Guest Post: Tutoring at a Community College

By: Kathryn Lewallen

I just received the following letter from a reader, who graciously accepted my invitation to publish it here as the first guest post in this blog:

Greetings, Juan~

I am a math tutor at our local community college and want to thank you for your blog and website, which I found with a Google search.  I am currently tutoring six students, all of whom are women over forty, back in school to improve their lives.  It is such a rewarding job, and I learn so much every session about what works and what doesn't with each student. The college pays me for the tutoring sessions, which makes it possible for students to be able to take advantage of tutoring without personal expense. We meet in a room on campus.

I have students in varying levels of Algebra and one in Analytic Trigonometry this semester.  The Trig teacher teaches with, and requires, the TI-89 in the three levels of math that he teaches.  If a student can't afford one, he has TI-89s that he will let them borrow for the semester.  I was able to find one online and am thrilled with its capabilities and wish more teachers realized the value of training math students with calculators, as well as teaching the calculations the "old-fashioned way."

Working one-on-one is a key to good education, and I wish there were a way to make it possible in public education.  Seeing students gain confidence and grasp understanding of concepts for themselves is addicting and I love the challenge of finding ways to explain those concepts in ways that "click" with a student. To hear a student go from walking in the door saying, "I hate math," to "that was fun, can I do some more?" is like music to my ears.

Your experience and insights are so very helpful and I appreciate your sharing them online. Thank you so much!

Kathryn Lewallen
Math tutor, Gila Community College
Payson, AZ

You are very welcome, Kathryn. Your letter shows your enthusiasm for math tutoring, and for using technology in education. It also shows the positive difference you are helping create in your students lives. Keep up the good work! Thank you for letting me share in this blog your tutoring experience, and thank you very much for your positive feedback!