The UW–Madison Tutor Development Conference is held each semester by the Learning Support Committee as a free professional development event open to tutors and mentors from across campus. The conference provides training on topics relating to tutoring, student support and well-being, and creating inclusive educational environments.
Join us Sunday, September 14 for the Fall 2025 Tutor Development Conference!
Conference Schedule
11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Symphony Room
Lunch: Boxed lunches available
12:00 to 12:05 p.m. | Symphony Room
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
12:05 to 12:50 p.m. | Symphony Room
Keynote: Getting Studying Right is Hard
Presented by C. Shawn Green, Professor and Associate Chair for Grad Studies, Dept of Psychology
Many of the most common methods that students use when studying, such as re-reading and highlighting text, studying in a “consistent location”, cramming, studying with “background noise” and many others, have been repeatedly shown to produce poor learning outcomes. Interestingly, when students are exposed to both more and less effective methods of studying and are asked which worked better, they almost always identify the less effective method as working better. In this talk, I’ll discuss both the less effective practices (and explain why they’re not effective) as well as talk about the types of studying techniques that are more effective at producing learning. Specifically, I’ll talk about the benefits of distributing studying over time, interleaving the topics that are studied, having variety in study contexts, of active (as compared to passive) studying techniques, and many more!
1:00 to 1:50 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
Giving & Receiving Feedback – Sonata Room
Join staff from UW’s Student Employment office to explore the practice of giving and receiving feedback. As a tutor, feedback plays a critical role in communicating with students during tutoring sessions and continuing to grow personally and professionally. This session will provide tools to navigate and leverage feedback in your tutoring role.
Experienced Tutor Panel – Concerto Room
New to tutoring? Join this session to hear from experienced tutors across campus. Participants will have opportunities to ask questions and learn from tutors as they share stories, strategies, advice, and reflections on their tutoring practice.
Facilitation Skills – Symphony Room
During this interactive session, student facilitators from UW’s Adventure Learning Programs (ALPs) will lead activities that encourage participants to practice facilitation skills that are used in tutoring sessions. ALPs operates under the philosophy of Experiential Education where learners are purposefully engaged in direct experience and focused reflection in order to learn new skills. Participants are expected to fully participate in the activities.
2:00 to 2:50 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
Effective Communication – Symphony Room
During this interactive session, participants will practice using improvisational activities and games designed to improve their communication skills in a fun and encouraging environment. The activities and games will enable participants to practice: 1) vocal and visual communication, 2) active listening skills, 3) responding quickly to unexpected situations, 4) story telling skills. All attendees are expected to fully participate in the workshop.
Chemistry Tutoring – Concerto Room
Join Tracey Reitz, Director of the Chemistry Learning Center, to prepare for tutoring chemistry 103, 104, and/or 109. Tracey will share chemistry curriculum updates and present strategies for advancing student thinking about chemistry. If you’re tutoring chemistry this fall, you should participate in this session.
Career Fair Preparation – Sonata Room
Join Danielle Marriner, Assistant Director for Career Services, to prepare for the All Campus Career and Internship Fair on September 25. This session will provide tips, insights, and recommendations for successfully navigating the career fair and interacting with recruiters and employers. If you’re pursuing an internship or exploring career options this year, this session is for you!
3:00 to 3:45 p.m. | Learning Center Meetings
ULC – Sonata Room
Housing – Concerto Room