People are unique. Just as some people feel most at home in an urban environment, others chafe at the sounds and sights of the city and long for the quiet comfort of a country abode. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for where people should live. The same is true for education. While some students thrive in a five-day-a-week brick and mortar school, other students benefit from learning through less traditional means. In our blog series Many Educational Choices: One Writing Method, thus far we have addressed how IEW’s Structure and Style® approach can be taught in schools, hybrid schools, and formal co-ops . Today’s featured approach is to utilize the support of a tutor.
There are different types of tutors. Some tutors are generalists and help their students by providing additional instruction and support for content being taught within the classroom. These tutors may work across content areas, but frequently tutors prefer to focus on a particular area, for example English language arts, math, science, or foreign language. In these circumstances, a student comes to the tutor, either in person or virtually, and shares his homework assignments with the tutor. Together, the two work to help the student comprehend the material and complete the assignments.
In other cases tutors are specialists. These tutors may have additional degrees or certifications that equip them to serve students with unique needs, whether those needs include instruction in a specific methodology such as IEW’s Structure and Style or a learning difference such as dyslexia. Schools or parents contract with these tutors to provide their students with a personalized, higher level of instructional support.
IEW recognizes that parents and schools sometimes appreciate leveraging the additional expertise of a highly trained tutor. To make it easy for them to locate a pool of possible tutors, IEW has developed a database of IEW Accredited Instructors. At IEW’s Find an Instructor page, parents and schools can search for possible tutors by filtering their options as indicated below.
Using the keyword option is particularly useful. Inputting “dyslexia,” for example, a person will view several listings of IEW Accredited Instructors who also focus their instructional efforts on students impacted by dyslexia. Checking under the service dropdown menu, inquirers will also be able to sort instructors who offer private tutoring.
IEW currently provides three levels of IEW accreditation*: Registered, Certified, and Accomplished. These instructors are not employees of IEW. They work independently and as such have different policies and rates. Registered Instructors have demonstrated competence in the Structure and Style writing method as these instructors have completed the teacher training course and have submitted their practicum assignments to be evaluated by IEW’s accreditation department. Certified Instructors have carried their accreditation one step further by demonstrating competence in the classroom and submitting samples of their students’ work at various points throughout the academic year. Accomplished Instructors have been designated as such by IEW’s founder and director, Andrew Pudewa.
Parents and schools utilize IEW’s Accredited Instructors in a variety of ways. Sometimes the tutor handles all of the instruction and evaluation of the student’s writing. In this case tutors will frequently teach one of IEW’s programs, either video-based or theme-based, and teach the content to the student, moving at the student’s pace. Another common way tutors work with their students is by providing additional support to the writing instruction being provided by either the parent or the school. In these situations tutors work with the students after the lesson has been presented, helping the student work through the actual writing process. The opposite can be true too. Sometimes parents provide additional support after the tutor has presented the lesson. That’s one of the benefits of tutoring. The situation can be customized to fit the needs of the student and family.
There are many benefits to hiring a private tutor who is experienced in the Structure and Style writing methodology. To begin with, the tutor is able to focus his or her instruction to match the needs of the student. Tutors can also adjust the pace of instruction to benefit the student. Additionally, the tutor can select source texts that reflect a student’s personality and interests. Individualizing instruction helps the student maximize the learning. The one-on-one interaction with a tutor allows for continuous encouragement and increased motivation. If you have a student whom you think might benefit by working with a tutor, consider consulting IEW’s Find an Instructor page. Private IEW tutors not only build writing skills but also trusted relationships with their students.
* At present IEW’s accreditation program is undergoing significant enhancements to better serve you. To implement these changes, the process of reviewing applications and renewals has been temporarily suspended for a few months. Rest assured, this pause will allow us to offer instructors an even higher standard of excellence. All renewals needed during this period will be extended until the new program opens. The list of accredited instructors is still active and available to consult in your search for a tutor.
by Jennifer Mauser
