I started tutoring at Schoolhouse in May of this year. I was already participating in tutoring programs for writing and chess, so why join another one?
For me at least, my journey with tutoring started with me receiving tutoring. Back when middle school admission was decided by state test scores of elementary students, I had been seriously struggling with English assignments and reading comprehension. I would be up until past midnight with absolute anxiety and stress, while trying to write an essay with my dad. Halfway through 4th grade, my mom hired a writing tutor. It was certainly a financial toll on my family and my mom did not hesitate to remind me every week that I needed to make it worth it. I wasn’t allowed to go to the bathroom during that hour of tutoring, and so I didn’t, and like a good student I did my homework. I met with her until the end of 5th grade.
It is no exaggeration to say that that tutoring experience changed the trajectory of my life. I started as a student who could not write, but fell in love with writing. In middle school, I continued to develop my writing skills. At school I am the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper, and I also write for myself . Needless to say, it’s not just the tutor that needs to leave an impact, but the student too. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to the bathroom during the lesson, but if a student doesn’t care about improving or doesn’t want to practice or do homework, both the student and teacher may be wasting their time. No matter how great the tutor is, the tutee won’t show improvement if they don’t wish to.
Though my school doesn’t require community service, I genuinely enjoy tutoring and being able to spread my experience and knowledge. I know that I would not be where I am without my writing tutor, and I wish to have the same impact on other students. In high school, I started tutoring private writing lessons to middle school students, as at that point I had accumulated enough experience and developed some skill to pass down to others. Then, over quarantine, I tutored chess to students through a student-run nonprofit organization. At school, I am involved in similar activities, such as NHS and the Writing Center. Finally, this year I discovered Schoolhouse.world, and have since hosted live help and an SAT bootcamp. This summer I am part of another program aimed to prepare students for the Specialized High School Admissions Exam.
I plan to continue these types of extracurriculars when I graduate high school and am aiming for my future career to involve some aspect of education if not directly teaching. As I continue learning and improving my writing, I hope to spread my knowledge and inspire other students as my tutor did me.
Thank you Ishani B for editing this article!