A group of seventh grade students at Bauxite Middle School intently listen to high school senior Collin Lingo, center top, who is tutoring them to help with upcoming state-mandated Benchmark exams. Overall, 10 Bauxite seniors are tutoring 50 seventh-graders who school officials said needed a little extra help or are on the edge of falling below the state average on Benchmark exams. The tests will be taken on April 15. MATT BURKS/Courier
When teachers at Bauxite Middle School first noticed that 50 seventh-graders students were in danger of falling below the state average on the state-mandated Benchmark Exam, they took action.
The Bauxite School District is using a number of different avenues to help the students improve — from faculty members attending workshops and training sessions, professional development workshops targeted at the students' test score weaknesses, to using new technology programs like SmartBoard interactive whiteboards, enhanced audio and visual aides, and various tutoring sessions.
But in a unique twist, the teachers have begun relying on an unlikely source to help the middle school students.
Ten seniors from Bauxite High School are now tutoring the younger students in preparation for the Benchmark Exams a mere three weeks away.
Bauxite school administrators have said this new role of the high school mentors is showing tremendous success.
"These middle school students are really listening to the seniors and they seem to be taking their advice," English teacher Micah Brown said. "The seniors instill the importance of these tests to these seventh-grade students. The seniors do a great job with them."
Senior Collin Lingo admitted that he did not know what to expect with the seventh-graders and was actually "a little nervous" on the first day. But not only did the younger students immediately ease his tensions, he said they also surprised him in other areas.
"I realized they are all really intelligent," Lingo said. "They don't need as much help as I thought they would. They have picked up what I am teaching them really fast."
Senior Jacob Self added, "It can be a challenge to keep (the seventh-graders') attention on subject sometimes, but now they realize the tests are just weeks away. I think some of them were disappointed to be here at first, but now they are all ready to go. It's a good reward to watch them grow."
Senior Ashley Traylor added, "We were all there once. We know how they feel. We tell them not to be nervous or scared about taking the tests. They respond really well, and we actually get a lot of work done."
Coach Al Harrell, who is the middle school principal, explained that teachers were made aware of 50 seventh-grade students "on the bubble" of meeting state testing standards months ago through the Learning Institute in Hot Springs. He said Brown and math teacher Charlotte Tarvin began tutoring the students during an enrichment period. The students responded with mild results, Harrell said
"Then Coach (Jon) Watson and I talked to the counselors at the high school and explained the situation," Harrell said. "That is when we asked for the 10 high school seniors to help with tutoring. Now the teachers give the lessons to the seniors and tell them to teach it to the seventh-graders."
He added, "I am hearing the students are doing really well and the seniors' only reward is that of helping others. And the seventh-graders are paying attention to the high school students."
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during an enrichment period, the seventh-graders gather in the middle school cafeteria where they are split into groups of five as they wait for the high school seniors.
"These (seventh-graders) are always so excited," Tarvin said. "They beg for their team leaders to be here and if they are absent that day, they get upset. They love their senior mentors."
Senior Briar Sample added, "It is a lot of fun being with them. They've got a lot to learn, but they all respond well and they listen to us seniors. It definitely makes you feel good that we are helping them."
Senior Tanner Trantham added, "My favorite part is just being with (the seventh-graders) and when you see something click in their mind — when you see them understand something you are teaching them — that is what it is all about."
Lingo also revealed a unique technique that he established on the first day of meeting his group of five seventh-graders. He found a way to connect with them on a more personal level.
"Really, it took about five seconds for all of us to connect," Lingo said. "It may be an age thing, but we all decided to give each other nicknames. They decided to call me 'Skeeter' for some reason, but it worked and it makes everything more personal."
He added, "I don't want them to see me as someone that had to come here. I want them to see me as a friend wanting to help, and it has absolutely worked. And they all get along with each other, too, despite many being in different classes. I think they have also become close with each other."
Self said that he likes "to use pens and pencils" and other visual aides for his tutoring methods. Trantham said he also had to retrain his mind with the math lessons before teaching it to the seventh-graders.
"It was a challenge at first, but once I relearned their lessons, I then applied it to seventh-grade understanding," he said. "I'll take something I need to teach them and break it down into sections. I then relate what I am teaching to something they can relate to, such as a basketball game or even pizza or things that the girls are into now days. Somehow it all helps them."
Lingo, a.k.a. Skeeter, said that getting more one-on-one tutoring sessions with his students is resulting in great success.
"There are a few that have made a lot of improvement," he said. "One kid didn't talk at all when we first met, but now he says 'Hey, Skeeter, I need help.' And he is now one of the best students in the group."
Brown said the Benchmark exams for the seventh-graders are scheduled on April 15 and with the help of the high school seniors, they are expecting those students that were on the edge of having low test scores to improve dramatically.
Principal Harrell said, "We don't know yet how much it will help the test scores, but it is a different approach and I think a different perspective can help."
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