Get Your Students Hired
I'm confused about tutoring being considered a "personal service." We very often provide individuals with diagnoses like ADHD or ADD tutoring as part of a success plan. If the student easily distracted in a 90 minute lecture they often request and legitimately need the one-on-one support to get all of the information. Isn't this required?
Rene,
That is exactly as it should be ("All students are held to the same standards..."). If it makes you feel any better, anecdotal information suggests that optional services (such as your tutoring) are ALMOST ALWAYS under-enrolled at the college level (that is, there are more students who SHOULD use them than ARE using them). You have to remind yourself that the folks who should be there but aren't are less important to the service than making sure that the ones who DO come profit from the time they spend.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Our school has implemented tutoring sessions for students. The challenge we face is most students choose not to take advantage of this free service. We have a school of 100+ students and we have less than 5 who seek additional help weekly.
I get discouraged because I want to see the students succeed, but I understand it is the students choice to either take advantage of the service or deny it. Ultimately, the student must be held responsible for learning the material regardless if there is a disability or not. All students are held to the same standards with or without accommodations or services.
Michael,
Perhaps it is that students with disabilities are simply more appreciative of people who take the time and energy to help them -- and have faith that they are worth the effort!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I have always enjoyed tutoring students. Like everyone has said for the most part, tutoring is a big part of "success" not access. I have found though that students w/ LD/ADHD are often the students who get the MOST benefit out of the tudoring
Melissa,
It IS a "student service" as applied to its available to all students (including students with disabilities). The term "personal service" is used only in a legal context here, to denote a service for a student with a disability that is not part of the access arrangements.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I would tend to believe that tutoring is more of an educational service leading toward a plan to success. Tutoring should be offered readily to all students, and therefore should not be classified as a "personal service". but rather a "student service".
Butch,
I'm not sure I fully understand your statement -- but if what you are saying is that you recognize individual differences and challenges and still work hard to acknowledge students with disabilities as more LIKE their peers than different -- then I'm all for it!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Accommodating an individual with a disability is different in that unconditional positive regard must be shown. This effort goes beyond a standard student in that the instructor must be able to empathize with the ability and posses a greater understanding to show forth compassion to the individual, while maintaining a sense of equal treatment to the individual. This can be a challenge.
Alonzo,
That's exactly what tutoring is supposed to do -- and exactly why it is NOT an accommodation. It is a strategy that may be useful for ANY student who is having difficulty, for whatever reason. That puts it outside the realm of disability-related accommodation and into the realm of student support services.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I look at tutoring as "Plan for Success". Sometimes a student will have diffuculty understanding a subject matter while in class with 15-20 other students. Once an instructor gets the student 1-on-1, the light bulb will come on. This allows the student to get the information they were unable to get in a large group setting
Lauren,
Tutoring IS part of a plan for success... which is why it is not an accommodation. Accommodations are for access.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I don't think tutoring should be a personal service. I think it should part of a plan for success. Where I teach it isn't considered a personal service.
Robin,
That's true, I am sure, for all students, Robin. It is great that the institution has chosen to be so supportive of the goals for all students!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Personal tutoring is offered for every class and every student where I teach. The only stipulation is the student must ask for the help. That in itself is a complete brand new 'can of worms.'
Laura,
If tutoring is available to everyone, then tutoring is not an accommodation. But tutoring itself (whether for students with disabilities or for all students) is a success-oriented strategy. The purpose is specifically aimed at helping students succeed. There is nothing wrong with that -- but that is NOT the purpose of accommodation (which is about access, not success).
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree, I think that a tutor is far less of a personal service than several other services available If the tutor service is available to those with disabilities and it can help bring them to the level of understanding necessary, I don't see it as a personal service but moreof an educational service.
Jacqueline,
You are correct. If the tutoring is available to all, it is not a personal service... but then it isn't being given as an accommodation, either.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I would think that it wouldn't be considered a "personal service" if the tutoring was available to all the students if needed, not just the student with ADHD or ADD.
tudoring will benfit all students that one/one experience can help build their self confidence a student with disabilty knows if they're having promblems as well as a student with out a disabilty anthe insturctor can learn other ways to help others