As a freshman in High School, I began tutoring a third grade girl. As an English Language Learner, her primary goal was to improve her reading comprehension and speed, her English vocabulary, and her critical thinking skills regarding literature. We worked together three times a week. Going into the job, I was excited to make some money. English was my favorite subject in high school and I have always loved reading, so I assumed I would also have fun with the job, and get to re-read some of my favorite grade-school literature books. All of these expectations were metI enjoyed the job and I enjoyed making money. What I did not expect, however, was the relationship I would build, the joy I would experience, and the love I would develop for teaching. I did not expect that over four years later I would return to Phoenix for the summer and immediately go to visit this student. I did not expect that her family would cook me Indian food for my birthday. I did not expect to be so deeply invested in the education and inspiration of this student.
As a first time-tutor I learned that my student's goals become my goals. For the time that I am teaching, all that matters is working together toward those goals. Watching my students grow empowers me to better myself and strive for personal growth. Tutoring has also taught me that teaching is not just utilitarian. We need teachers, certainly, and teachers serve the purpose of educating. But teachers can also be mentors. Some of the people I most respect and admire, most strive to emulate, most love, have been teachers and tutors. As a tutor I am invested not just in imparting information and understanding, but in my students' well-being and happiness. I look at students as every human deserves to be looked at: holistically.
Through high school and my first year of college I continued to tutor both for pay and as a volunteer, and these convictions have only been strengthened.
Aside from tutoring, I spend time reading, exploring and traveling with my family and my boyfriend or by myself, studying Greek and Latin, and occasionally painting or drawing. I work out each morning and try to get some down-time to journal or listen to music each night. This summer (2017) I have been nannying three kids, ages 6 months, 8 years and 10 years, and a lot of my teaching and tutoring philosophies have crossed into my care of these children.
Overall, my life mantra, so to speak, is balance. I have a lot of hobbies and I also tend toward work-a-hol-ism. Whether it's school work or a summer job, I can let it consume all of my time and energy, but every day I try to balance my time among all of my obligations and activities. As a tutor I hope to also mentor children, especially, but anyone, in introspection and self-knowledge. Sometimes meeting an academic goal requires more than flash cards and memorization, and I am here to be that resource and support.
