Adventures in Tutoring

It’s amazing how much you can learn from children just by being around them.

This week I’ve been helping out at my old elementary school, mostly in 1^st and 3^rd grade. Some highlights of my day are the 1^st grade reading group, the 3^rd graders that I work with that need some help with their book work, and a little boy that I tutor named Michael, who is proving to me daily that I can still do first grade math. And even though I’m a Secondary Education major, the experience is still rewarding. Because, as I’m quickly realizing, each grade level is a stepping stone to the next grade level, and no matter what grades I end up teaching, there will be different challenges to face each step of the way.

In elementary school, the students want to know everything. 

In middle school, the students often think they know everything. 

In high school, most students are trying to figure out what “everything” actually is.

I know that I want to be a teacher, despite the very early morning wake-up time. And I’m still pretty positive that working with older kids is where I want to be. But as I’ve seen very clearly this week, there are some moments and situations that are unique to elementary students that I will definitely miss in Secondary Ed.

Take the “Aha!” moment. The moment where the light-bulb turns on, something clicks, and the gears start turning. For example, Michael and I made a breakthrough while learning about tally marks today. It took a little bit, but he finally realized that every time you draw the fifth tally mark, whether it’s at 5, or 10, or 15, you have to draw it through the other four. It may sound like a minor accomplishment, but the way his face lit up with comprehension as he said “OH!” made it look like he had just won an Oscar. And, consequently, I felt like I could take over the world. Sure, the “aha” moment is more than possible in middle school too. But honestly, their faces aren’t always quite as precious when it happens.

There are also the moments of cuteness that you just don’t get to see with high school students. Like when one of the kids you work with is walking down the hallway, sees you in the office, and stops and waves enthusiastically. Like when they ask if you’re coming back tomorrow and when the answer is yes, the response is a big smile. Like when the adorable little first grade girl always wants to hold your hand.

Watching them reminds me what it’s like to have childlike faith in God. Helping them with their work gives me hope that it’s possible, at any level, to get kids excited about learning. There’s genuineness in their demeanor, a transparency of their true thoughts and feelings, and a trusting spirit that is so refreshing.

And then there’s just classic moments like these:

"Miss Sibilla, how old are you?”

I’m nineteen.

"Oh…”

-          I don’t think I’ve ever felt so old admitting my age in my life. Blunt honesty is a big thing in elementary school. They don’t beat around the bush. Their faces quite literally say it all. And this little boy’s face clearly said “Miss Sibilla…you’re old.”

Overheard while working with the 1st grade reading group:

“Michael, that’s inappropriate!”
Ryan, what’s wrong?

“Michael said KISSING!!”

-          Oh to go back to the days when the most inappropriate and shocking thing you heard all day was the word “kissing...”

Consoling a child who lost a game of bingo:

“Aw, but I was so close to winning!”         

Maybe you’ll win the next game!

“Yeah, and besides, it doesn’t matter if you win, it’s more important that you have fun! That’s what my daddy told me.”

-          Perspective. All about perspective. I almost told the little girl to make sure she never stopped listening to her daddy.

Walking back the adorable first grade girl to her classroom:

We better catch up with them or they’ll leave without us!

“That’s ok if they leave without us though, because you’re still here with me.”

-          Heart = melted.

While tutoring Michael and asking him questions about a story that he had just read:

Ann and Bob run fast. They ran to Tim’s red house and back. Who runs fast?

“I think the boy does…right?”

-          I gently but quickly corrected his answer to make sure that he didn’t get the question wrong or grow up to be a jerk.

“Miss Sibilla, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

I want to be a teacher.

-          The girl’s face registered a little bit of surprise, but then she smiled and went back to work. And it’s true. I do want to be a teacher. Maybe not for kids this young. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that these kids have been proving to me that I’m definitely called to teach, simply by being so willing to learn.