Tutor profile: Valerie S.

How do I read this textbook chapter so that I actually remember it?

When reading a textbook chapter, try this approach. Take each title, section heading, and bold text (such as vocabulary words) and turn those into questions. For example, if you are reading a textbook chapter titled "The Origins of the Civil War," ask yourself "what are the origins of the Civil War?" Read the chapter to find the answers, then write them down, note them with a highlighter, or flag them with a post-it note. Perhaps the first section you come to is titled "Long Term Origins." Ask yourself, "where were the long term origins?" Read to find the answer, then write it down or highlight important phrases. In that section, maybe you come to the vocabulary word "tripartite." Ask yourself, "what does tripartite mean?" Write it down or highlight the definition. Look it up in a glossary or online dictionary if needed. By turning the titles, section headings, and vocabulary words into questions, the text becomes interactive, more interesting, and definitely easier to remember!

I need three book sources for my project, and I don't know where to start.

Print materials such as books and encyclopedias can be excellent sources for a project! The best place to start is by carefully identifying your topic and what information you are looking for. For example, is your topic "dogs" or is your topic "how the use of rescue dogs improves recovery rates?" Try to be as specific as possible. In this example, a book on dogs won't be narrow enough to meet your information needs about rescue dogs. Once you have your topic narrowed, try searching in your library's online catalog for this subject or "keyword". A keyword search will pull in all results with the terms included. This will help you narrow down the list to find the books that are the best fit for your topic.

How do I provide a meaningful performance evaluation?

Performance evaluations can prove to be a daunting experience for both manager and employee, but they don't have to be. One key to a meaningful evaluation is to take the necessary time throughout the evaluation period to make notes about the employee's performance and growth. This way, your evaluation is based on measurable, specific observation rather than falling back on anecdotal evidence and recent activities. For example, was the employee a contributing member on a special project? Were they mentioned by a customer for having exceptional customer service? Make record of these things! Another key to a meaningful evaluation is to involve the employee. How do they feel about their performance? Do they see areas of growth? What goals do they have for themselves? How can you, as a manager, support them in those areas? If you come prepared, really knowing the employee and their individual contributions or challenges through objective observations, and you partner with the employee in the discussion, the evaluation moves from perfunctory to meaningful.