Title: Tutoring Diverse Students

Date: Fall Semester 2011

Description: My artifact that I am using for my tutoring of diverse students is a paper that I
wrote for Ethnic and Gender Equity in Education. I tutored a group of students with various
ethnic backgrounds at Prescott Elementary School in Dubuque, Iowa, on Monday and
Wednesday mornings before school started. These students ranged between Kindergarten and
fifth grade. I spent 20 hours tutoring at the school, and I enjoyed working with each student.
Alignment:
Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
This experience best aligns with Standard Three: Diverse Learners. This states that the teacher
understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional
opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. The tutoring experience best aligns to this
standard because during my tutoring during the fall semester of 2011, I worked with a group of
students with various ethnic backgrounds. They had different customs, religions, and languages.
I could typically work with the group as a whole, but sometimes I had to work with the Hispanic
student one-on-one because she did not understand English very well. As needed, I would tutor
her in Spanish because she understood the material better in her first language. I knew that all of
the students learned differently, so I did my best to accommodate their learning styles by figuring
out how they learned.
UW-Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Alignment:
This experience best aligns with KSD3.e., Demonstrates Flexibility and Responsiveness, which
states the candidate has the ability to make appropriate adjustments to his/her instruction and
accommodates students questions and interests while being aware of student differences and
difficulties, and can use a wide range of resources and strategies to meet all students needs in
the classroom. My tutoring experience best aligns to this KSD because all of the students were
from different ethnic backgrounds, and all learned differently. As stated above, there were times
that I needed to speak Spanish to a student because she learned best by listening to and speaking
Spanish, which was her first language. I also understood that some of the students had not
learned how to behave around other people, either because their parents did not teach them, or
because of the fact that they came from a household where manners and behavior were not a
priority. By knowing this, I knew that these students would occasionally misbehave which
caused a disruption in the classroom; I needed to change my teaching styles so that I could
efficiently tutor all of the students and meet their needs.
Secondary KSDs:
KSD1.b. Demonstrates Knowledge of Students
KSD2.a Creates an Environment of Respect and Rapport
KSD4.d Contributes to the School and District

Reflection:
What I learned about teaching/learning:
I learned many things by tutoring the wide variety of students. I learned that not only do
students learn well in groups but also on an individual basis. This is important because some
students needed individual attention in order to learn to the best of their abilities. By spending
time one-on-one with a student, I was able to spend more time on material that he or she did not
understand as well. I also learned not all students learn the same; some students learn by seeing
and hearing, and some students learn by doing. This is important because I formed groups based
on how students learned. I knew that some students would be able to do a homework problem
by hearing how to do it while other students needed to be shown how to do a similar problem in
order to do the homework problem.
What I learned about myself as a prospective teacher:
I learned that working with students in a group is not always the best way to teach. Some
students need individual attention in order to learn more efficiently. I learned that students have
different hobbies so I need to offer a variety of activities to do during free time. Lastly, I learned
that I need to ask help from other teachers when I am not sure how to discipline a student if he or
she has misbehaved.