Tutor Spotlight: Clayton Belcher

The Learning Center employs several students to serve as tutors and SI Leaders, and to better get to know our TLC student assistants, we thought we would spotlight a few of them. We asked veteran English tutor, Clayton Belcher, a few questions to which he provided his unique perspective. 

Describe your educational background/goals.
During compulsory education, I bounced between a few public schools and homeschooling, drawing the saga to a close with two years of PSEO here at Clermont during high school. For my first year as a matriculated college student, I transferred to the College of Mt. St. Joseph for Media Design, but soon returned to the hills and hollers of Batavia to work toward an Associate degree in Business Management. I plan to continue my education afterward and earn a Bachelor’s in something—I’m still narrowing down the list of SUPER COOL AWESOME EXCELLENT FANTASTIC THINGS to do with my life.


What is the best part about being an English tutor?
The thing I like most about tutoring English is the paycheck. (Unfortunately, the limits of written language prevent you from seeing the mischievous look that would be plastered on my face if I said that aloud.) I love helping people and seeing the dawn of comprehension when something confusing has been cleared up. There’s nothing like having students go from a state of abject terror to one of only mild panic. Also, I like the food that sometimes magically appears in TLC.


What is the biggest challenge to tutoring English?
The biggest challenge in English tutoring is helping people who don’t pay attention in class and don’t have any assignment sheets, and so have no idea what they even want help with. Shamey McShamerson on them! Eyes to the front and phones away, responsible students. It might help to develop the muscles behind your ears so you can better direct those cartilaginous soundholes at your professors.


Provide a few fun/interesting facts about yourself.
I’m quite a goofus. In my free time, I like to be a computer nerd. I have developed a commercial puzzle game for PC and am currently developing an iOS game. I also dabble in graphic design and am frequently found stamping my feet in frustration at my unceasing recognition of typefaces everywhere. I like to read fun, simple books and revel in my uncultured tastes. I also like to play the piano and accordion and have aspirations of picking up the bass so I can play a hammerin’ bassline in the TLC band, Traci and the Cunninghams.