Tutoring in the elementary end of our school is a program that has been around for years. It is a good way to provide teachers with extra support and extra hands during certain parts of their days. Tutoring gets students, ones who are thinking about or planning to go into education, some hands-on experience and the chance to see what it is like.
They help the teachers by grading work, reading and writing with the students, or just being an extra set of eyes in the classroom. It was originally targeted toward elementary teachers, but with more students wanting to tutor, it has expanded to the high school and middle school. We currently have nine high school students who tutor, and 10 working in the elementary. This shows how much extra help is needed all around the school.
Usually, tutors are juniors and seniors in high school who are in good academic standing, but sometimes there can be exceptions. Delany McKillip, who is a senior this year, started tutoring her sophomore year. Delany is planning to pursue a career in elementary education and hopes to teach anywhere from kindergarten to third grade. “In kindergarten, the kids are just starting and getting used to the schedule, and fourth and fifth grade, they start to get sassy because they are getting older,” said Delany.
She also expressed that tutoring can get frustrating at times. “Some kids aren’t willing to listen or cooperate [with me] because I am still in high school.” Usually, when a student is giving any tutor a hard time, the teacher steps in and explains to them that they need to listen and respect the tutor the same as the teacher. Delany enjoys tutoring and growing that relationship with the students, and she loves how understanding the teachers are about being in high school and having other schoolwork to do.
Teachers love the extra help and support their tutors can provide to them and their students. Mrs. Uppena, the third-grade teacher, has been teaching for 27 years. When she first started teaching, tutoring was not an option; it was something that came a few years later. With her class size this year, she knew she would need a tutor willing to grade papers, read with the students, make copies, and do random tasks. “I have 24 kids and I’ve never had 24 kids before. I’m going to need a tutor,” Mrs. Uppena stated. “Some high school boys probably don’t want to do what I need them to do and want to be with someone like Mr. Uppena.” Mrs. Uppena is happy with her tutor, Madi Cooley, as she knew Madi would be a good extra set of hands for her.
Brooke Dressler was one of Mrs. Uppena's tutors in 2017, as a senior at Potosi. After tutoring with Mrs. Uppena, she realized that she wanted to become a teacher. She now teaches at PHS alongside Mrs. Uppena. Dressler graduated from UW-Platteville with a degree in elementary education and returned to Potosi in 2022 as a member of the staff.