Tutoring

     No two children are alike, and this holds true to the way they think and learn. Some children may learn well through discussion, while others prefer studying text or written notes. As educators, we must acknowledge these differences and use differentiated instruction to create a learning environment that is comfortable and productive for every student.
     I have been able to experience and observe different types of learners through a tutoring program at the local middle school.  However, I must admit, it is difficult to assess the way a child learns best through one two hour session.  Many students have an abundance of things going on out of the classroom that affect their drive and ability to do school work.  I worked with one student who, in the middle of a discussion about governmental branches, told me about how her father was having trouble finding a job after he got out of prison. She compared him to a vicious pitbull, saying "Somebody who has been trained to be bad cannot become good if the world keeps on expecting him to be bad".
     This was obviously not related to the executive branch, but it did help me to see this child's abundance of interpersonal intelligence and verbal skills.  I switched gears some, and stopped having her look up and write definitions to study for her test. Instead, we had a discussion about human disagreements, from personal arguments to moral dilemmas. We discussed how to create a society that treats everyone fairly, which led to a discussion about our own society. These discussions led us to define vocabulary terms from her reading, such as democracy, judicial system, and the constitution. Prior to our discussion she had little to no grasp of these terms.  Her understanding of the topic was deepened by its relation to real life. Using the time for auditory discussion was more meaningful and memorable than her previous attempts to learn through note cards or visual notes. I talked to her about mnemonic devices such as singing words and their definitions, or repeating things in funny voices.
     However, if I had tried this with another student I regularly work with, it would have likely been a disaster. This student works on her own regularly, using notes and textbooks as her guides.  My attempts at in depth discussion of the material was met with awkward short answers that she struggled to elaborate upon. But if she was given written resources, she was able to write correct answers in her own words. I suggested that she use tools like word maps and other visual note taking methods.  She responded, in a know it all manner, that she already does those things.
      Students are likely never going to be excited about doing extra work. However, we, as educators, have the ability to make this work rewarding and manageable.  We must recognize individual student background and needs.  This information is incredibly important, as it helps us understand how to approach assignments and make them relatable and even meaningful.