Letter to the Editor: Student tutor classes need changes
November 9, 2016
Recently, I dropped Student Tutor, a class where a tutor is stationed with a class such as Algebra 1 or Biology for a year. During class, tutors work with students who need help on concepts taught in class/review, assisting the teacher with busy work such as grading minor assignments, or freeing up a teacher to allow them to help a student. In a way, it highly resembles Teacher Aide. However, student tutors cannot choose who they serve under, nor are they allowed to state their preferred teacher if one exists. In addition, the list of teachers who need tutors is kept confidential, unlike Teacher Aide, which openly reveals teachers in need of one. I dropped Student Tutor partly due to an unfortunate placement under a substandard teacher, but mainly because of these injustices. Why should student tutors, who dedicate their time and energy to their classes, be treated as second class Teacher Aide’s? That is my outlook on this issue.
According to my counselor I was told there was a priority list for tutors, at least for Algebra 1. Teachers who are in greater need of a tutor appear higher on the list, and if a person applies to become a tutor, they are redirected to such teachers. Thus, tutors have little to no power in the ordeal. In this process, the opinions of the tutors have never been considered, much less asked for, and I feel as if that simple check with us tutors should be done before placing us in different classes. Us tutors apply so we can serve the school, so I don’t see why our opinions aren’t even asked for. I don’t know if others share my concerns, but I strongly feel that there needs to be changes to the Student Tutor course in order to better the working environment. I would like your thoughts on this; can the Student Tutor class continue the way it is without any amendments?
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Holly • Feb 27, 2017 at 7:56 pm
Students who sign up for this class demonstrate crucial abilities needed for the school. Thus it is only right to place them in an environment where those abilities can work to the fullest, something the student their self best understands.
Evan Pettigrew • Feb 27, 2017 at 7:08 pm
I agree with this article. Students sign up for this class by their own will, and is only natural they have the right to choose who they serve. Any resentments the tutors may have that distract them from serving the school to their fullest potential should be dealt with in the tutor’s favor.
Devil's Advocate • Nov 10, 2016 at 8:55 pm
I understand where you’re coming from. It can be frustrating to work with certain people. However, as goes with most other tutoring opportunities, one should be offered some degree of choice in who we want to work with. While we are obligated to help as much as we can, it seems ludicrous that one would have no choice in who they work under for a whole school year.
However, if one has a problem with the uncertainty with the elective, then why not choose teacher aide as an elective instead? I believe that by signing up as a student tutor, you are expected to be flexible and willing to work with who you are assigned to. While the elective obviously has flaws in the control the tutor has over their own elective, it also shows how the tutor utterly failed to clarify the terms of the elective before committing to the class if they complain after the fact. Evidently, a student tutor is expected to have realized that they might have to work with a less than optimal teacher, and be willing to deal with the problem in order to help the less gifted students of our campus.
There is a difference between student tutor and teacher aide. Choosing your elective is no trivial task, and you are expected to do the proper research on your elective before signing up. Only ignorance shows through if a tutor is unable to cope with the conditions, in that the tutor was obviously not prepared for the scenario, and one who can’t work with the conditions should not have signed up for student tutor to begin with.
While the definition of each could be clarified more, student tutors are in no way second class. If anything, being assigned based on where they are needed shows how flexible and versatile the tutors generally are, and therefore if you think you have the ability to work with any teacher or group of students, then you should enter the uncertain area for the purpose of “serving the school”. If you weren’t ready for the possibility, then you should have done your research and chosen teacher aide instead.
That is all
Aaron Fukuoka • Nov 11, 2016 at 6:27 pm
Hello Devil’s Advocate,
First and foremost I would like to thank you for your eloquent comment on my post. Your rationale behind it is perfectly reasonable and justified.
I should like to specify that on Infinite Campus where we enter our desired courses, there is no course description for the Student Tutor class. As you know, all courses have an ID number along with a brief summary of the course. Student tutor lacks both of these things. In fact, Student Tutor is not yet an official class, so all the tutor’s names either have to be manually imputed or handwritten on attendance lists. Also, there isn’t many who are familiar with this class; I dare to make the assumption you learned that a class called “Student Tutor” exists through my letter. Overall, the sources where I can do research is very limited.
Secondly I choose Student Tutor over Teacher Aide for two reasons. The first is for credits. Though I don’t get any tangible form of extra credit, it looks better than Teacher Aide on applications. With that argument, one may view me as a “doing-it-just-for-the-credits” student, but if that was the case, it would be more reasonable for me to invest my time into an AP class over a normal class such as this. Also that follows into my second reason: I like the Student Tutor class. It’s probably my favorite class at HHS, which is why I would go as far to write a letter for a change to happen. Also the jobs Teacher Aide’s and Student Tutors do are slightly different: the Student Tutor class generally involves 1 to 1 speaking and developing relationships with students and teachers, whereas with Teacher Aide it is mostly menial work such as stapling, grading, or sorting papers.
Lastly it is partially true that the tutors are flexible and versatile, as no two days in the class are the same. However we’re human, we have limits, and being denied what I consider a basic right, the right to choose the teacher we serve, is crossing the line. Being flexible and versatile is not synonymous to allowing a violation of our liberties.
Your comment was invaluable to furthering my understanding of this topic. I hope I have cleared any uncertainties you may have had.
Joseph Chen • Nov 10, 2016 at 8:18 pm
I have the same thoughts in mind. It’s not called “Teacher Aid” if the student has no say in what class he can aid for. Perhaps being in the same room with a particular teacher can allow students to work harder; studies have shown that it’s true.
John • Nov 10, 2016 at 7:48 pm
Volunteer students who choose to use their time to help others should be able to aid people in the areas that they specialize in. Students who want to help others in an area have an obvious aptitude for the subject of their choice and should not be relegated to different areas, where they may not necessarily be comfortable teaching others in.