Wow, it's been about a month since I've written a blog, and I must admit...I miss it!
Well, I started student teaching, so I thought I'd talk about that a little bit. As if it doesn't already consume my life, right? Ha ha ha. . .
I'm in a fifth grade classroom, and man are they cute! They're so...small! I guess I got super used to working with 6th grade and up--I forgot how small 5th graders are. Another initial impression of my fifth graders are...they are still fairly innocent. The upside: for the most part, they behave really well! The downside: they don't understand sarcasm...at all. Case in point, from today:
Student hand goes up.
Me: Yes?
Student: I have a question.
Me: Sorry, no questions allowed.
Student: Oh. *hangs head*
...
Me: OF course questions are allowed!! Ask away. :)
I'm still not used to the fact that they don't always understand humor--they're a super literal bunch. On the other hand, I love them entirely.
A few things I've accomplished: bulletin boards, grading papers, learning students' names (this is a HUGE deal), and, as of this week, teaching one math class! According to the planning guide, I'll be teaching full days before I know it. I can't begin to express how excited I am for this to happen--to have "total control." Not that teaching is all about control, but I think that the kids will respond a lot better to one consistent teacher instead of (now) having to switch between my coop and me.
The thing I've been most disgusted with since having started student teaching is the following: encountering teachers who hate kids. I mean seriously?! I get the argument of "this is my degree, and changing careers is not possible." Ok, sure, but do you know how many young lives you are RUINING by staying in this profession? I mean honestly. The kids understand that you don't like them. Withholding bathroom privileges is NOT an acceptable punishment. Also, call me oldfashioned, but I believe in RECESS. I need the break too! I just can't believe that teachers go on living their lives in misery (clearly) and making others' lives miserable as well. I'd much rather see a teacher leave the profession to go work a job at McD's than to torture any more students by doing something that they don't want to do (teaching).
I love kids. I can say that to the utmost degree, and without any sense of perversion: I love teaching and I love kids. I love the random stuff they come up with, I love passing on knowledge, I love every single moment of the day: giving and collecting homework (or not), leading a group discussion, planning activities...and most importantly, I love seeing it all come together EVERY day to prove to be effective for the kids. Teaching is like directing an orchestra: if everyone can work together, well, a ton of progress is made. If one person is off, out of tune, or what have you--it can throw off the entire day.
The one thing I want to work on in the near future is not letting the day's events influence my mood to such a degree. My mood from 3pm onward is affected by what occurred between 9AM and 2:45PM. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. I hope to work on that...really soon.
But for now, I need to go grade papers! :)
Peace, y'all. And I promise more (interesting) blogs to come!
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
te amo, te amo.
"Don't it mean I love you? Think it means I love you."
From my short (nearly) 21 years of life, I have seen time and time again those that surround me ask "What is love? Do I really love him/her? How will I know when I truly love someone?"
Though I don't proclaim to be better educated than any with this pondering, I have lately given this idea much thought; I don't think I've come to a new and praise-worthy solution, but I can share what it means to me. It all started making sense after...well, after a progression of time really, since forever ago until several short minutes ago, watching "Mansfield Park," based on a Jane Austen novel. One of the characters states, "There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time." And I think that that sums up what I've been thinking about love--any conclusion I've come to has likely been on the same level of intellect though not expressed nearly as well.
Perhaps it's the way words evade me when it comes to something so important; I can speak clearly, concisely, and professionally about nearly anything: education, money, society, and so on but when someone asks me for my personal feelings towards them, as a person, I often find my tongue and mind to simply not want to cooperate at all, and am left with such nonsense phrases as, "I can't explain it, I just do [love/care for you]!"
This is often inefficient and may have left the other person not believing me whatsoever. And, I don't blame him (or her). But this idea of forms of love--this portrays nearly every thought I've had as of late, and here's how (please note that these do not all describe the same people, or types of love):
I love you when get a text from you, showing that you're using your brain, unlike most highschoolers your age.
I love you when you call me, just to make sure I'm alright.
I love you when you wrap your arms tightly around me.
I love you when complain about work, because you trust me to not judge you based on your opinion of others.
I love you when you say exactly what I'm thinking.
I love you when you say something I can challenge.
I love you when I teach you something new; I also love you when I can learn from you at the same time.
I love you when you take risks for me.
I love you when you look into my eyes, and say nothing.
I love you when you ask me for help, it shows that you think highly of my abilities.
I love you when you take the time to explain what you're thinking; it shows you care about me.
I love you when you tell me I'm beautiful, or gorgeous; I know you never mean (solely) physically.
