For the past few weeks, Bluffton University has been offering an online Zoom program called Study Buddies from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday to help K-12 students with their school work. Bluffton University faculty, student teachers and alumni who are current teachers have joined in to help.
One of the student teachers who has been working as a Study Buddy is Robert Ruppert.
Ruppert was student-teaching in Chicago before the pandemic outbreak. Photo courtesy of Robert Ruppert.
Ruppert was student-teaching in Chicago before the pandemic outbreak caused him to travel back to his home in Montpelier, Ohio. Although he couldn’t continue his experience in a school, he is happy to still be able to carry out student teaching as a study buddy.
“As a study buddy I have done reading lessons with first through third graders, this includes reading a book and doing many different comprehension checks and other different activities that go along with the book,” said Ruppert. “That happens for about an hour each day and from there I normally work with other students that join with homework and mini-reading lessons.”
Ruppert said there are around five to seven student teachers or education majors that get on the Zoom platform daily to help. He described how the chat room works for the students who log on for help.
“When a student joins the chat room, the host will ask them what they need to work on and from there they will be placed with a teacher,” Ruppert said.
Help is offered from every subject area but Ruppert explained the Study Buddies have mainly been working on English and language arts instruction. Even though the chat room is open for students K-12, there are a higher number of pre-school, elementary and middle schoolers who get on for assistance. With that being said, it is even more beneficial that many of the student teachers who are involved with the Study Buddy system are elementary, intervention or middle childhood education majors.
“This is a great way for students to have interaction with teachers and still be able to work on schoolwork during these hard times,” Ruppert said.
Face-to-face or online, Ruppert said it doesn’t matter, it is rewarding working with students no matter the platform. He enjoys working with elementary students because they always have something funny to say and are very motivated.
“Although I enjoy the younger students’ company and motivation, the older students I have worked with are really great students and very hard working when we are working together,” said Ruppert. “They really test my knowledge sometimes.”
Aside from learning the amusing and hard-working qualities of the students, Ruppert says what he has been learning most is that working through an online platform can be really challenging for the K-12 students but they are willing to work with the student teachers, faculty and any other teacher there to help.
“They are very patient when we face technical difficulties or if we really aren’t as prepared as we wish we could be,” said Ruppert. “They really have taught me to cherish technology because without it we wouldn’t be able to work with them and keep getting them the help through these difficult times.”
Technical difficulties are just one of the few struggles that can occur. Ruppert describes some others that include preparation, explaining things to students so they understand, trying to explain something that hasn’t been practiced in a while, and keeping the students busy when they have no work to do.
“Sometimes you get into a session and you don’t really have much planned if you don’t see the same students every day; I was once paired with a student who needed to work on math that I hadn’t used in a long time, I had to take a few minutes to reteach myself to be able to help them,” said Ruppert. “Being prepared is hard sometimes because you never know what the student is going to need, if they are confused about something, or if it is going to be something that will be hard for you to explain.”
Ruppert is a Bluffton University senior. He is an intervention specialist major with a minor in speech-language pathology and audiology.
He said leaving his students in Chicago was sad but his love for teaching and seeing students motivated him during this time.
“This opportunity to still work with students and see improvement keeps me motivated,” said Ruppert. “The students I have worked with show interest and are always ready bright and early to learn and work hard.”
