I was the teaching assistant for 4 years (1st-4th) until I moved to a larger school with gifted curriculum. I loved helping people and still do BUT.. I think this was exceptionally unfair to me. It spotlighted me as different, it gave me work that I was untrained for (although had natural talent for), and as Aquinas stated it cost me what I was supposed to receive which was the opportunity to learn something. From my experience, if my child were to be "used" or kept busy in that capacity I would be strongly advocating against it. I personally find it incredibly unfair and inappropriate.
Yes. The reason why this is okay for my DD is twofold:
a)
clearly defined role and boundaries exist on the peer tutoring environment. My DD is "available" for just four hours a week, and the students come to her.
b) they have NO IDEA that she is mostly very many years younger than any of them-- thank you, virtual environment.
I'd argue for some really clear boundaries so that "school" isn't synonymous with "unpaid teacher's aide" for your child. BTDT as a middle schooler, and boyyyyyy, did I not like that.
