Peer Tutoring Builds Community

Kelly Neale
"When I tutor someone, it helps me too - it's like teaching myself again," commented one Peer Tutor. The Peer Tutoring Program is one of the great examples of community building going on daily at Berkeley Hall. Qualified junior high students (and in some cases even a 6th grade student or two) are selected to become Peer Tutors in math and language arts, based on their mastery of the subject, their interpersonal skills, and most important, their willingness to volunteer their time to work with younger students. These younger students have said they like Peer Tutoring, because "The older kids know more than I do." "It's less stressful to work with someone closer to your age, who might have gotten it wrong once, too." "If you don't want to ask a teacher, you have a tutor." "It's fun!"

Tutors say they like teaching things they've learned and they like helping little kids. One writing tutor said her own writing is helped by helping to edit and revise her student's writing; and her student said he prefers editing with a "real person" rather than auto-correct. It's inspiring to watch and listen as these students all work together in the library before and after school, and it's fun to imagine that today's tutee might be tomorrow's tutor!
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Located in Los Angeles, CA, Berkeley Hall School is a private, coeducational school for students in preschool through grade 8. Rigorous academics in a supportive atmosphere and grounded character development allow students to become fearless scholars and conscientious citizens - gain a love of learning, leadership with social responsibility, creativity with moral integrity, and self-esteem with compassion for others and the environment.