Many members of our high school community donate their free time to tutoring fellow students.
Aside from the grade boost that often comes from this additional academic support, peer tutoring provides an opportunity for students to become friendly with students whom they may not have known otherwise.
It also allows students who have had experience in a particular class to guide younger students on the best ways to be successful.
Upperclassmen may be able to provide younger students with study skills that will sustain them and help them throughout the course of their high school career.
Peer tutoring also allows students who are doing the tutoring to learn how to help others with work, improving their own study skills, and possibly even helping them determine a potential career path.
“Not all students can afford to hire teachers or other professionals to tutor them,” said senior Rachel Johnson. “So student tutors can be a great alternative. Studies have shown that students learn better from their peers, so that’s another benefit. The problem is there aren’t many places in our school for students to meet up for tutoring sessions. We have plenty of locations that are suitable for solo studying, but a lot of times the social studies office gets crowded and the second you open your mouth to speak in the library you’re told to pack up and leave.”
Students are encouraged by the school to tutor others, as they can receive credit from the honor societies for doing so. In-school tutoring also allows students to find fulfilling ways to spend their off periods.
However, for a school that promotes peer tutoring, there is really no quiet place to do so.
While the resource rooms may seem like a good option, they get very loud because there are often tons of students trying to get help from teachers.
Also, students making up tests need a quiet atmosphere and would be unfairly distracted by tutoring sessions.
“I’m in the math and social studies offices all the time and it gets so crowded and loud to a point where I can’t focus on my work,” said senior Emily Shlafmitz. “I doubt anyone tutoring or being tutored could focus on what they’re doing.”
In order to create an appropriate atmosphere for tutoring the school could keep the Commons open for certain periods throughout the day as a place for students to help each other with work.
This would allow for an increase in the productivity of peer tutoring sessions.
If the school would like students to devote their time to tutoring others then they need to create an adequate environment.