Eight tiring classes a week, loads of homework, while trying to juggle jobs, sports, and social life can cause a lot of stress upon students’ shoulders. Adding uncomprehension and confusion about a class can make that stress even greater, but Millard West offers a program to help struggling students.
As simple as going to your assigned counselor, students can get a free tutor for whichever class(es) they are having trouble understanding. Whether it’s just one challenging concept or multiple, you will be matched up with a fellow student who has prior knowledge and success in the course.
“We have been offering peer tutoring at Millard West for 15 years or so,” Counselor Maureen Zohlen said. “To become a tutor, students need to express interest to their counselor and let us know which subjects they are comfortable tutoring. We check transcripts to ensure the student tutor has been successful in the courses in which they are going to be tutoring.”
Signing up to get a tutor might be daunting at first, as some students might feel scared or embarrassed to be matched up with a fellow peer. However, no student should feel that way. Every tutor is there to help and is guaranteed to be a beneficial resource.
“I became a tutor mostly because I love to teach other kids what I’ve learned,” junior Mackenzie Ostronic said. “I think that it can really benefit kids and I really like to teach what I’ve been taught before. Also, it’s a great way to review and I like to help people whenever I can, but it doubles as a great volunteer opportunity.”
When a student gets assigned a tutor they can expect some of the best students Millard West has to offer. They will come to each session prepared in whatever subject, and bring helpful material to each lesson.
“To prepare to tutor someone I usually retouch on the subject,” junior Grace Heftie said. “If it’s like a math or spanish class I haven’t taken in a while then I go through my notes, so I keep all my notes from prior years just in case I have to tutor someone. I also try to think about what works for me, and tell them tips that I use while explaining things in ways that anyone could understand.”
The tutoring program at Millard West is more than extra help. It’s a great way for students to support one another academically, while also building confidence in all aspects.
As the program continues into future years it can be expected and encouraged to see new faces to lend and reach for a helping hand.
