With the progress reports for the end of term one recently released, students are starting to identify areas of school they struggle with. Due to scheduling conflicts, students are not always able to meet with their teachers to get assistance. So, how do they get the help they need? Camas High School (CHS) offers a tutoring program that works with both the tutor’s and student’s schedules to organize a time for extra help on school work.
“Students who tutor others get experience in social settings. They create the ability to support their peers, and it’s a fantastic resume builder,” CHS teacher Lisa Schneider said, “Not only can students get paid to tutor their friends, but they can fundraise with the funds they earn and donate it to a project they’re interested in. Some students volunteer because they want to help their peers, while others tutor as part of their senior project.”
Schneider has run the tutoring program at CHS for six years. She helps students find help and supervises the tutoring session. While the program is somewhat unknown, the steps to becoming a tutor are relatively simple. Possible tutors will be vetted by Charlotte Waters or a National Honour Society (NHS) advisor. Once an application has been accepted, Schneider, members of her team or the students themselves will reach out and set up availability. The Learning Center at CHS is a great place for students to receive tutoring as it is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For those worried about missing a ride home, there is an activity bus that picks up students at 4 p.m. to take them home.
“I became a tutor because I wanted to volunteer and help my peers,” CHS student Alexandra McNutt said, “I mainly focused on math tutoring, as that’s one of my strongest subjects, and I thought [the program] could use more math tutors.”
Many students connect math with tutoring, yet there is a shortage of math tutors for specific subjects at CHS. This may result from the lack of advertising for the tutoring program, as many students are unaware of the option.
“I only know about the tutoring program at CHS because one of my friends is a tutor. I think that tutoring offers students a different approach to how something is taught, and it might be beneficial to get student input,” CHS student James Crawford said.
Tutors who have mastered complex concepts allow students to understand the subject differently through a more personable approach and learn student-to-student. In certain subjects, such as mathematics, where there is generally a definitive answer, having tutors re-explain how to solve an equation or show their process of getting a solution can help the student better grasp the concept.
“Tutoring has helped me become more organized, encouraged me to start planning things ahead of time and better understand the concepts I am teaching,” CHS student Sneha Shankar said, “I am a Spanish tutor and would advise students who want to become tutors to be passionate about what you are tutoring in. Otherwise, it becomes boring.”
“I think tutoring has helped me understand concepts better and develop a deeper level of communication skills,” McNutt said.
Tutoring successfully helps students develop critical life skills such as time management, communication with peers and self-confidence. Through the tutoring program at CHS, students who volunteer or have a job as a tutor get to connect on a deeper level with their peers. The program is an excellent way for students to leave their comfort zones and get involved in their community.