‘튜토리얼’…학생과 선생이 함께 성장하는 대화 [세상읽기]

After completing their PhD, a student and teacher participated in a tutorial, a teaching method developed over centuries at Oxford and Cambridge universities. The essence of a tutorial is a one-on-one conversation between a professor and a student, centered around the student's submitted writing assignment. Last semester, the student taught three courses, with 27 students in total.

Each session took an hour, but it took two weeks to meet with all students. New students to this format, including current teachers, often feel overwhelmed and confused. They might feel like they have been called to a strange place, wondering why they are being questioned. The professor's feedback, filled with red pen marks and annotations, can be intimidating.

However, with practice, the experience becomes more comfortable and fruitful. The student teacher recalls the intense focus of one such session, where the professor's comments revealed deep insights about the student's work. The core of successful tutoring lies in stimulating the student's own intellectual growth, making the process mutually enriching.

By the end of the conversation, both parties feel a sense of accomplishment and connection. The tutorial is not simply a form of private tutoring, but a unique opportunity for both parties to grow and learn from each other.