Tutoring Chinese
By Jakin Chen
PupilPrep as we all know is a free online tutoring program run by high schoolers for all students in 8th grade and under. The way PupilPrep is set up makes it superior to other tutoring programs. The fact that the students are taught by high schoolers narrows the age difference between the teacher and the student in order to allow the teacher to better understand the student while still being knowledgeable in the subjects that are being taught and thus be able to better educate the student. In addition to a better relationship between the teacher and the student, because it is held online, it permits more flexible hours and solves the issue of transportation. Lastly, because the program is completely free, it allows everyone to participate regardless of financial or social standing or living accommodations. These factors together promote educational diversity which is something that modern society strives for and through PupilPrep, it brings us one step closer to an ideal society such that society will no longer have to provide unfair advantages to what we define as “disadvantaged” students or unfair disadvantages to “advantaged” students in order to provide equal opportunities for all.
Throughout volunteering in PupilPrep, I have been tutoring Chinese. My favorite part about tutoring Chinese is that I get to truly appreciate the complexity and connectedness of the language. Teaching Chinese to non-Asian students is especially difficult as they are not trained in tone pronunciations nor are they familiar with the concept of strokes. As a result, I have to break down what I am teaching more in order to teach them. At times, it takes me hours to try to convey and explain one concept which puts me in awe of the connectedness of the language. At the same time, by breaking down the language into much simpler terms, I get to realize the connectedness of the language despite the language being so complex. Overall, my favorite part of tutoring younger students is that I get to break down complex concepts into much simpler ones and contrary to how dull it sounds, it is quite enjoyable.
Originally, I joined PupilPrep due to the allure of volunteer hours. However, it has differed since then as I have come to enjoy having to break down concepts and use logic to teach. At the same time, I have become fascinated with the minds of younger students as while they are very absorbent, their long-term memory and processing capabilities are very difficult to penetrate. As a result, patience was very much needed in tutoring students. PupilPrep impacted me as a person by expanding my patience with people in general. While this may not be the most eloquent essay one has ever read, this essay expresses my true feelings about PupilPrep which is nothing short of impressive.
