When I was a CIT instructor, I would think “Oh, no – not again!” Could I help this student? How??? I really wanted to satisfy each learner’s request for help, but I might not be able to find a tutor.
Many of NMC’s second-year CIT students find local employment before finishing their degrees. Even students with generous hearts – those willing to help others – are seldom available for tutoring. Another issue: the CIT field is broad – far more so than most realize. Expertise in one area often does not translate to an ability to answer questions in another, and most CIT students choose a single speciality. Seeking a CIT generalist is like looking for someone who can simultaneously do well while filling roles of a home architect, a builder, and a realtor.
With flexible time in my retirement schedule and a passion for learning, I chose to try to fill this gap, offering my services as a CIT tutor this semester. I am new at it; I am no expert. However, I have already seen patterns, and had I known these patterns while teaching I would have been a better teacher. I hope that by sharing these tidbits current teachers will be more aware and may reach more of their learners.
Some students simply need affirmation. These students comprehend, they can apply concepts; all is going fine – but they are unsure of themselves. Brief and regular individual reinforcement or encouragement quickly builds confidence and supports continued learning. How might this be better integrated into a classroom experience?
Some students need (or want) to slow down. Many are committed to their own learning, but they need a little bit more time to process and internalize one concept before taking on the challenge of the next. They have difficulty keeping up with the steady pace their teachers use to keep classes moving forward. Can instructors help students form study groups to help with this?
Other students see and hear and even take notes on taught material, but concepts simply make no sense at the time. They need clarity or explanation to help understanding – perhaps another example or two, or they may require guidance to repair bad or incomplete notes. Study groups and tutoring can be beneficial.
Some students are challenged by learning disabilities; they need individual attention that is fine-tuned and customized. Some struggle with reading, some with comprehension, some with application. A tutor can help make sense of an assignment.
As we suspect, there are also students who attempt to bypass well-designed courses and best plans; they avoid reading anything more than the bare minimum. They want a tutor to take the work out of learning. They do not realize (or perhaps even care) that this shortcut takes the learning out of coursework too. What can we do for them?
Is tutoring worthwhile? I feel that it can, and often does, make a big difference. Students who tutor others offer a very valuable service, and I wish now that I had thanked them. Perhaps I could even have joined them while teaching, taking my own turn at tutoring – especially in classes other than my own.