Tutoring Phila.'s future tutors

Penn students interested in tutoring around West Philadelphia got a sneak preview last night of some of the problems they are likely to encounter on the job. This fall, Civic House is sponsoring the Service and Advocacy Training Series -- a group of workshops geared toward students involved in local service-oriented activities -- in response to requests by students and faculty involved in service organizations around campus. Yesterday evening in the rooftop lounge of Hamilton College House, Penn tutors and West Philadelphia teachers addressed relationship building, roles and responsibilities, classroom management, educational strategies, tutoring techniques and tutoring resources. Sara Christianson, a Philadelphia elementary school teacher, and Simon Hauger, a West Philadelphia High School science teacher, presented age- and grade-specific tutoring techniques. After a brief introduction, the 30 or so attendees were divided into three groups, based on whether they wanted to tutor elementary, middle or high school students. Each group then discussed the characteristics associated with students in different grades and how the tutor should approach students in each age group. Consistency in relating to the students was stressed to all tutors. "The most important thing is that you be consistent and show that you are authentically interested," Hauger said. Those tutoring elementary school children were advised to be parental, authoritative role models. Facilitators Vanessa Moses and Kendal Barbie from Penn's Office of Academic Programs described kindergartners through third-graders as active, motivated and requiring attention. And Christianson urged tutors dealing with middle-school students to be "gentle and understanding during the peak age." "If they don't respect you as an adult figure, they won't respect what you tell them," she continued. Hauger articulated the problems with building a relationship with a high school tutee. He pointed out the need for a balance. "Don't show that you are the best thing going on in this kid's life. The amount of impact you'll have on an academic level will be more limited than the impact you'll have on a personal level," he said. He cautioned the potential tutors against making assumptions about their tutees' lives, and reminded them that they will not be able to immediately fix all problems. "Being so close in age to high school students, it is hard to draw a line with them, yet build friendship and trust," Wharton and Engineering junior Tanya Lee said. After old tutors shared experiences and suggestions with new tutors, Moses discussed the different types of learning and intelligence, the roles of the tutor versus the teacher, the ethics code and the importance of attitude. "We need to push for more opportunities for reflection and dialogue about social issues dealing with the types of service out there," Moses said.