I am 17 years old and a junior at Roaring Fork High School (RFHS). Being able to help Latinos learn a new language as a peer tutor has been a life-changing experience. Retrospectively, and at the risk of seeming dramatic, I would have been heartbroken had I not taken the opportunity to be a peer tutor.
My first semester of peer tutoring, I mainly helped newcomers with their studies. Newcomers, in this sense, are people new to the U.S. and new to learning English.
A peer tutor is an upperclassman who helps a teacher (and their students, of course) with a class they already completed. From the minute you sign up, you have to take it seriously. You have to show up, you have to communicate, you have to be a good role model everywhere in school.
The class I peer tutor is Freshman Tutorial. Tutorial is a period when students can do homework with peers in the same grade. During that time, we will go over announcements, important news about the school and sometimes participate in activities. It’s kind of like a homeroom, and it takes the place of “Crew,” which we had last year. Each RFHS student has a tutorial period every other day.
I am also a proud Latina. I was born in the U.S. and Spanish is my first language. I started learning English in preschool and I still struggle with it at times. When I was in elementary and middle school, I was enrolled in the ELD (English Language Development) program at Ross Montessori School.
I struggled with pronunciation in both English and Spanish. For Spanish, my mom would help me at home. For English, I received extra support at Ross Montessori. Once in a while, I’ll still forget a word in either English or Spanish. Writing is the hardest aspect of both.
In more ways than one, I have a shared experience with newcomers. That relatability makes me feel a sense of responsibility to help others navigate the transition from a Spanish speaking society to the Roaring Fork Valley.
In the class I tutor, I help the teacher with anything that is needed, and I’ve found myself spending a lot of time getting to do what I love: helping emerging bilingual speakers. Whether it’s helping interpret the announcements, practicing reading in English or helping students get their homework done, every time it is rewarding.
Whatever is happening in class, I try my best to help answer my fellow students’ questions, clear up any confusion and make sure they are on track. This column may be specific to working with newcomers, but it is rewarding to work with all of my peer students.
I hope to be a significant part of the journey to learning English for the ELD students I’ve worked with. I hope that years from now, these peers look back and have a smile on their face when they remember me. That’s not for selfish reasons, but because I will remember the people who made a difference in my journey to learn a new language and how their role completely changed my experience. What’s most important is that the ELD students I’ve worked with know that I am here for them.
Being a peer tutor is technically like a job, but I don’t think of it solely as a job. I’ve connected with these students.They’re all around my age, which is partially why I connect so well with them. For my ELD peers, shared cultural and life experience innately creates a bond. I feel like the Hispanic community is a connected one; one where people look out for one another.
I’ll admit that I connect more easily within the Hispanic community, but that doesn’t mean I don’t value my friends and neighbors of all backgrounds. Culture is significant, and I am grateful to live in a place where I can embrace my own, encourage others to do the same and be part of the larger community.