Those Tutors You Need? They’re Right in Front of You!

Students have returned to school after the pandemic and need to make serious gains. With the help of COVID-19 dollars, a tutoring program may be the ticket to Accelerated Learning—especially in literacy and math. However, since teachers are almost always overworked, it can be difficult to convince them to take on an additional responsibility.

As a result, schools need to be innovative to recruit the tutors they need.

Short-Term Needs, Long-Term Solutions Schools can alleviate teacher recruitment for Accelerated Learning programs by using the following resources which are often untapped:

• High Schoolers – After-school tutoring programs can use high school teacher cadets which allows students to gain hands-on teaching experiences that can inspire their future career interests. Rich teaching experiences early in preparation paves the way for developing high-quality teachers. Many high schools also require service hours for graduation, making this a compelling option for interested youth.
   
• College Students – In these programs, preservice teachers can affirm their interest in teaching and non-education majors can experience teaching, potentially attracting them to the profession as well.
   
• Paraprofessionals, Service and Support Staff, and Community Members – These are adults who have already shown interest in working with young people. Programs that capitalize on community members to teach in their after-school programs not only provide students with teachers who are familiar with the community, but also show adults and students that teaching is a viable option for them in the future. Community members can be a vital resource in these recruiting efforts.

Finding the Answer Right in Front of You

By thinking long-term, schools have an opportunity to alleviate the tutoring short fall and build a tutor-to-teacher pipeline as early as high school. It’s an easy win for teachers, future teachers, and students.