Update on my tutoring-I actually tutored for the first time last night

[honeywolf7]

I got a ride with another girl that is tutoring in the same place that I am and her boyfriend. There were supposed to be three more people there, but none of them showed up. The person in charge of the GED program at the Diversion Center threw us right into teaching. He gave each of us about 6 detainees, told us they needed help with math, and walked away. Each of us basically had a classroom to ourselves. I could hear her standing up and teaching. My style of teaching was to ask the detainees what they especially needed help with and most of them needed a little help with fractions so I started with that. I had them do exercises in the GED book and if they came to any problems that they didn't understand, they could ask me a question. I had one woman in there who was very smart (she got all of the problems in the first exercise I had them do right and she did really well with the next two as well. She even helped one of the other detainees who was having problems.) She also seemed very motivated which is important...everyone else wanted to know when they could leave. She wanted to stay longer than she had to. When that group of women was gone, I had a woman come in who wanted one on one help. The director let me know that she had ADHD and had to choose between taking her medication and being in jail or not taking her medication and being in the diversion program (they're not allowed to be on psychotropic medications in this program.) I was very patient with her and went over fractions with her as well (since that's what the paperwork she brought me said she needed help with.) She wants me to tutor her one-on-one every Thursday night from now on and the director has said that's fine with him but that I need to know that patience is important with her because she has lost several tutors when they didn't want to work with her anymore b/c of her learning disability (I told him that I have two kids so I know what patience is all about.) I felt very good about myself after the three hours were up. I also made sure that I told the women when they did something really well because one thing that the director has told us is that these women typically have very low self-esteem.

 

[Liz]

Good for you Becki! That's great! I could never tutor anyone in math. I'm horrible at it!

 

[honeywolf7]

Math is not my favorite subject but I'm good at it. My parents have always told me I have a mathematical mind, but I would much rather take a class that involves writing/literature, a language class, or a social sciences class.

 

[Dan Murphy]

That's great, Becki, good for you!!!!!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I always loved tutoring math. And tutoring in the type of program you're involved with can be so rewarding! Unfortunately, my students (high school) often don't have any idea of the value of education. But someday you'll hear one of your students showing someone else how to do something, and it will he the same thing that you had taught him/her, and now you hear them teaching it to someone else. I'll tell you-that makes it all worth it!

 

[nativetxn]

I think it's great that you are doing this, Honeywolf.

 

[Saffron]

Wow Becki, that's truly wonderful. Not only are you making a difference in the lives of those women, but hopefully they'll be able to pass their knowledge on to their children and make a difference in their lives.

Great job, Becki! You should feel really good about what you're doing.

 

[mickeyfan1]

Great job, Becki. And the self esteem thing....well, you will find it works both ways. As you encourage the women to learn, you see it working. That is an accomplishment on your part. Keep it up. It also looks good on paper when it's tiome to talk custody.

 

[Krisu]

Sounds like a very satisfying experience. Just curious about why that woman can't be on her meds. Wouldn't she function better? Or are they afraid she would abuse them?

 

[honeywolf7]

Krisu, I was wondering the same thing but didn't question it.