This winter, Middlesex Community College attended the New England Peer Tutoring Association (NEPTA) Conference at UMass Lowell. Representing MCC’s Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE), 16 student leaders and two professionals attended the event, including a group who presented a workshop.
“I saw NEPTA as a great opportunity to connect with other tutors and improve my skills as a public speaker, team player and a tutor,” said Matthew Torres, an MCC psychology student and ACE tutor from Methuen. “The conference provided me with the opportunity to improve my collaboration, problem-solving, and most importantly, my communication skills as a tutor. Seeing other colleges' presentations provided me insight on how to effectively utilize all the tools we need to be an effective tutor. They demonstrated different approaches on how to communicate to a student, and also demonstrated soft and hard skills needed to be a great tutor overall.”
During the conference, Torres and his classmates presented on their experiences as tutors with colleges and universities across New England. Focusing on the use of the Socratic Method in their tutoring sessions, the presenters shared the value of allowing wait time and asking leading questions.
Entitled “Scrabble for Insight: Unravelling Questions One Letter at a Time,” the presentation also highlighted the value of providing students opportunities to reach their own conclusions and become independent learners. As an ACE student leader, Torres has seen firsthand how a classmate’s confidence and abilities grows through tutoring. While improving his patience, understanding and listening skills, Torres realized the importance of helping people by building upon their own learning styles.
“It feels rewarding to witness those ‘light bulb’ moments and I’m grateful I am able to play a part in helping them achieve that,” Torres said. “Our mission in ACE is to empower students to become independent, intellectually curious, and lifelong learners. I try my best to implement those key concepts into every tutoring session so the student and I can both benefit from the session.”
ACE offers individual and group tutoring from faculty-recommended student leaders who have shown expertise in subjects such as math, writing and science. Student leaders teach study methods, answer questions, and explain course expectations. The conference was a chance for them to grow, network and share their skills, according to Omar Aldulaimy, MCC’s Academic Support Coordinator.
“Attending the NEPTA conference was a great opportunity to meet with other professionals from various universities and colleges that helps exchange valuable experience,” Aldulaimy said. “The conference had a great impact on our student leaders, such as building their self-confidence and enhancing their knowledge.”
For the 2023-2024 academic year, ACE created 4,492 appointments, scheduled 3,231 appointments, and served 1,179 distinct students. The NEPTA conference allowed MCC’s student leaders to reflect on their experiences and learn new strategies to hone their leadership and tutoring skills, according to Tristin Rutherford, MCC’s Writing Learning Specialist.
“Our student attendees were able to network with other colleges and engage with tutors who receive different training and instruction methods,” Rutherford said. “They grew as tutors while also having the opportunity to present on their experience and see that experience as a benefit to others. MCC tutors are constantly learning and growing. ACE is available to all students who will benefit from this increased knowledge and connection.”