I love you when you talk about leaving town, and escaping to another state, or even country; it shows me that you have big dreams, and trust me to be able to dream with you.
I love you when you tell me you can't buy my groceries, but will gladly take me grocery shopping with you; it shows me that you value our time together.
I love you when you tell me about being afraid of the future; it shows me that you can depend on me to understand and help in whatever way I can.
I love you when you play me a new song, or recommend a new book; it shows that you want to incorporate me into one of your true loves.
I love you when you play the piano; the improvisation shows you are proud of your talent, and want to share it with me.
I love you when you raise your hand to ask me a question; it shows that you know I'll help you find an answer.
I love you when you call me up late at night; it shows that our old friendship still means to you what it means to me.
I love you when you write me postcards from other states and countries; it shows that, even when away, you're thinking of me.
I love you when I get a message saying, "Morseland tonight?" because it shows I've been incorporated into a strong group of friends with a true bond.
I love you when you kiss me; it tells me that you care much about making me happy as you do being happy.
I love you when I cook you dinner; your appreciation is worth far more than any meal I'll provide you.
I love you when you tell me you don't care that I walk differently, or eat differently, than most people; it shows that you embrace my differences rather than ostracizing me for them.
I love you when you ask my opinion on something, even if it's just clothing, because it shows me that you value my opinion as much as I value yours.
I love you when you tell me I need another surgery, or a new medicine, because it shows that you're trying to preserve my health for as long as possible.
I love you when you talk to me about other girls who are beautiful; it shows that you trust me not to get angry, or jealous. Instead, I learn to respect your opinion; you give me the same in return.
I love you even when you call me with a computer question; though at times it feels as though you're ungrateful, I know you wouldn't feel comfortable calling "just anyone," and it warms my heart to know that you can trust me to be honest and steadfast in helping you.
I love you when you look at me and tell me there is no God, because I believe the same thing, and I revel in the fact that we can bond over this.
I love you when you call me and share your drunken philosophies late at night (or early in the morning), because I have another opportunity to learn more about you.
I love you when you complain about your summer reading; even though you think you're "above" it, I know you'll learn something.
I love you when you text me something so hilariously funny that I have the urge to spit out whatever's in my mouth; it shows me that you know me well enough to know what I'll appreciate, and care about me enough to share it with me.
I love you every day that you don't smoke a cigarette; it shows me that even though you set a bad example for me growing up, you did have the sense to change your ways.
I love you every time you poke me on facebook, because even though we have each moved on to other relationships, it shows that you still think of me as I think of you, and that we can still find some common, communicative ground.
I love you when you tell me you love me; it inspires hope in me that maybe someone realizes love the way in which I have for so long.
So then, what is love? I look at some of the words I use above, and I see: inspire, show, share, teach, learn, opportunity, trust, value, appreciate, bond, friendship...just to name a few. I don't think that love is one thing; rather, love is a combination of some (if not all) of these things. For me, love is not what love is for you. Likewise, for Sally or Tommy or Billy or Jen, love is something entirely different. Love is a moment. And, the people we love the most are those with whom we spend the most loving moments. I'm lucky enough to have a few of those people in my life; though I certainly can't proclaim to spend every single solitary moment loving them, I can say that I spend many moments loving them...inspiring them, trusting them, learning from them, bonding with them, appreciating them, valuing them, sharing with them, showing them (or being shown by them), and so on. Te amo, te amo...it's not one thing. It's many things, and it's amazing.
As I was writing this list and thinking of the people I was describing, it came to my attention that I was not simply describing thoughts. Nor was I simply describing words. Nor was I simply describing actions. I was describing a combination of thoughts, words, and actions, and my reactions to them. As I think about how, when, where, or why I love someone else, I realize that I love each and every person in a different way at a different time. I realize that each person that I love holds a significant place in my life, and I can say that I love each person differently...because there are as many forms of love as there are moments in time, and with each passing moment, I love you in a different way.
From my short (nearly) 21 years of life, I have seen time and time again those that surround me ask "What is love? Do I really love him/her? How will I know when I truly love someone?"
Though I don't proclaim to be better educated than any with this pondering, I have lately given this idea much thought; I don't think I've come to a new and praise-worthy solution, but I can share what it means to me. It all started making sense after...well, after a progression of time really, since forever ago until several short minutes ago, watching "Mansfield Park," based on a Jane Austen novel. One of the characters states, "There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time." And I think that that sums up what I've been thinking about love--any conclusion I've come to has likely been on the same level of intellect though not expressed nearly as well.
