At some point in time, the learner and the tutor will feel confident that the learner is ready to demonstrate his skills. They will let the staff member know, and he will arrange a demonstration. Although the volunteer will help the learner prepare for the demonstration, it should be administered and formally assessed by a staff member.

Based on the results of the demonstration, the staff member will work with the volunteer and the learner to determine the next steps. This could mean that the learner needs to move on to more difficult work or that he has completed his goal and is ready to move on to the next step.

Sometimes the volunteer tutor might feel that she is filling out form after form that no one ever reads. Rest assured that the ongoing assessment information tutors provide is valuable feedback that program staff use to monitor and track progress and to plan next steps. The tutor can also use the information to help in lesson planning and to help the learner reflect on her progress (see the chapter “Self-Assessment”).

Unfortunately, the frequent filling out of progress report forms can quickly become a rote exercise. To avoid this, the tutor should encourage the learner to reflect carefully on not only what he has learned but on how he is using his new skills. Reflection is an integral part of internalizing learning, which in turn is the true measure of learning.

Instructors should encourage students to reflect on their learning and explore how and why work shows progress or the need for additional practice. Reflection encourages learners …demanding that they evaluate their work, think of possible solutions to problems and become responsible for progress toward their goals.(38)