B-period tutoring offers personalized support to DVHS students
Advisor Jonathon Parks and student tutors prepare for a regular B-period tutoring session.
With chips, cookies and the entire Commons to themselves, the DVHS B-period tutors offer students individualized assistance on various academic subjects.
Once their school day ends, DVHS students without a B-period “can sign in at the front of the commons and choose whichever subject [they] want to be tutored in. There’s no prerequisite,” explains second year tutor Ananya Dasannacharya, “[The tutor] then works with the student to make sure they [understand] all the concepts.”
The personalized and customized learning differentiates B-period tutoring from other Academic Leadership (A.L.) periods. Excluding Access, general A.L. periods involve a teacher request for in-class help which, according to the tutors, is disadvantageous in more ways than one.
“For [tutoring during class periods] there’s the issue of not enough tutors. When I’m tutoring, I can’t make sure everyone is paying attention and on track,” explains second year tutor Ellie Wang.
She continued that students are hesitant to ask for help because they don’t want to appear incompetent in front of their peers. “I found that in the classroom setting, they weren’t asking questions, but one-on-one tutoring [seemed like] a safe space. And because the Commons is so big, you definitely have a lot of room and a lot of privacy to just say, ‘I’m really struggling with this. I don’t understand,’” Wang said.
A goal of B-period tutoring is to help students develop a more effective work ethic by allowing them to work on their homework right after school, hopefully alleviating the stress and pressure that students at Dougherty tend to struggle with.
“When I was in high school, I would always wait to do my homework until 9 p.m. and my parents would say ‘Why don’t you get it done before you leave school?’ and as an adult I get it. We can [help you] in a way where you feel supported. Plus, you can save time,” A.L. teacher Jonathan Parks explains.
At large, this tutoring opportunity is dedicated to providing students accessible learning opportunities while developing crucial life skills such as time management and communication.
“Our number of tutors has grown every year, I think it’s because our tutors truly enjoy sitting down and helping out their peers. It’s a fun environment, so don’t be afraid to come and hang out, get some free snacks and support,” encourages Parks.
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