“There are a lot of kids that come in and they’re like ‘I just want the answers, I don’t care how you do it I just want it’ but being a tutor and wanting to be a teacher, I just let them know I’m not going to give them the answer,” said Bree Bartoshevich.
Bartoshevich, who is currently majoring in secondary math education has been working as a math tutor for the Murphy Tutoring Center since the spring of her first year at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Located on the second floor of the Murphy Library sits the tutoring center, open to all UWL students for a vast array of subject areas. No appointment is necessary, the student tutors have their available times posted.
Bartoshevich believes that students should come to the tutoring center with a growth mindset. Both are necessary for an adequate learning experience and will take out the possibility of coming solely for the answers.
“It’s being able to accept the help that they may need and understand that there are different steps that they need to understand throughout the process,” said Bartoshevich. “I think it’s really rewarding to see students finally grasp the material after struggling with it.”
Second-year Student Owen Schlueter also started tutoring during his first year at UWL. He tutors in courses such as algebra, trigonometry and calculus.
Schlueter said, “I try to make it a learning experience, if they’re just there for the answers I’ll take a little bit more time to explain them through the process and hopefully that’ll urge them on to learn by themselves.”
The Murphy Tutor Center offers a variety of courses to teach every day that range from writing and public speaking to mathematics and philosophy. Schlueter and Bartoshevich tutor in math specifically.
“I’ve always loved math since I was younger,” said Bartoshevich. “There’s different ways to go about it and people understand it in different ways. I just think math is really full of life.”
Bartoshevich said that one of her math professors recommended she apply for the position at the tutoring center. She explained that she filled out the job application online and got a professor’s recommendation, then submitted everything to the head of the tutoring center. This was followed up with a virtual interview and some weeks later she started tutoring.
“I was a little nervous just because it was all different math tutoring that I would be doing,” said Bartoshevich. “I knew that I could help with some math, but I didn’t know how much I remembered or how much I would be able to do.”
When asked about the importance of the Murphy Tutoring Center to UWL students Bartoshevich said, “I think a lot of students come into college without some foundational knowledge. Without that understanding, they often struggle in their classes.” She continued, “Having this resource for free for them based on their tuition is really helpful to students.”
Schlueter emphasized that the Murphy Learning Center was a safe space for students to learn from and among their peers. He said, “It’s a good place for people to come together and figure stuff out without the professors.”
“If anyone wants to be a tutor I think they should ultimately go for it,” said Bartoshevich. “It is an escape to go and help other people which I think is really fun.”
In his advice to students who are considering being a tutor, Schlueter said, “Come with an open mind, not everyone thinks the same as you.” He continued, “You need to come in different directions to help other people who are not as inclined to be good at math.”
“Getting help is not a bad thing,” said Bartoshevich. “Getting the help you need is important.”