Perhaps it's the way words evade me when it comes to something so important; I can speak clearly, concisely, and professionally about nearly anything: education, money, society, and so on but when someone asks me for my personal feelings towards them, as a person, I often find my tongue and mind to simply not want to cooperate at all, and am left with such nonsense phrases as, "I can't explain it, I just do [love/care for you]!"
This is often inefficient and may have left the other person not believing me whatsoever. And, I don't blame him (or her). But this idea of forms of love--this portrays nearly every thought I've had as of late, and here's how (please note that these do not all describe the same people, or types of love):
I love you when get a text from you, showing that you're using your brain, unlike most highschoolers your age.
I love you when you call me, just to make sure I'm alright.
I love you when you wrap your arms tightly around me.
I love you when complain about work, because you trust me to not judge you based on your opinion of others.
I love you when you say exactly what I'm thinking.
I love you when you say something I can challenge.
I love you when I teach you something new; I also love you when I can learn from you at the same time.
I love you when you take risks for me.
I love you when you look into my eyes, and say nothing.
I love you when you ask me for help, it shows that you think highly of my abilities.
I love you when you take the time to explain what you're thinking; it shows you care about me.
I love you when you tell me I'm beautiful, or gorgeous; I know you never mean (solely) physically.
I love you when you talk about leaving town, and escaping to another state, or even country; it shows me that you have big dreams, and trust me to be able to dream with you.
I love you when you tell me you can't buy my groceries, but will gladly take me grocery shopping with you; it shows me that you value our time together.
I love you when you tell me about being afraid of the future; it shows me that you can depend on me to understand and help in whatever way I can.
I love you when you play me a new song, or recommend a new book; it shows that you want to incorporate me into one of your true loves.
I love you when you play the piano; the improvisation shows you are proud of your talent, and want to share it with me.
I love you when you raise your hand to ask me a question; it shows that you know I'll help you find an answer.
I love you when you call me up late at night; it shows that our old friendship still means to you what it means to me.
I love you when you write me postcards from other states and countries; it shows that, even when away, you're thinking of me.
I love you when I get a message saying, "Morseland tonight?" because it shows I've been incorporated into a strong group of friends with a true bond.
I love you when you kiss me; it tells me that you care much about making me happy as you do being happy.
I love you when I cook you dinner; your appreciation is worth far more than any meal I'll provide you.
I love you when you tell me you don't care that I walk differently, or eat differently, than most people; it shows that you embrace my differences rather than ostracizing me for them.
I love you when you ask my opinion on something, even if it's just clothing, because it shows me that you value my opinion as much as I value yours.
I love you when you tell me I need another surgery, or a new medicine, because it shows that you're trying to preserve my health for as long as possible.
I love you when you talk to me about other girls who are beautiful; it shows that you trust me not to get angry, or jealous. Instead, I learn to respect your opinion; you give me the same in return.
I love you even when you call me with a computer question; though at times it feels as though you're ungrateful, I know you wouldn't feel comfortable calling "just anyone," and it warms my heart to know that you can trust me to be honest and steadfast in helping you.
I love you when you look at me and tell me there is no God, because I believe the same thing, and I revel in the fact that we can bond over this.
I love you when you call me and share your drunken philosophies late at night (or early in the morning), because I have another opportunity to learn more about you.
I love you when you complain about your summer reading; even though you think you're "above" it, I know you'll learn something.
I love you when you text me something so hilariously funny that I have the urge to spit out whatever's in my mouth; it shows me that you know me well enough to know what I'll appreciate, and care about me enough to share it with me.
I love you every day that you don't smoke a cigarette; it shows me that even though you set a bad example for me growing up, you did have the sense to change your ways.
I love you every time you poke me on facebook, because even though we have each moved on to other relationships, it shows that you still think of me as I think of you, and that we can still find some common, communicative ground.
I love you when you tell me you love me; it inspires hope in me that maybe someone realizes love the way in which I have for so long.
So then, what is love? I look at some of the words I use above, and I see: inspire, show, share, teach, learn, opportunity, trust, value, appreciate, bond, friendship...just to name a few. I don't think that love is one thing; rather, love is a combination of some (if not all) of these things. For me, love is not what love is for you. Likewise, for Sally or Tommy or Billy or Jen, love is something entirely different. Love is a moment. And, the people we love the most are those with whom we spend the most loving moments. I'm lucky enough to have a few of those people in my life; though I certainly can't proclaim to spend every single solitary moment loving them, I can say that I spend many moments loving them...inspiring them, trusting them, learning from them, bonding with them, appreciating them, valuing them, sharing with them, showing them (or being shown by them), and so on. Te amo, te amo...it's not one thing. It's many things, and it's amazing.
