Student tutors get high marks for helping peers

Most of us can recall one teacher in our past who spent that extra hour explaining an impossible concept, who was genuinely concerned about our welfare or who inspired us. Providing student tutors who make an impact similar to that of an exceptional teacher is the aim of Penn's Tutoring and Learning Resources Center. A tutor must be prepared to personalize services to each individual tutee, understanding that each student tutee has unique expectations, according to tutorial coordinator Cari Jasner. "All students have different needs," Jasner said. "Some need a better grasp on the material and others simply want to maintain an 'A'." Several student tutors offered insights into what works best in the one-on-one sessions meant to help tutees grasp ideas or understand material that flies over their heads in lectures and recitations. Biology tutor Christine Leoni, one of 15 students this year to win an award from the center for outstanding tutoring, agreed. The College senior noted that some tutees will need someone to listen to them, while others ask her to elucidate basic concepts. Overall, Leoni explained that the key to connecting well with a tutor is to do "whatever it takes to make it stick" -- to bring Biology textbook concepts down to earth. Leoni said she often finds herself making up analogies to facilitate learning. She revels in the moment when her students exclaim, "Wow, I get it!" Leoni also emphasized that one must be a "tutor, coach and cheerleader all in one." Many tutees lack confidence that they comprehend a concept, so Leoni reassures her tutees in a subtly clever way. She said she has her students lead her through a topic, after which they realize that they knew more than they previously thought. Biology tutor and College senior Joy Shirk also aims to solidify the confidence of her tutees. Shirk, who has twice won awards for being an outstanding tutor, said she feels passionate about biology and tries to impart her love of the subject to her students. Shirk also tutors in chemistry, and has several strategies to ensure student progress. She said she instructs her tutees to make flash cards or record lecture classes on tape if either method could improve learning. Shirk also coordinates study groups for her students, and she spends extra time with them if that's what it takes to understand a concept. Yet Shirk's devotion to tutoring has reaped other awards than just the $9 per hour pay, as she has built up a close friendship with a tutee who she said reminds her of her little sister. College freshman Diana Meek, who had Shirk as a tutor for Biology 102, said Shirk makes biology "fascinating while still making sense of it." Meek recounted that Shirk would even reread textbooks of information on specified topics with which her students struggle before tutoring them. In addition, Meek said she views Shirk likewise as an almost-surrogate sister. As Meek's family is thousands of miles away in California, Shirk has temporarily filled the shoes as a family member for her. Meek also praised Shirk's "inspiring" methods. And Meek is now considering being a tutor as a result of Shirk's influence. Becoming a tutor -- especially an excellent one -- does not happen overnight. The first step in the process is to receive an invitation from the tutoring center, which sends letters to certain students with a 3.25 or higher GPA, who have received an "A" in a specific course. From there, potential tutors are interviewed by the tutoring center, and, if chosen, go through intensive tutoring training sessions. The tutors are trained to best match the learning styles of diverse students so that they are equipped to handle all types of tutees. College junior Ariella Poncz, a Biology tutor, shares Shirk's emphasis on the powers of communication within tutoring. Poncz said it's essential to learn how to relate to one's students. Furthermore, she said she finds her students are overwhelmingly freshmen and female. Poncz also said more students should take advantage of the resources made accessible by the Tutoring Center. One tutee who requested anonymity attributed the disuse to a stigma about tutoring, with many students feeling they are "stupid" if they need to be tutored.