In order to evaluate the potential power of home-based tutoring compared to community placements, the data was
analyzed in terms of Wong’s (2008) categories of transactional, transformational and transcendent. At least
superficially, the results favor the home-based tutoring. Only 3% of the home-based preservice teachers could be
considered as transactional compared to 27% of the school-based; 75% of the home-based appeared to be
transformational compared to 58% of the school-based and 22% of the home-based actually appeared
transcendent compared to 15% of the school-based.
Almost all of the students talked about a personal relationship with their tutees. The three transactional journals
where this was a notable omission seldom, if at all, used the name of the child and focused on the tutor’s own
role. Typical of this very small group was the following:
The tutoring experience wasn’t different than what I expected. Going in, I prepared myself for
the worst which helped….The biggest thing that I learned was that I need to be patient with
students. They are not going to get it on the first try…Also I have learned that I am a good
teacher and I feel good when a child feels good. I guess this is when you finally realize that you
are meant to be a teacher.(AD, black female, college aged)
The home setting seemed to catapult the majority of the tutors into a personal role with the children and prompted
their new understanding of the challenges the children faced as ELLs in the classroom. They also had the
opportunity to see how the Mexican culture influenced the families and gained a respect for the children’s
bilingualism. Typical of this largest group of transformational journals were the following:
I really believe I have learned so much about teaching from this experience. Before this
experience I had never tutored an English Language Learner. I don’t think I understood the
extent of the difficulties these children face. I also learned to see each child as an individual. I
learned how important it is to focus on the needs of each child individually and not just assume
students are understanding you.(JH, white female, college aged)
I expected this to be a worthwhile experience, but it was more invigorating than I would ever
imagine. I learned more about the Mexican culture, teaching Spanish speaking students and
myself as teacher, than I would ever have expected.
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