As I was writing this list and thinking of the people I was describing, it came to my attention that I was not simply describing thoughts. Nor was I simply describing words. Nor was I simply describing actions. I was describing a combination of thoughts, words, and actions, and my reactions to them. As I think about how, when, where, or why I love someone else, I realize that I love each and every person in a different way at a different time. I realize that each person that I love holds a significant place in my life, and I can say that I love each person differently...because there are as many forms of love as there are moments in time, and with each passing moment, I love you in a different way.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
I may not be Einstein, but...
Today, I learned something, and I thought I'd share it with you all! Of course, I can't really tell you this without telling you the story behind it, so bear with me. I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. :)
Today I was talking to my mom, and we got on the subject of finances. I told her I was trying to dig myself out of the hole that the month of May left me in, and she responded by saying she wanted to help me out during my student teaching. My mom knows that I can't/won't usually take financial help from them--they have enough of their own issues--but she did insist on helping me during student teaching. That will be great, seeing as I'll be teaching all day every day from September through December, and not getting paid a dime. As a side note, my mom also had to quit her job during HER student teaching (way back in the 70s). I won't be "quitting" mine all together, but I will be restricted to night/weekend hours, and that will majorly limit the amount of money I can actually make.
ANYWAYS. The point came up that I have a bit of credit card debt to pay off, and my mom started in on her rant about how "awful" credit cards are, and how they snowball, and how I'm getting myself into serious trouble. My mom had to watch my dad declare bankruptcy in the 70s because of his immature misuse of money, and she doesn't want me to do the same. My dad didn't make enough money to pay the minimum payments on his credit card(s), so he defaulted. Since then, both of my parents have been very anti-credit card people.
I must say, not having a credit card (and therefore no credit score) has screwed me over in some major ways. My interest rate on my student loan (taken out freshman year) is astronomical. My sophomore year included me being denied a student loan (because of lack of credit) and almost having to drop out of school. Thankfully, I got my act together and now I have two credit cards, which I use regularly and also pay off (or at least make payments towards) regularly. I've been very responsible with them, and I have never tried to go over the credit limit, nor have I been late with my payments. I'm trying to build myself a good credit score so that I have half a chance at financing anything in my future.
Well, today I decided (for once) that forfeiting the fight (aka listening to my mother complain about my credit card use) was worth more than fighting about it, so I listened to her constant warnings about how much debt I'd be in. She brought up the interest rate on the card, which she said must be close to 30%. Okay, THAT I could not take, so I corrected her in saying it was only 18%, thank you very much. She moaned that that is still "way too high," and that I'll end up "in serious trouble soon enough." I realized at this point that I realistically have no idea how my credit card interest rate works. I mean, I have only ever been charged $5-15 in interest charges per month--for the amount that I owe/have owed them, I definitely didn't see how that was 18%! I expressed this to my mom, who said, "Oh, they must be calculating it wrong." I went on to tell her that what I'm charged each month is only ever a little over 1% of what I actually owe. She told me that a) I'm crazy, b) I must be reading the bill wrong, and c) she's sure they're charging me 18% of what I owe each month.
But that doesn't really happen.
Upon getting off the phone with my mom, I became more and more curious as to what I actually DO pay each month! I logged into my (hopefully secure) accounts online and found the information--just as I had recalled. "Ok," I told myself, "there is something here that you're STILL not getting! Figure it out, dummy!" At that opportune moment, my roommate walked into my room. For those of you who know my roommate, you know that he's close to godly in most things math and science related (and if he's not, he sure does maintain the image well). Anyway, I expressed my concern, and he quickly said, "The 18%, that is APR, right?" "Yeah," I replied.
"Do you know what the A in APR stands for?" he asked me.
"Annual!" I replied happily! I still didn't get it though...
He looked at me for another moment, and said, "Think about what you told me. You pay a little over 1% each month. What's 18/12?"
"1.5!" I replied. And then it hit me.
If you already know how this works, or figured it out before this part of the story, I apologize. My brain clearly seemed to be switched to "off." Finally, it turned on!
OH I TOTALLY GET IT NOW! I exclaimed.
