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Be an Oral Communication Tutor
Love helping others? Love public speaking? Help others love public speaking by becoming an Oral Communication Tutor.
We accept new OCT applications every January and train new OCTs during Spring Quarter. Contact octmanager@stanford.edu with any questions.
What OCTs Do
Oral Communication Tutors (OCTs) are peer speaking tutors who support students at all stages of the oral presentation process. Both graduate and undergraduate students can serve as OCTs. OCTs help students from a variety of academic disciplines with the following:
- Brainstorming, organizing, and rehearsing oral presentations
- Using visual aids effectively (including PowerPoint)
- Overcoming speech anxiety
- Preparing for job interviews, oral exams, lectures and more
Who We Seek
- We seek applicants from all backgrounds and disciplines. Graduate students in particular are encouraged to apply.
- We look for applicants with a strong interest in oral communication, tutoring / teaching, and multimedia presentation, and who showcase qualities of an effective tutor. Prior experience in these areas is not required.
- Applicants need to include the contact information of one reference person. A letter of reference is not required.
Training
All students offered OCT positions must complete a one- to three-unit training course in Spring Quarter before beginning work as an OCT. (CTL 119: Oral Communication Tutor Teaching Practicum; Thursdays, 3:15 to 5:05 p.m.)
In this course, readings, exercises, and supervised teaching refine students’ speaking skills, preparing them to work as peer speaking tutors in a variety of academic disciplines.
Back to TopTime Commitment and Starting Salary
- OCTs work about three to four hours per week, although more hours may be available.
- Starting salary for 2009-2010: $13 per hour for undergraduates; $16 per hour for graduate students