Spartan Tutoring Center changes its name, but still serves over 100 students per day.
Teacher Liz Buffington provides extra help to students in need. photo by Mia Nogueira
Most classrooms at Thomas Jefferson High School have one teacher who teaches students one subject. However, there’s one room at TJ that has two teachers who are able to assist students in any subject. Wauneta Vann and Liz Buffington are the highly qualified teachers who can be found running TJ’s tutoring center (room 4). Anyone who is a frequent visitor to the tutoring center may notice a new name, as what was once the Thomas Jefferson Tutoring Center, is now the Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D.
Many students may have already guessed that the name Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. is an acronym, but most probably have trouble figuring out what it stands for: Students Helping Individuals Excel, Learn, and Develop. The name was created over the summer, when Vann and Buffington were visiting a Boulder school and noticed its tutoring center had the name, “O.Z.O.N.E.” They were impressed by this acronym usage, and recommended to Assistant Principal, Lani Nobles, that Thomas Jefferson’s tutoring center have its own acronym. Nobles liked the concept and started brainstorming ideas with Vann and Buffington, and they soon thought up the name Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. as in the Thomas Jefferson Spartans’ “shield” for success. On why this new shield is important, Nobles responds, “We want to give as many opportunities for students to succeed as possible, and this is one more avenue to further student growth”.
Both Vann and Buffington started the tutoring program at Thomas Jefferson three years ago, tutoring students as a team because the workload is too much for one person. Back then, Vann and Buffington where only part-time tutors who would work two days per week, helping students in what is now the Wendy Gubits Memorial Reading Center inside the library. Since they only came in for two days, Vann and Buffington considered themselves lucky enough if five students showed up during that period.
If students need help in any subject, they should visit the Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. The ambiance is conducive to academics, as the Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. has two helpful tutors that assist students with not only classroom work, but other things (college essays, studying for tests, personal problems, etc.) as well, and 17 Mac computers with programs used in various classes, such as the Cognitive Tutor, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word. While Vann and Buffington do get a handful of regulars, the Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. is visited by an average of 100 students per week. Senior Tanya Milam loves going to the Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. “Ms. Vann and Ms. Buffington are two of the teachers in the school that care about the students and push them towards the success they know they are capable of,” said Milam.
With this free service available to everyone, students should visit Thomas Jefferson’s Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. of their own accord. However, if students are failing any classes, they will receive a mandatory invitation to visit the Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D.
The TJ tutoring duo say that the Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. should not be a place that students wish to avoid. Vann and Buffington say they are usually “laid-back”, as long as students do their work and do not get out of control. “Come in, we’re here to help you with any subject,” is Vann’s message to Thomas Jefferson Spartans. “Thomas Jefferson’s Spartan S.H.I.E.L.D. is not just a tutoring center; it is all Spartans’ Shield for Success!”