Sigh. In case you didn't follow, the 18% is distributed throughout each month of the year. So, you never pay 18% of what you owe any given month; rather, the interest is calculated in such a way so that over the course of a year, you'll pay about 18% of what you owed, on average. (Ok, please excuse my non-math terms, but that's how a non-finance person would understand it.) You can actually read all about it here. Just like I did! They offer a cute little formula (ha ha) to help you figure it out. Basically, this is what did it for me:
So, the system does NOT work in the following way: I owe x. After month one, I owe 1.1825x. After month two, I owe 1.1825(1.1825x) and so on! That's crazy and I'd owe tens of thousands of dollars by now!
And all of this, this discovery, led me to recall one important quotation that I heard a long time. It was said by the dear old Albert Einstein, proclaimed math and science genius. He said, "If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." Well, I don't know how things worked in Mr. Einstein's world, but I don't think that's how things work here. Take this as an example. My mom's theory was that I paid 18% of my debt, plus a minimum payment, each month. The facts (what I'm actually charged) didn't fit her theory. So, she tried to change the facts, saying that I was reading the bill incorrectly, or the company was miscalculating (something I think Visa rarely does, ya know), but guess what?
The facts don't change.
And I think there's an important lesson that one can take away from this encounter (or at least I am doing so). Sometimes, you just have to admit when you're wrong, and change your way of thinking. Not everything works the way you want it to; sometimes, you make a decision based on a theory you have, and the facts just don't seem to agree, so you have to go back and modify that decision, or change it entirely. I think that's so important to keep in mind when trying to figure out "what to do" in life--you can't always change the facts, but you can change the way you think.
Until next time. :)
Today I was talking to my mom, and we got on the subject of finances. I told her I was trying to dig myself out of the hole that the month of May left me in, and she responded by saying she wanted to help me out during my student teaching. My mom knows that I can't/won't usually take financial help from them--they have enough of their own issues--but she did insist on helping me during student teaching. That will be great, seeing as I'll be teaching all day every day from September through December, and not getting paid a dime. As a side note, my mom also had to quit her job during HER student teaching (way back in the 70s). I won't be "quitting" mine all together, but I will be restricted to night/weekend hours, and that will majorly limit the amount of money I can actually make.
ANYWAYS. The point came up that I have a bit of credit card debt to pay off, and my mom started in on her rant about how "awful" credit cards are, and how they snowball, and how I'm getting myself into serious trouble. My mom had to watch my dad declare bankruptcy in the 70s because of his immature misuse of money, and she doesn't want me to do the same. My dad didn't make enough money to pay the minimum payments on his credit card(s), so he defaulted. Since then, both of my parents have been very anti-credit card people.
I must say, not having a credit card (and therefore no credit score) has screwed me over in some major ways. My interest rate on my student loan (taken out freshman year) is astronomical. My sophomore year included me being denied a student loan (because of lack of credit) and almost having to drop out of school. Thankfully, I got my act together and now I have two credit cards, which I use regularly and also pay off (or at least make payments towards) regularly. I've been very responsible with them, and I have never tried to go over the credit limit, nor have I been late with my payments. I'm trying to build myself a good credit score so that I have half a chance at financing anything in my future.
Well, today I decided (for once) that forfeiting the fight (aka listening to my mother complain about my credit card use) was worth more than fighting about it, so I listened to her constant warnings about how much debt I'd be in. She brought up the interest rate on the card, which she said must be close to 30%. Okay, THAT I could not take, so I corrected her in saying it was only 18%, thank you very much. She moaned that that is still "way too high," and that I'll end up "in serious trouble soon enough." I realized at this point that I realistically have no idea how my credit card interest rate works. I mean, I have only ever been charged $5-15 in interest charges per month--for the amount that I owe/have owed them, I definitely didn't see how that was 18%! I expressed this to my mom, who said, "Oh, they must be calculating it wrong." I went on to tell her that what I'm charged each month is only ever a little over 1% of what I actually owe. She told me that a) I'm crazy, b) I must be reading the bill wrong, and c) she's sure they're charging me 18% of what I owe each month.
But that doesn't really happen.
Upon getting off the phone with my mom, I became more and more curious as to what I actually DO pay each month! I logged into my (hopefully secure) accounts online and found the information--just as I had recalled. "Ok," I told myself, "there is something here that you're STILL not getting! Figure it out, dummy!" At that opportune moment, my roommate walked into my room. For those of you who know my roommate, you know that he's close to godly in most things math and science related (and if he's not, he sure does maintain the image well). Anyway, I expressed my concern, and he quickly said, "The 18%, that is APR, right?" "Yeah," I replied.
"Do you know what the A in APR stands for?" he asked me.
