Peer Tutoring: Students Helping Students
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The goal of the Peer Tutoring Program here at STA is to bring students together to provide each other with a sense of their value as a learner and an important member of the STA community.
Students gather during the lunch recess period one day a week and are paired up or work in small groups to receive help with their academic work. This program which has been running for over 10 years at our school has proven very helpful for students who could use review and reinforcement of new concepts as well as spend the time necessary on work they may have missed due to absence.
The students really benefit from the individualized or small group attention led by an older student under the supervision of our teachers. The support and encouragement from the student tutor and the pride students take in being a part of the program build their self-esteem as a learner, an achiever, and an important part of the school community.
Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders are invited to join as students who receive the academic help as well as prepare to move into a position as a tutor in the upper grades as they are needed.
Seventh and eighth graders will be selected to be tutors based on their application and an interview so that their motivation to be dependable and effective student tutors can be assessed.
We encourage you to talk with your child’s teacher to see if they think your son or daughter is a good candidate to join. Mrs. Reilly, a former STA teacher and current volunteer will be stopping by your child’s classroom to talk to their class about the program. Students can tell their teacher if they would like to participate.
The seventh and eighth grade students who work as tutors benefit from the leadership and interpersonal skills that they develop and the sense of pride from serving their school community.
Overall, this program is a win/win for all of the students!
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"To Teach is to Learn Twice"
Our peer tutoring program has a new name! We are calling it, "Students Helping Students" because that is exactly what is happening. We are organizing the program for the 2016-2017 school year with a few important changes.
Our eight years plus experience with a program where student support each other academically has led us to conclude that the most important way for a student to achieve is for them to know their own strengths and challenges and where to go for help when it is needed. Accordingly, we are building flexibility into this program to continue to meet students' needs.
Students in the seventh and eighth grades are invited to participate in the program where they will have the opportunity to both give help to younger students and peers as well as receive help from their peers depending on their own learning needs at a given time.
Fifth and sixth graders are invited to participate also in order to receive academic support from these upper grade students.
Students can use this time to review concepts and skills that may be challenging or may have been missed due to absence. Classwork can be completed, and study time will help students prepare for tests and quizzes. Sometimes homework will provide the necessary tool for helping students find their way with challenging material. Teachers will be present to support the learning process, but essentially this is a place for students to give and receive help from each other.
Interested students are asked to complete an application highlighting their favorite subjects as well as subjects they would like to spend time working on to improve skills and share studying techniques.
We are very proud of the volunteers who participate in this program which is now in its ninth year at STA. They are making a commitment to serve our school community as well as utilizing this opportunity to spend extra time to learn and achieve.
Becoming a member of the "Students Helping Students" program only requires a commitment of one day at week at lunch recess. We hope that you encourage your child to make use of this opportunity.
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