Kyle: Villa Park tutor

Certified Tutor

Nate reminded me of myself when I learned Spanish in middle school struggling and sometimes wanting to give up. As his Spanish tutor, what was I going to do? Bingo. I remember what I loved and hated about learning Spanish. It was Seora Alilipour's sixth-grade field trip to a taqueria in Oakland- that's what I loved. That's when Spanish "clicked" for me. Now it was Nate's turn to connect and bond with the Spanish speaking community. What could be more appropriate than Monument Boulevard in Concord? I thought about logistics: How would we get there? Who would we talk to? What would make this great for Nate?

Finally, after weeks of planning and fine tuning, we had made it to Monument Boulevard. We felt as if we were walking in Mexico. I pointed out employment signs and asked Nate to translate. We looked at stores and shopped down the aisles of a Mexican grocery store. Once, I was showing Nate the mix for one of my favorite Mexican drinks, horchata. I was speaking to him in Spanish when an employee, Linda approached us and asked if we needed any help (in English). We asked if we could talk in Spanish, and Linda agreed happily. Nate asked where horchata originated. This was Nate's first conversation in Spanish outside of the traditional learning environment; I was so happy for Nate's advancement. Linda told us about the first time that she tasted horchata when she was a little girl in Mexico. I was there for Nate to assist with explaining topics when he didn't understand. We then had a tour of the grocery store smelling some delicacies and trying samples. I wouldn't normally have had an experience quite like this with a pupil. The time that I spent with Nate that day was priceless. Having Nate there, learning,
reminded me of myself six years ago at the taqueria with Seora Alilipour.

Nate's parents weren't the ones who decided to call me, he did; that takes something. Risking that he could be embarrassed by making the call to call a tutor, Nate decided to call me: He wasn't embarrassed, and I respected that. Though I hadn't even met him, I was impressed to see his desire towards learning Spanish. I struggled with Spanish when I was first learning it. I felt badly for Nate who had been struggling on his own. I remember the Wednesday when I first met him. It was spring, and there were only about ten weeks of school left. I approached his doorstep with uncertainty. Nate was ready to learn, and I was ready to show him how. I originally became a tutor to help my peers by sharing strategies that worked for me as a student and to learn more about myself. Nate didn't want to fail Spanish. That Wednesday, we spent five hours going over the entire Realidades I textbook. When we finished, we did it again. I taught him how to study his vocabulary and conjugate verbs. Doing this required some thinking outside the box, but it certainly paid off.

My experience with Nate brought personal enrichment beyond my hourly tutoring fee. Teaching Nate, I developed a better understanding of who I am and who I want to be. This experience has made me more self-confident and willing to open up to others. I have also learned about the value of communication and the cultures that our world has to offer. I hope to continue to gain an understanding of what our planet offers globally. This has inspired me to study more about International Relations and Global Studies. Moreover, perhaps it could be said that I benefited from Nate just as he benefited from me.