Last year, the tutoring program consisted of one person: Dylan Vicario. Fast forward to this school year, the tutoring program had grown to include a total of eleven tutors, a change that Vicario was delighted to see.
Vicario, a senior at RAHS, started tutoring people in the fall of 2022. Vicario said, “There was a tutoring program beforehand, but as far as I know, it was a bit disorganized until roughly a year ago when Mr. Matinson and the Media Center staff wanted to create a new program to help people.”
Vicario tutors after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Vicario said, “In terms of the frequency that people are attending these sessions, it’s sporadic. Some people will sign up with the intent of coming and they will either cancel the appointment or not show up, so I don’t have a program of accountability set up and I am not saying that is a fault of the program, I think that is just how it goes.”
One challenge for Vicario is getting to know the person he is tutoring. Vicario said, “I don’t really know much about them, and I think the first challenge is trying to bridge the gap and trying to create an established relationship, and that’s what I like to do; I like to have a personalized relationship with all of the people [that I am tutoring]. I feel as if it’s an important way to build a bridge to an effective education environment.”
Changes to this tutoring program are making it more digital. Vicario said, “Last year, you would just walk in [the media center] and look at the giant whiteboard, and there would be time slots, and you would just put your name down. Things might be erased, and sometimes canceled. So we moved things to Calendly, which has proven to be more streamlined.”
Vicario understands there are many different ways to learn for many students. He recalls a moment where he did change the way he taught, and said, “There was a time where I was talking to someone about statistics, so most of the time we do our learning on whiteboards, but I do try and use different mediums of teachings, so in this case I was using a puzzle piece, and we worked through it together and it worked well.”
Vicario goes beyond tutoring. He said, “At the start of my sessions, I’ll talk to people and get to know them well, just to get a look at their world, and I’ll even ask, ‘How are you doing?’ and I get they want to talk about their homework or whatnot, but I really want to know how they are in terms of their mental health. I know multiple factors contribute to how people take information, like working or taking care of siblings.”
Vicario wishes that tutoring was a resource that was more used by the student body. Vicario said, “…I think if more people utilized the system, it would mean a better environment for our high school. The reason I say this is because I am among this group, and a lot of people are struggling in class. Sure, you can go ask your teacher, and they are a great resource, but some people are scared to ask their teachers, so I feel that students might feel more comfortable in our program.”
Vicario wants the student body to know that the tutors are here to help. He said, “I think with the system that we have here for tutoring, it’s much easier to convey your concerns to people, and we are happy to listen. We love hearing your ideas, your background, your concerns, and we are ready to help you in any way.”
Tutoring takes place in the Media Center, and those who want to be tutored can visit this link where they can set up appointments with the tutors available. If you are interested in becoming a tutor, reach out to Gregg Martinson or Mel Chaput in the Media Center.
