Eldridge and I have been together since early July. I was a little nervous about my first student but I soon found out I had no reason to be. Eldridge has been great–he’s eager to learn, shows up on time, and always does his homework. I could not wish for a more motivated student.
At our first meeting we went over his assessment and identified what should be the main areas of concentration. We talked about his personal goals and our expectations of one another, and set up a schedule that worked for both of us. We also spoke at length about his interests–world history, science, auto mechanics, and working on cars –and how they could fit into his learning.
Eldridge has made wonderful progress. As was recommended in the tutor training I attended, I created a “portfolio” of his work for him. It’s really satisfying to be able to look back at where we started. One particular accomplishment Eldridge achieved was learning to sign his name in cursive. His reading comprehension skills and his ability to read aloud have also really improved. So has his overall confidence. I am very proud of him!
What do I like about being a tutor? Being inspired is one thing. I like my student’s spirit, his curiosity, and how he seems to find fun in everything. I like being a tutor because it does something for me. This is just the kind of thing I’ve always wanted to do. Watching my student’s eyes light up when the words on the page make sense beats any pay check I could ever receive.