My name is Annay, and I am an Americorps member serving at Edison Elementary School in Walla Walla, Wa through Washington Service Corps. Unfortunately because of Covid-19, we had to shut down the schools! As I saw my students come by the school for lunches and homework we would talk about how they were managing their homework at home. While some students struggled with Spanish homework for the most, they then approached me for tutoring so I came up with an idea of helping with homework virtually! 

How amazing to see their growth even without seeing progress on a day to day basis. For example, I had a student who was struggling with completing her homework packet. She would leave out the reading portion which was in Spanish. By the end of the school year we improved her reading fluency and comprehension to where she was able to complete the reading section on her own with little help! 

While tutoring online was fun I was also informed that some students didn’t have a way to be in my virtual tutoring sessions. To reach them, I would take precautions and tutor in person from a distance. For example, one of my fifth graders found it difficult to do her homework. By tutoring outside, we got through her homework making it possible for her to learn in her own space. Knowing that I was able to make a difference through my students through the end of the year made me feel successful to help my students achieve their academic goals.