Peer Tutors and Their Study Buddies: Stuck on You!
My students need stickers to fulfill their duties as peer tutors and to reinforce their relationships with and the good work done by their study buddies.
Albert Schweitzer wrote, "The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others." This evolved philosophy is demonstrated on a regular basis by my 4th- and 5th-grade peer tutors.
I am the school counselor at a public, K-5 school in Tennessee.
My students are a diverse group culturally, ethnically, and economically. I work with all of our 850+ students in grades K through 5, providing classroom guidance and individual and small-group counseling services.
In addition to supporting students' academic growth, I am tasked with teaching life skills and encouraging character development. These diverse responsibilities come together in my peer tutor program, where 4th- and 5th-grade students conduct weekly, one-on-one tutoring sessions, providing assistance and encouragement to younger, academically at-risk students.
When I began this program nine years ago, I begged skeptical teachers to refer students so each of my 30 peer tutors would have a child to help. Each year since then, the program has grown as teachers see the important help provided by the peer tutors. This year I anticipated 100 referrals to this program; and I have already received a record 130!
My Project
Each Friday morning, the peer tutors and their study buddies line the halls of my school. Working in dyads, they practice sight words and math facts, read stories, review for tests, and play educational games. An observer would hear words of caring and encouragement, such as, "I like the way you're working," and, "I love coming to see you every week!"
The peer tutors pair their assistance and words of encouragement with more tangible items, such as the stickers requested in this project. And when a program involves 260 students, you need a ton of stickers--small and large, stinky and sparkly!
These stickers are paired with encouraging words and used to reinforce the buddies' effort and good work. The stickers also help cement the positive relationships between tutors and their buddies. Between the tutoring sessions, the stickers serve as reminders for the study buddies that someone cares about them and how they are doing in school.
The relationships built between the peer tutors and their study buddies are the key to this program's success: As the struggling students bond with their tutors, they become more engaged in school and begin to achieve at a higher level.
The stickers, paired with encouragement and caring, help cement these bonds. At the same time, the peer tutors experience the value of helping others and have the opportunity to practice responsibility and leadership.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Dr. Taylor and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
