Instructor: Mr. Knight AVID Instructor: Mr.

Hoffman Wesley Pace

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Tutoring Reflection

During the Fall 2020 semester I have had the privilege of tutoring in the AVID program
at Thompson Valley High School (TVHS) in Loveland, Colorado. My mentor AVID coach was
TVHS English teacher Mr. Hoffman. Due to Mr. Hoffman’s new family addition, he took leave
mid-semester. Mrs. Liza Bauer and Ms. Annie Trimble stepped-in as our AVID chaperones.
The goal of the AVID program is to enrich students by supporting their learning through
cooperative student-centered experiences. Students are readied for postsecondary life by
following a college-preparedness plan specifically designed to support their academic
development and growth. For instance, AVID helps students develop test-taking strategies
geared toward success on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and/or American College Test
(ACT). More than this, learners mature through student-led peer discussions and tutorials. These
interactions help them build lifelong interpersonal skills and attain an edge over other collegiate
candidates.
The following reflection speaks about my personal experience as an AVID tutor, how I
assisted in the student learning process, and some concluding thoughts on the efficacy of the
program. First, my role as an AVID tutor was primarily comprised of tutorial facilitation.
Tutorials are student-led discussions in which student-presenters put forth a problem/question
they have had difficulty with or want to show proficiency in. Facilitators act in the capacity of
guides. They guide learners in a way that leads them closer to the answers they seek or to a
deeper understanding of the concepts. As a facilitator, my goal was never to provide answers, it
was to facilitate structured inquiry through focusing/funneling questions.

AVID Tutoring
Remote
As an AVID tutor I facilitated tutorials remotely and in-person. During remote AVID
sessions I hosted four-to-six students in a Google Meets breakout room. Each student was given
a five-to-ten-minute window to present their tutorial and receive feedback from their peers
and/or facilitator. Feedback was only one component of these sessions. That is, the objectives of
the tutorials were threefold: for students to receive content-area guidance, for learners to
demonstrate understanding/proficiency in a topic, and for students to prepare for upcoming
assessments (e.g., exams, quizzes, presentations, etc.).

1
Instructor: Mr. Knight AVID Instructor: Mr. Hoffman Wesley Pace

Two memorable moments during remote AVID facilitation included helping a student
with an American Civil War question and assisting another learner with an algebra problem. The
American history question pertained to enumerating and describing factors of the US Civil War
that classify it as a modern confrontation. The AVID presenter delineated early modern &
modern factors and made a compelling case that the American Civil War should be classified as
one of the first modern wars. To bring a richer understanding to the learner’s perspective we
discussed modernization of armaments (e.g., rifled muskets), communication advancements
(e.g., the telegraph), transport (e.g., the transcontinental railroad), medicine (e.g., combat
hospitals), and formalized military academies (e.g., West Point)—to name a few. This dialogue
spurred the student’s attention to the diverse factors that played a role in making the US Civil
War a modern war.
The algebra question was in my wheelhouse since I am a math-education major. We
discussed ways to find the real zeros of polynomials. To prompt the learner to find a solution I
posed questions that required the student to recall prior knowledge and make connections to
solving less difficult problems (i.e., quadratics). This effort led the student to a correct answer
and a deeper understanding of polynomial roots. It is gratifying to see students succeed and grow
in their learning.

In-Person
In-person AVID meetings were slightly different. Due to COVID-19 restrictions AVID
participants were partitioned into two groups. Each group of learners, depending on their block
schedule, were assigned a Tuesday or Thursday meet time. Fortunately, these meetings had a 1:2
ratio of AVID facilitators to AVID students. In other words, each AVID participant was
supported by multiple CSU PDS student teachers.
During my in-person AVID facilitation experience there were two remarkable
opportunities for me to aid learners. The first involved helping AVID students develop a list of
desirable college features that would help them in their university discernment process. My
fellow CSU student teachers and I circulated around the room and spoke with each AVID
student. We assessed each student’s short/long term goals and provided resources and
suggestions for their search. In general, my advice for each student was to think deeply about
their life calling, be honest about their financial & academic circumstances, and to consider how
distance from family/home factors into their decision. Student college goals ran the gamut. Some

2
Instructor: Mr. Knight AVID Instructor: Mr. Hoffman Wesley Pace

focused on a community college steppingstone, while others were keen on attending prestigious
universities. Overall, this college workshop day truly benefitted these AVID seekers.
Another notable in-person AVID experience of mine was when I had the chance to help a
student with a math SAT tutorial question. The problem involved finding solutions to a function
composition evaluated at a particular value. These questions are tricky because they require
careful attention to the domains of both functions. One of my CSU peers stepped up to the plate
and helped this student map out the first steps toward an answer. I assisted in the rest of the
discovery process. Through an interchange of questions and answers the student determined
what they needed to do and developed a better understanding of function compositions.

Take-aways
Facilitating AVID sessions was an enriching experience for me. I have developed a
greater appreciation for applying various teaching strategies (e.g., cooperative learning, inquiry
led instruction, etc.) based on the circumstances and needs of the students. I have learned how to
listen attentively to struggling students so that I can be of most assistance. And I have refined my
facilitation methods so that the learning process is student-centered rather than teacher
monopolized. I am thankful to have had this AVID experience.
As with any endeavor, AVID has also brought to my attention many growth
opportunities. I have realized how difficult helping students in content-areas other than one’s
specialty can be. A prime example is when students were presenting a tutorial on naming
binomial chemical compounds. Since I am not well-versed in chemistry, I had trouble leading
students in a manner that directed them to the understanding they needed. This deficit of mine
has encouraged me to seek out interdisciplinary projects. That is, I imagine future teaching
opportunities where I can work side-by-side other STEM teachers to develop meaningful cross-
discipline experiences for students.

Feedback
Given the circumstances I was amazed at how well Mr. Hoffman was able to coordinate
AVID sessions. He created an online platform using Google Classroom/Meets that allowed for
small group tutorial sessions to take place in breakout rooms. I was tech-handicapped at the start
of AVID sessions since I did not have functioning laptop. Thankfully, my CSU professor was
able to lend me a laptop until I was able to purchase a personal one. Once this obstacle was

3
Instructor: Mr. Knight AVID Instructor: Mr. Hoffman Wesley Pace

overcome, I assisted learners in a meaningful way. My AVID experience has convinced me of

the programs value. It enhances a student’s ability to be better prepared for college, become an
independent learner, and take accountability for their learning development.