"Annual!" I replied happily! I still didn't get it though...
He looked at me for another moment, and said, "Think about what you told me. You pay a little over 1% each month. What's 18/12?"
"1.5!" I replied. And then it hit me.
If you already know how this works, or figured it out before this part of the story, I apologize. My brain clearly seemed to be switched to "off." Finally, it turned on!
OH I TOTALLY GET IT NOW! I exclaimed.
Sigh. In case you didn't follow, the 18% is distributed throughout each month of the year. So, you never pay 18% of what you owe any given month; rather, the interest is calculated in such a way so that over the course of a year, you'll pay about 18% of what you owed, on average. (Ok, please excuse my non-math terms, but that's how a non-finance person would understand it.) You can actually read all about it here. Just like I did! They offer a cute little formula (ha ha) to help you figure it out. Basically, this is what did it for me:
An effective annual interest rate of 10% can also be expressed in several ways:
0.7974% effective monthly interest rate, because 1.007974^12=1.1
9.569% annual interest rate compounded monthly, because 12*0.7974=9.569
9.091% annual rate in advance, because 1/1.1=1-0.091
So, the system does NOT work in the following way: I owe x. After month one, I owe 1.1825x. After month two, I owe 1.1825(1.1825x) and so on! That's crazy and I'd owe tens of thousands of dollars by now!
And all of this, this discovery, led me to recall one important quotation that I heard a long time. It was said by the dear old Albert Einstein, proclaimed math and science genius. He said, "If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." Well, I don't know how things worked in Mr. Einstein's world, but I don't think that's how things work here. Take this as an example. My mom's theory was that I paid 18% of my debt, plus a minimum payment, each month. The facts (what I'm actually charged) didn't fit her theory. So, she tried to change the facts, saying that I was reading the bill incorrectly, or the company was miscalculating (something I think Visa rarely does, ya know), but guess what?
The facts don't change.
And I think there's an important lesson that one can take away from this encounter (or at least I am doing so). Sometimes, you just have to admit when you're wrong, and change your way of thinking. Not everything works the way you want it to; sometimes, you make a decision based on a theory you have, and the facts just don't seem to agree, so you have to go back and modify that decision, or change it entirely. I think that's so important to keep in mind when trying to figure out "what to do" in life--you can't always change the facts, but you can change the way you think.
Until next time. :)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
directions (not north, south, east, and west)
Think of the word directions. What's the first thing that comes to your mind? Some might think of cardinal directions (though not so much anymore, thanks to GPS). But I'd say the second most common, if not most common, initial thought would be: a set of steps to follow in order to accomplish something. The dictionary defines directions as: instruction or guidance for making, using, etc.: directions for baking a cake.
As a teacher, I am all too used to giving students directions. One of the modern theories on that is that teachers should give students less directions--this is an active belief of experiential learning (that is, learning by experience rather than through text or demonstration). Well, let me tell you, although I am a fan of experiential learning, I am also a huge fan of directions.
Why?
Let's think about what the intent is behind a set of directions. As a teacher, I give my students directions to ensure their success. As an "expert in the field" (still getting used to that...) I have studied in depth as to how students learn best, and what will ensure the transfer of meaningful knowledge. I've spent the last three years learning all about the mind and how it works, as well as different ways one can employ when teaching another person. I've proved myself time and time again by writing lesson plans and carrying them out in a classroom setting. I give my students directions so that they will both know what I expect of them and be able to rise to meet and exceed the standards I've set for them. This is all done in their best interest, to make the classes and lessons most meaningful to them.
And, I must say, on average all of my students have done very well with following directions.
Which leads me to my question: do adults just forget that they too should follow directions?
Let me explain. My "day-job" (ha ha) involves processing applications for an online tutoring company. One part of the work includes a "free response" from a tutor--that is, people applying to be tutors are directed to write one to five personalized paragraphs about their qualifications and previous experiences teaching and/or tutoring. After explaining what exactly we want, we then direct tutors to not submit their current resume. We tell them that applications containing a resume will be returned to them for resubmission.
In order to become a tutor, you must be at least 18 years of age, and it is generally assumed that you can read (after all, this is all done online, via computer, where you need to read letters and words to even stumble upon our webpage). So please please please someone explain to me WHY I still receive applications that are simply a resume? Are the tutors just that masochistic that they want to set themselves up for failure that far in advance?
Or is it simply that they didn't take time to read the directions? Just as any good teacher would, we put the directions on our website to ensure our future tutors success. So, why is it then that so few of them take time to read the directions and follow them? It seems to me (and this is just a hunch) that tutors would be saving both us (the content reviewers) and them (the tutors) a lot of time and hassle if they just followed the directions in the first place.
