How can we help shape the future?
Tutor is derived from Latin – “a watcher, protector, guardian” – which builds on the verb, tueor, “to look upon, to care for, to protect, to support.” In the purest essence of the word, tutors provide personalized guidance and help their students gain knowledge and realize talents as part of the young person’s growth and process of becoming. I hope we can re-imagine tutoring services and the role of tutors in our society as multi-dimensional educational support and a resource that more thoughtfully applies and embodies this root meaning and definition.
Holistic student support, particularly among late elementary to high school students, nurtures them toward academic growth, social awareness, and communication skills. In pursuit of the mission for justice and equality, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “… education and learning have become tools for shaping the future and not devices of privilege for the exclusive few.” Tutoring as a universal resource would serve to actualize Dr. King’s charge; by valuing and incorporating the student’s voice in the tutoring plan, young people are not only empowered to be heard and participate in society, they are equipped to think and process information critically and express their ideas, feelings, and beliefs powerfully and empathetically.
Tutoring, when grounded in its core meaning of stewardship and care, is an educational support service that emboldens hearts and empowers minds, and when shepherded in this manner, children and young people will rise up and shape the future.
References
King, M.L. (1961, September 10). The time for freedom has come. New York Times Magazine.
