Tutoring as a Life-Changing Experience
November 19, 2024
Briahani Adam, Kate Northcott and Samatha Finder
The Student Literacy Corps (SLC) is a community service program that trains Webster University students to serve as tutors for new and struggling readers in St. Louis-area schools.
Over its 34-year history, the SLC’s tutors have worked with more than 50 schools, serving approximately 17,000 students, many of whom are English language learners (ELL) from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. The program has also positively impacted the personal and professional growth of over 1,000 tutors.
Kate Northcott, Director of the SLC program, expressed her enthusiasm for the fall 2024 cohort, noting, “This semester, 15 new tutors joined Webster University's Student Literacy Corps — the largest incoming group since the lockdown. These new tutors joined 18 returning tutors. This diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students from various programs at Webster’s St. Louis campus share a common belief in the power of tutoring to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young children.”
By dedicating a few hours each week, SLC tutors collaborate with classroom teachers to provide academic support for new and struggling readers, particularly for English language learners. Northcott highlighted the program’s benefits for tutors, as well, sharing that alumni often describe their tutoring experience as transformative, changing their perspectives on the world.
Two pre-service teachers from the School of Education, Briahni Adams, a sophomore in Education, and Samantha Finder, a senior in Elementary Education, reflected on their experiences as tutors in the Student Literacy Corps. Both are pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Education and began tutoring as first-year students.
Finder, who signed up to be an SLC tutor during her first summer in the program, shared her motivation, “I wanted to improve my future teaching practices by helping students with literacy, especially in schools with populations I hadn’t yet encountered.”
Similarly, Adams, inspired when Northcott introduced the program to her class last year, joined the SLC as a first-year student. She has since worked with her tutees to enhance their reading skills, and said, “I want to be available so that if they misunderstand a concept or need to improve a reading skill, they know they can come to me. I’ll do my best to help them.”
These tutoring experiences also affirm the career choices of pre-service teachers like Finder and Adams.
Finder, a veteran tutor, finds joy in her work, and said her tutees consider her “the fun teacher” due to her genuine interest in their interests. Reflecting on her strong connections, she shared, “I have a great relationship with each of my tutees and even the entire class. They know that learning with me is a time to work hard, but they also know it will be fun.” Her positive experience fuels her excitement to become an elementary school teacher after graduation.
Adams, as a sophomore, is similarly motivated. She explained, “I don’t have a specific goal each session, but every time I tutor, my aim is to help my tutees improve in some way. I plan to achieve this by strengthening my English Language Arts (ELA) knowledge and using every tool available to give them opportunities to practice in areas that need improvement.”
The SLC program transforms lives for both tutors and tutees through mutual learning experiences. For pre-service teachers like Adams and Finder, the program offers a space to apply what they’ve learned in their teacher preparation courses and solidifies their commitment to teaching as a career dedicated to child development. Both are proud to contribute to the long-standing legacy of the Student Literacy Corps.
