National Tutoring Appreciation Week is a time during the first week of October to recognize and show gratitude to the tutors who help students learn and grow. 

Arkansas State University students have access to on campus tutoring centers which are both easy and free to use.

Kyle Walker, director of Learning Support Services, said it is important to honor tutors for all that they do for students. 

“They’re not volunteers, but they do like to sacrifice their time and energy every day and every week to be available for students to help them with content that they’ve already succeeded with and learned and passed,” Walker said. 

Trace Carlin, a first-year electrical engineering major from Stuttgart, Arkansas, said that tutoring has helped him to better retain information and shown him the steps he needs to take in order to grow. 

“I see the ladder. It helps me grow in my academics. It’s not really like class, because I’m choosing to go,” Carlin said.

Vu Mai,  a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Vietnam, said he loves sharing his knowledge with other people and that this week helps people to really appreciate the work that student tutors do. 

“I feel like that’s a good opportunity for the student to say thank you to the tutor and let the tutor know the value of them,” Mai said. 

Craig Snyder, a senior studying mechanical engineering from Zimbabwe, said that he enjoys his role as a tutor and loves helping students understand difficult concepts. 

“The best thing about being a tutor is just being able to get across a point to a student, like a certain topic that they might not be understanding, or that they are having a struggle with in class, and just seeing that light bulb click in their head,” Snyder said.

Snyder also said it’s important to recognize the connection between student help and student assistance. 

“It’s not just a case for like tutors to get recognized, but it’s also a case for like students to know that tutors are there so that the students can see that people are there to help them when they think that there’s nothing to do,” Synder said. 

Owen Libel, a graduate nursing student from Jackson, Missouri in the DNP CRNA program, said that he’s appreciative that his tutor is both helpful and non-judgemental.

“I’m thankful for tutoring simultaneously one, it’s helping me be better. Two, she knows how bad it is, but she’s still just like it’s okay. This is perfectly fine together. So, there’s no feeling of how bad it really is,” Libel said.

Tabatha Simpson-Farrow, Writing Center Director, said it’s important to take a moment to show appreciation for the student tutors’ contribution to the A-State community.

“Beyond the care and attention they provide to students in a session, they also attend regular professional development and complete a formal training certification program, all while also balancing being students and people with lives,” Simpson-Farrow said.

If students need tutoring, they can make appointments to receive tutoring on the Penji app, by clicking the tutoring tab in MyAstate, which will direct them to the Penji website.

Categories: Life