HONOR SOCIETY PLANS TO OFFER TUTORING HELP TO PEERS THIS SCHOOL YEAR

By Saber Hanington 10/19/2021

Cony High School students plan to offer tutoring services this school year to middle and high school students who need academic support.

The National Honor Society began offering tutoring during the 2020-2021 school year when it recognized that students may be at academic risk due to not being in the classroom five days a week because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though students are in-person this year, tutoring was such a success that the club is planning on continuing to offer the service, according to Mrs. Livingston, the former NHS advisor.

Last year, 32 students signed up to be tutors with the common goal of helping others.

Cony alumnus Elijah Bezanson, who was a NHS member and a tutor his senior year, said tutoring is a great learning experience. It can help re-emphasize material from past classes and teaches tutors to be patient and respectful with their peers, he said.

“I would suggest that anyone who is interested in getting a tutor should. There is absolutely no shame in it, and it will help you understand the material deeper and get better grades. I recommend it to anyone,” Benzanson said.

The tutoring is peer-to-peer. Students can request tutoring on any subject and NHS will try to match a student who did well in that class, though tutors do not need to be members of NHS, Mrs. Livingston said. Students can help other students who need more than the classroom has to offer, she said.

The tutoring hours are flexible and can be done on Google Meets or Zoom, said Mrs. Livingston. This allows tutors to teach whenever both their students and their personal schedules allow.

NHS members can also count tutoring hours toward their community service requirements.

Last school year, students signed up for tutoring at the front bulletin board in the cafeteria or by speaking to the National Honors Society advisor. A plan for sign-ups has not been made.