Scott Remer, The Guardian, May 26, 2026; photo credit: Neil Amrhein
Every year, as a professional spelling bee tutor, I have the privilege of getting to know my students. I learn about their personalities and their quirks. We share many hours analyzing the intricacies of the languages that appear at the bee, discussing rules and exceptions, and honing their ability to ask about Latin and Greek roots and painstakingly piece together spellings using clues in the definition and etymology. The relationship that we build undergirds the intensive work that we do to turn them into champions. Tutoring is about mentorship, friendship, and human connection. I have found this to be just as true in my group classes, where spellers learn from one another, as in my one-on-one classes.