Student Tutors at Albion

Abstract

OR the past four years Albion College has maintained a system of tutoring which we believe is of distinct value both to the tutors themselves and to those whom the tutors assist. Being good Methodists we like to quote scriptural authority for our assumption that the tutors as well as those tutored are benefited in such an enterprise: Thou therefore that teacheth another, teacheth thou not thyself? The tutors are upperclassmen who are selected by the various subjectmatter professors in co-operation with the professor of education. The student must have a good mastery in the subject-matter field in which he is expected to tutor. He must also be a young person with considerable ability in leadership as a result of a strong personality and a friendly disposition. Moreover, the tutor is supposed to have had considerable work in education and psychology. We have tried to use some students as tutors who did not have training in education and psychology, and we found that, while such tutors may do well in the matter of pure drill in various subjects, they are not so capable in diagnosing difficulties and providing remedial instruction. As a result, they cannot do much to aid students to overcome their handicaps permanently and obtain a lasting benefit. Students generally consider it an honor to be selected to work as tutors. Many of them offer to do the work without credit, and some of them prefer to do so because they wish to carry all the credit work which their tuition will allow in other subjects. We have found it much better, however, to have the students enroll for credit in an educational seminar. We do not think it best that student tutors should carry a heavy load of other work. If a tutor is overloaded and crowded for time he will be tempted to neglect something, and the thing that will be most likely neglected under such circumstances is the work for which he receives no credit. The tutor should have time for a great deal of reading of articles and books on diagnostic and remedial teaching as well as for meeting regularly with those under his care. He must hold conferences regularly with the subject-matter professor and the professor of education as well. He needs such conferences to receive advice from the professors and also to keep them informed as to the progress of the students who are being tutored. Again, the tutor must have time for preparation for his tutoring work and