Why do middle school students have a special need for high-quality summer learning? According to NSLA’s website, “Middle school is a time of great risk for children, especially those who are low-income. Summer learning loss contributes to dismal middle-school indicators, causing low-income students to lag as much as 2.5 years behind their higher-income peers by the end of fifth grade.
The growing energy behind STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curricula in US schools is influencing the after-school and tutoring communities to provide new learning options.
High school students benefit significantly from college admissions counseling information and guidance – yet most don’t get much of it. According to the latest State of College Admission 2011 from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, “For many students, particularly those in public schools, college counseling is limited at best. Counselors are few in number, often have large student caseloads and are limited in the amount of time they are able to dedicate to college counseling.”
Already thirty-seven states plus the District of Columbia have said that they intend to apply for an SES waiver between now and mid-February 2012. If granted, the waivers would free districts in these states from setting aside hundreds of millions of dollars each year for after-school tutoring targeting the lowest-performing students. This sweeping change would effectively end SES, which has already been eliminated from the Senate’s version of the updated NCLB legislation.
One of the oldest and most powerful teaching techniques is simply to guide the learner by asking directed questions. This basic tutoring approach is sometimes referred to as the Socratic Method or the “inquiry method.”
You can find basic “make a great first impression” tips in dozens of places online. Here are some tutoring-specific tips on first impressions.
As a tutor, supporting your students to learn better study skills might be one of the best ways to improve their academic performance.
Many tutoring centers offer some training for their tutors. But what about private tutors and coaches? New online training methods have evolved that enable private tutors to learn new skills anytime, anywhere they can access the Internet.
On September 19, StoryCorps launched its National Teachers Initiative at the White House. The Initiative celebrates the contributions of America’s public school teachers.
As a new school year begins, now is a good time for tutors to raise their awareness of learning disabilities and how to spot them. The support and encouragement of a caring tutor can make a big difference in a child’s success.
