Tutoring Services to Combat Distance-Learning Challenges
When schools switched to distance-learning models this Spring, there were a lot of questions that came with the decision: Can the quality of instruction be maintained? Will students be engaged and on-task? What can be done to ensure the retention of material? Parents had an additional challenge as well: figuring out how to help their children with coursework they had taken several decades ago. All of this, combined with uncertainty over if and when schools will reopen, made it all the more difficult to ensure students were learning everything they needed to.
There are several online tutoring providers available, but these can be prohibitively expensive and it is often difficult to gauge the quality of the service before registration. To combat this issue, MD COVIDSitters, a volunteer organization catered to families of essential workers, has developed a program of free, flexible tutoring offered virtually during the pandemic.
Not only is the tutoring program free to participating families, but it is staffed by current college and medical students who are well-versed in the curriculum, ensuring a high standard of instruction. They’re available to help at any time of day and enthusiastic about working with children. “It’s a highlight of my week to interact with the kids and teach them something new,” says Daphne St. Juste, volunteer and tutor with MD COVIDSitters.
In the coming academic year, MDCS hopes to continue providing these services to families in the DMV area, and will be a valuable resource many school districts are announcing closures in the Fall. Ensuring students stay on-track will be even more important in the coming months, both to combat the infamous “Summer Slide” and the tumultuous end of the previous year.
MDCS is a member of the COVIDsitters Network and offers a variety of free services to help essential workers as they face more unpredictable and stressful schedules, including Family Care, Pet Care, Errands, and Online Classes in academics, art, exercise, and more. Most of their volunteers are aspiring healthcare professionals and CPR-certified, and all are required to pass a background check and childcare program developed by the Minnesota Department of Health before starting.
Learn more about MD COVIDsitters and sign up for their services here.
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