Picture yourself entering a space on your college campus that’s completely new to you. You’ve heard of this place, but you never expected it to feel as lively and inviting as it does when you first walk in. You see fellow students chipping away at coursework with other students who support them through the process, giving them informed advice and urging them to delve deeper into their understanding of the content.
The community is dedicated to each other’s growth, not only academically, but throughout every aspect of college life. Walking into my school’s tutoring center for the first time, this was how it felt. I quickly realized this as a service I was ignorant of for far too long.
In Fall 2022, I began working at the front desk of my school’s tutoring center. From behind that desk, I witnessed nervous faces transform into faces of relief as they left and asked to schedule another appointment.
This Fall, I am training to become a tutor. The intensive training taught me about the wide world of tutoring. I learned that extensive research has been performed on why students shouldn’t feel ashamed to receive tutoring and how tutors can be as effective as possible.
Tutoring is not typically seen in the most positive light. It is perceived as a last resort when a student is performing poorly in academics, on the brink of failure. This is ironic, considering in every other situation where a student spends extra time on academics outside of designated school hours, they are applauded for their hard work.
The stigma around tutoring that exists today isn’t something that just happened by chance. Looking all the way back to 1636, Harvard was founded as the first university in the United States. As universities like Harvard began to crop up around the country, they were reserved for the elite; a small percentage of wealthy white males who could afford higher education.
A basic education wasn’t as normative as it is today, especially for underprivileged communities.
It wasn’t until 1901 when the first community college, Joliet Junior College, was founded that the diverse group of working class, prospective students — those who lived in rural and small towns and worked on farms — received the opportunity to attend higher education. Although, it wasn’t necessarily possible for these individuals to find success in school without the help of tutoring.
Tutoring was an important tool for students at community college, as it filled the gaps in their education, allowing for a more diverse demographic to pursue education in the academic world. The negative reputation of tutoring began then, as the discrimination towards less privileged communities transferred onto the act of receiving tutoring itself.
Over the years, the role of tutoring at the college level has changed and evolved. Although tutoring has only ever existed for positive change, its reputation has never seemed to improve. To begin the de-stigmatization of tutoring, I’ve debunked some of the most common misconceptions about tutoring.
Tutoring is not for “Dumb” People:
The shame that people feel when considering tutoring has to do with the preconceived notion that asking for help signifies you’re “dumb.” Many are intimidated by the idea of having a one-on-one session with someone who knows more than them. In reality, tutoring can be beneficial to students of all levels of expertise, and the success of a session is not dependent on the gap in knowledge between tutor and tutee. A good tutoring session should be structured in a way that allows the student to do more talking than the tutor.
Tutors are not Teachers:
Many assume that a tutor has a similar role to a teacher, just smaller, so the idea of a one-on-one session with them can be scary. In reality, a tutor isn’t there to teach new content. The tutor should be guiding the student through probing questions to allow students to make discoveries on their own. Therefore, there’s no need for the tutor to be drastically more informed than the student on the topic. Their job is to meet the student where they’re at and guide them to a higher level of understanding.
Tutoring Doesn’t Only Aid in Academica:
For those struggling to find success in their coursework, the thought of taking an hour out of their day to talk about the course content with a stranger can seem unappealing. Students’ reluctance towards school has nothing to do with the content of the course being too difficult.
Rather, outside factors affect their general motivation towards school. These could include a lack of personal goals, a disconnected social life or poor time management skills. A tutoring session can be a good place to talk through these grievances with someone who has been through it first hand, as in many cases, the tutors at a college or university are your peers.
The world of tutoring is a lot more diverse than most realize. In fact, it may be the resource that you didn’t even know you should be utilizing until now. Juggling the many interpersonal aspects of college life can make graduation day feel miles away, and sometimes, keeping your grades up can feel like the least of your concerns. When in doubt, taking the time out of your day to collaborate with a peer through tutoring can enhance your college experience in a variety of ways, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. It is time to deprogram the elitist bias towards tutoring from our minds.
