our top homework helper

our top homework helper

The Role of Homework Helpers in Enhancing Student Learning

1. Introduction to Homework Helpers

While much research has been conducted in the area of tutoring programs with school-age children and middle-adult individuals, little effort has gone into providing these individuals with a systematic training program. As for the college-age tutor, there is almost no researched literature. The purpose of this presentation is to examine the instructional impact and effectiveness of a college tutor training program at the elementary and secondary school levels. The project is part of a federally funded improvement program in a poverty neighborhood, which is carried out under the supervision of Bank Street College of Education. The tutor group is made up of volunteer college students from the neighborhood, while the tutees are Glasgow, the elementary school, and its teacher aides. The problems that concern us, namely the design of a college training program as well as the instructional potential of college students, were stated in earlier research by others. They found that much evidence suggests a successful high school and college tutor program owes a great deal to modes of preparation and the abilities and motivation of the tutors.

Statement of the Problem – The nature and efficacy of tutor training for college students have received little attention in research projects. Training requirements have been investigated only in the fields of adult education, social service, nursing education, and elementary and secondary teacher education. As Von Haller Gilmer explained, this relative lack of attention to tutor training can be explained in part by the quite low expectations that are usually held for the tutor’s function. The tutors (problem solvers) are seen as tools rather than change agents. These tutors need not wait until the school, university, or community follow up on their suggestions. They can become the necessary vehicles for major educational progress. Perhaps this disenfranchisement from creative productivity is responsible for the typically minimal tutor training. Although lack of time is no excuse for the inefficiency of the ill-prepared tutor, supplementing the tutor’s curriculum has been given little consideration.

2. Benefits of Using Homework Helpers

The increasing education system in the US and the demands placed on teachers to accomplish higher levels of performance from students require the commitment of a variety of education resources. Homework helpers are an available and rich source of assistance. These people are not necessarily educators by profession, but they are educated and well-intentioned human beings who volunteer to help children. Homework helpers bring new enthusiasm and encourage success in student learning. They are able to instill a special pride in students and in themselves because of the latter’s progress. Clearly, the motivation to learn is vital.

Living with a love of learning is critical for each child. Unfortunately, the role of learning in a child’s life is too often overlooked, thus homework becomes drudgery. However, homework helpers can make the tasks tantalizing. To enhance a child’s performance and minimize failures, teachers must be included in unison with these guardians in the home environment. Such a school-family cooperative alliance is essential. Early positive experiences in a child’s life set the stage for future understanding and social behavior. Together, parents and teachers can aid in a child’s perseverance of such expectations.

3. Types of Homework Helpers Available

Library resources are rich with information and offer a great deal of help to those seeking it. There are many types of homework help available through libraries. This study focuses on the first kind, tutors and volunteers. The first place to look in the library for live tutors or after-school volunteers is often the Young Adult/Teen Services section. After these students have left for the evening, their focus often changes to homework support. Librarians sometimes work here along with student volunteers and community members. Sometimes these positions require a certain number of service hours each month as part of the high school’s graduation requirements.

The best place to start learning about the library’s live tutors is to talk with the librarian in the Young Adult or Children’s services section. There may be videos similar to this at the library, but the simplest way to learn about tutors is to talk with the person behind the desk. This is the person who will be able to provide the most current information on tutoring hours, tutor competencies or specialty areas, and the type of homework help received in this library. They may be able to propose other types of activities that a junior-high-aged student can do to fulfill necessary volunteer hours. What type of work is being done for this library by the high school’s students and community members each month?

4. Best Practices for Utilizing Homework Helpers

The first step of incorporating homework helpers into the school environment involves a thorough process of recruitment and identification. Because the majority of homework helper models successfully utilize a mix of free volunteer help with a day-to-day school staff core, it is essential that the model first carefully recruit and screen potential volunteers and helpers, working with any government or agency regulations or recommendations in place. This sorted team then requires an instructional planning and training session to meet the diverse needs of students and various multicultural student populations, hone instructional strategies, and develop a working knowledge of the school curriculum and culture.

Because homework helpers are typically few in number, they should be used to power an afterschool help center, a permanent help desk employing alternative delivery systems that serve students with classwork, special projects, and assignments. Homework helpers should spend after-school time at the help center, available for helping students with classwork. A homework helper, equipped with copies of the district’s student textbook or an assigned reading list, can set up an appointment within a school media center and encourage a particular student to read more often. Every homework helper should be required at the planning session to commit to meeting with a school administrator or teacher sponsor once each week on their student project and should make themselves available not only for help with classwork but also as presenters and assessors when those weekly events occur.

5. Case Studies and Success Stories

Homework helpers who have worked with schools, after-school programs, and community-based organizations over the years have developed a variety of ways to enhance student participation in their learning. Here we will share some examples of how these approaches are used and what makes them successful.

5.1. Individual Attention Students learn best when they have parental attention not only during their homework time, but when they need help with a variety of learning tasks. Although this can take longer than focusing only on homework, it can pay off big dividends in long-term student success. Homework helpers have helped students complete applications for magnet schools and high schools, aided students in preparing book reports and term papers, as well as working on challenging math assignments, science experiments, and the development of community-based research projects. They also provide encouragement and assistance during exam preparation.