And by seeing this so often, every day of the week, it makes me wonder. Is society just getting that much dumber? Or do people just generally have that much of a lack of regard for directions?
Or, do they simply not understand why directions are placed there?
When I receive a set of directions, providing they make sense and seem meaningful, I am thrilled. To me, directions mean that someone out there cared enough for my well-being that they went ahead and told me what was expected of me so that I could be successful in completing a task.
Think about it. If you were baking a cake, you wouldn't just set the sugar, flour, eggs, milk, and other stuff in a pan and pop it in the oven, right? No, you would follow the directions to ensure that the cake tasted really yummy! So too should you follow directions given in other areas of life--they are there to ensure success.
Trust me, I'm a teacher.
As a teacher, I am all too used to giving students directions. One of the modern theories on that is that teachers should give students less directions--this is an active belief of experiential learning (that is, learning by experience rather than through text or demonstration). Well, let me tell you, although I am a fan of experiential learning, I am also a huge fan of directions.
Why?
Let's think about what the intent is behind a set of directions. As a teacher, I give my students directions to ensure their success. As an "expert in the field" (still getting used to that...) I have studied in depth as to how students learn best, and what will ensure the transfer of meaningful knowledge. I've spent the last three years learning all about the mind and how it works, as well as different ways one can employ when teaching another person. I've proved myself time and time again by writing lesson plans and carrying them out in a classroom setting. I give my students directions so that they will both know what I expect of them and be able to rise to meet and exceed the standards I've set for them. This is all done in their best interest, to make the classes and lessons most meaningful to them.
And, I must say, on average all of my students have done very well with following directions.
Which leads me to my question: do adults just forget that they too should follow directions?
Let me explain. My "day-job" (ha ha) involves processing applications for an online tutoring company. One part of the work includes a "free response" from a tutor--that is, people applying to be tutors are directed to write one to five personalized paragraphs about their qualifications and previous experiences teaching and/or tutoring. After explaining what exactly we want, we then direct tutors to not submit their current resume. We tell them that applications containing a resume will be returned to them for resubmission.
In order to become a tutor, you must be at least 18 years of age, and it is generally assumed that you can read (after all, this is all done online, via computer, where you need to read letters and words to even stumble upon our webpage). So please please please someone explain to me WHY I still receive applications that are simply a resume? Are the tutors just that masochistic that they want to set themselves up for failure that far in advance?
Or is it simply that they didn't take time to read the directions? Just as any good teacher would, we put the directions on our website to ensure our future tutors success. So, why is it then that so few of them take time to read the directions and follow them? It seems to me (and this is just a hunch) that tutors would be saving both us (the content reviewers) and them (the tutors) a lot of time and hassle if they just followed the directions in the first place.
And by seeing this so often, every day of the week, it makes me wonder. Is society just getting that much dumber? Or do people just generally have that much of a lack of regard for directions?
Or, do they simply not understand why directions are placed there?
When I receive a set of directions, providing they make sense and seem meaningful, I am thrilled. To me, directions mean that someone out there cared enough for my well-being that they went ahead and told me what was expected of me so that I could be successful in completing a task.
Think about it. If you were baking a cake, you wouldn't just set the sugar, flour, eggs, milk, and other stuff in a pan and pop it in the oven, right? No, you would follow the directions to ensure that the cake tasted really yummy! So too should you follow directions given in other areas of life--they are there to ensure success.
Trust me, I'm a teacher.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
carpe diem.
Nothing like writing a blog at 2AM when you can't sleep, eh?
So, I recently re-watched most of season 1 of Community. For those of you who don't know, it's a show "mocking" a community college, but it actually takes a pretty close look at life and relationships between people: friends, teachers/students, lovers, and the like. It's funny (of course, with Joel McHale how could it not be?!) and it often either exposes a part of life we refuse to confront, or "teaches a lesson," so to speak. I recently watched an episode in which the professor of the class was very "Carpe diem!"--albeit, it seemed very fake (he was too happy!). He told his students they would only pass the class if they could "seize the day" (as the phrase loosely translates).
So, throughout the episode, Jeff (Joel McHale) goes on about trying to plan some a way to seize the day.
If you're not laughing yet, or at least chuckling or shaking your head...you should be.
He's planning to seize the day?! Come on now! How do you plan to be spontaneous?!
