVU open education. This helps transform traditional education into modern education, establish a new learning-dominated and development-oriented teaching practice, continue innovating both work ideas and methods in line with the teaching characteristics of the RTVU open education model, support the RTVU’s needs for the development of new teaching modes, and train qualified, skilled individuals needed by society.
Ⅲ. To master modern skills which meet the requirements of RTVU instruction
Open and distance education at the RTVU represents a form of education with teaching and communication systems relying on multiple forms of media, both between students and teachers, as well as between students and educational institutions. This new teaching mode is being developed under new circumstances created by RTVU education. Class tutors not only encourage students to rid themselves of traditional learning methods in order to create more efficient and autonomous learning, but also offer them various learning materials and information when appropriate. Class tutors have to break with traditional practices, learn techniques and skills necessary for a modern education, and attend regular skills training at the school. They shall learn to use such modern and distance education means as computer networks, TVs, videos, email inboxes, and BBS discussions in preparation for managing the network of students and their learning resources. This will aid in providing students with pertinent assistance, service, and guidance, as well as help them adapt more quickly to the learning environment in distance and open education.
Ⅳ. To respect and care for students
It is necessary to be dedicated, body and soul, to the work of a class tutor. It is all the more true for open education class tutors. In managing dispersed part-time learners, class tutors have more difficulties. To this end, class tutors must do as follows. First, respect and care for the students. As mature adult students, they have a lot of life experience. They not only choose to learn knowledge, but need more understanding and respect from tutors. Class tutors shall respect and care for them, understanding the reality of students’ work lives. At the same time, students can’t be given special treatment over particulars of their jobs. Tutors shall treat all students equally, increasing exchanges and communication with students, serving as their tutor and friend so as to achieve a united and positive class. Secondly, have the patience to properly serve and guide students. It is necessary to have a solid understanding of the affect students’ jobs have on the amount of time it takes for them to learn, including affecting the amount of opportunities for them to meet with teachers, receive face-to-face tutoring, learn online, and make contacts. In the same vein, class tutors should set a solid moral example for students, be careful to post all relevant information, have a good understanding of each student, remain available via several means of contact, and communicate with students via Wechat, QQ, student groups, text messaging, and telephone. This will make them feel cared for and loved by their tutors, providing space for positive teacher-student interaction. By these efforts, all kinds of learning materials and information can be passed on to students in a timely and effective manner, and every student in each class can learn well and achieve excellent examination results.
In conclusion, the job of an open education class tutor can at times be mundane, random, toilsome, and sometimes tedious. In order to do it well, we must also be adept at researching and reflecting. Only with constant research on the students and teaching methods can we find education and teaching methods which align with our own practices. Only through reflection can we gradually formulate our own theories and gain experience which allows us to play a full role in education and teaching.
By Zhang Xiuzhen,Rongcheng RTVU, Shangdong