MTC is excited to announce our Remote Tutoring Program which will be launched this month in Mountain View Whisman and Los Altos schools. Thanks to the dedication of tutors, staff and students during our spring and summer pilot, and a task force determined to outline the best possible programs to help our local students during distance learning, we are launching two programs – One on One Tutoring and Book Buddies. MTC’s focus this fall will be on math and language arts, helping students who, due to covid-related challenges, have had a more significant “summer slide.”
One on One tutoring will most closely resemble our traditional in-class tutoring, following the lead of our partner teachers in helping students achieve their potential. One on One tutoring will use Bramble, an online tutoring platform, where tutor and student work together on a shared electronic white board. Work takes place as if you are sitting side-by-side! Our new Book Buddies program will focus on reading and will give students the opportunity to take a break from their screens and engage with an adult tutor over the phone, reading aloud to one another. Our pilot success with Book Buddies, the need we’ve seen from young readers, and the opportunity for tutors to volunteer without the need for technology, helped inform this program.
As of September 1, MTC has trained over 60 returning and new tutors on our remote programs. The enthusiasm we hear from tutors who are eager and willing to try something new to help students is heartwarming. The excitement we hear from students who LOVED the time spent on the phone reading with their tutors, so much so that they wanted to “meet” every day, is equally thrilling. The appreciation we’ve heard from students who were able to “engage” in remote learning thanks to their tutors is why we do what we do!
We are grateful to our district partners at Mountain View Whisman School District for working with us over the summer. Both MVWSD and LASD have approved our program and are eager to welcome our tutors this fall.