• by Serenity Nance and John Tscheulin • IDRA Newsletter • June-July 2020 •

Tutoring My Kids

by Serenity Nance

In October 2019, we started our IDRA VYP tutoring program at Palo Alto Elementary School, tutoring kindergarteners and first graders. I was a little nervous at first because I didn’t know if I was the right person for the job. After about a week of tutoring, I got the hang of it, and I stopped doubting myself so much. Of course, there was still that thought in the back of my mind telling me I was going to fail the kids, not help them enough or not even impact their lives. But I pushed all that aside and did my best.

In my experiences with the kids, I feel like I’m becoming a better me, such as taking my time and thinking things through, becoming more patient, and many more things. By working with my tutees, it makes me happy that I’m doing something to help them understand. I know when I was in their grade, I wish I had that kind of help.

The students impacted my life as well. They have shown me how good it feels to do something for just the benefit of helping others. Seeing their faces light up when they get an answer right, or finally understanding something they didn’t get at first, is just such an amazing feeling inside. I’m glad I can do something that involves helping someone in school because education is so important in life.

IDRA Valued Youth Partnership Tutors Will Lead in New Ways

Now more than ever, reconnecting with students is critical. IDRA can help!

The IDRA Valued Youth Partnership provides leadership experiences for students across the country. It increases students’ connectedness, academic achievement, self-efficacy and self-esteem by placing students in leadership positions.

During this time of uncertainty, social-distancing and economic adversity, the Valued Youth Partnership’s key philosophy of valuing youth’s gifts and developing social skills can provide leadership experiences for students who most need engagement as schools adapt.

See this powerful dropout prevention & youth leadership program in action!

Get info on how we are adjusting the program for COVID-19 school precautions.


How Tutoring Helped Me

by John Tscheulin

Tutoring in the Valued Youth Partnership has improved my leadership skills and my confidence level. Tutoring helped me always remember to be on time because if I missed the bus, I wouldn’t be able to go tutor my tutees. My tutees depend on me for a lot of things like helping them with what they need to know.

Tutoring is important to me because it helped me grow as a person and helped me be mindful and responsible. It helps me remember that I must turn in my work on time and be committed to school and future projects. Tutoring has also reminded me that I have to be caring of others and how they feel.

Before I was a tutor, I was not responsible, mindful, caring, etc. I disliked that about my past self, but now that I am a tutor it made me realize that I must keep up with my grades. This is how tutoring has helped me as a student and my life.

The IDRA Valued Youth Partnership has helped me in a lot of ways like making me want to improve my grades, my attitude, and the way I see the world.


Serenity Nance is an eighth-grade student at Kazen Middle School in South San Antonio ISD. She was a tutor in the IDRA Valued Youth Partnership this past school year. John Tscheulin is an eighth grade student at Kazen Middle School in South San Antonio ISD. He was a tutor in the IDRA Valued Youth Partnership this past school year.


[©2020, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the June-July 2020 IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]

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