Well, so as to not leave you hanging (and spoiler alert, for those who plan on watching season 1 but haven't yet), Jeff tries and tries to impress the professor by "seizing the day"...only when Jeff is in the professor's presence! It's so contrived, it's unbelievable. And finally, Britta (Jeff's romantic interest/friend on the show) helps him "seize the day" by pulling him into a passionate kiss in the middle of the quad. The professor sees, and gives Jeff an "A" for seizing the day.
Ok, now by this point, you're probably thinking, "So what? Where the hell are you going with this?" And I admit, it seems a little silly to go into such detail. But this aligns SO much with my life right now! In my life, I see Jeffs, and I see Brittas. And, I admit, for the most part...I am a Jeff.
It's not that I don't like being spontaneous, or doing random things, but for the most part, I have a lot of responsibilities. Welcome to the real world: being an adult, and making commitments. Although I was likely more of a Britta in high school... since I've started college, I've definitely become a Jeff. And, in a strange way, I think that's a good thing.
I can plan, and organize, things to a T. I can schedule and manage my time; when I want to do something, I follow through and make sure it gets done. People looked at my work/school schedule this past semester, and said, "You're a crazy woman!" And (while that is true, sometimes) I'd have to disagree overall. I am a Jeff. I plan to succeed, and the only way for me to do that is by keeping a schedule. I mean, if I "carpe diem'd" all day, I would not get anything done!
And, that's not to say that I don't enjoy being random in general. Why, just tonight I started looking at plane/train/bus tickets to go see a good friend in Pennsylvania. It's completely random, unapproved (though warranted), but I still allowed myself to do it, and am still seriously considering it. However, this is not the general way I live my life.
Although there's a lot to be said for people who do seize the day (they tend to have more fun, at least), I do think there's a lot to be said for the Jeff Wingers out there. Despite being cynical, crude, and sometimes a downright asshole, his heart is often in the right place. By that I mean, he's in it to win it (so to speak), and at the same time he shows a great amount of loyalty and caring towards his friends (that's awkwardly phrased, but it's 2 AM and I really can't think of how to say it better). I have a lot of reasons to thank my Jeff Winger personality. My Jeff-ness (haha) has allowed me to do things like:
-move out of my parents' house
-minimize tuition
-pull my GPA up over 3.7
-pull straight A's the majority of the time
-keep a steady work schedule
-find meaningful work in my field
-hold down 4+ jobs while still attending school
-take the maximum amount of credits in school (gotta get your money's worth!)
-build lasting friendships
-maintain close ties with my family (for the most part)
-build lasting relationships (ha, maybe still debatable. rather, build the potential for lasting relationships)
-commit, and follow through, with things like: hosting guests, attending social gatherings, attending family events, and so on
-write good lesson plans that a) have a timeline and b) are relevant, fun, and creative
-work the same job(s) for more than two years without having to quit, or without getting fired and/or laid off
-commit my time to a family (not just a student) that I tutor
-launch a successful social media campaign, and receive positive feedback from even the CEO of the company for which I work
And so on.
Well, let me pause here and reflect. Lately, I've been in a "poor me" state for the most part. What do I mean by this? Well, the month of June was particularly rough on me. I lost a lot, including a family member whom I will never see again. For the past week, despite amazingly happy developments in my life, I could only think about "the losses" I've "suffered." And now, in making this list, I can see that while I have lost significant things (people, opportunities, relationships, friendships, and the like), the amount of things I still have are so great in number. And, looking at this list, I have to stop myself and ask, "How in the world could you think, "poor me"? Because, let's face it, when it comes right down to it, I have a lot going for me right now. In addition to all that listed above, I'm also getting ready to start student teaching (yay 5th grade!), and getting ready to graduate next spring. Yep, that's about 10 months away right now--crazy, right?
So, while I'm not entirely ready to jump on the carpe diem bandwagon, I can say that at least what I do have is working for me, Jeff Winger style.
Long story short (I know, you're thinking "this is far from short!"--I agree), I'm on the edge of glory (if you haven't heard the song or watch the video--please do so!). It doesn't matter how I got to the edge, whether I seized the day or planned my way here. What matters is that I arrived. They say that life isn't about the destination, it's about the journey. While I agree that the journey is important, I also recognize that if you don't have a destination, you'll never get anywhere.
Because I don't want to leave the song hanging, take another look at it. Sure, you might think it sounds monotonous, like "just another pop song" or (worse) "just another stupid thing from Gaga." But look closely, at the lyrics (I'm going to take out a few repetitions--don't worry, if you listen you'll hear them):
Sure, being that it's art, there are multiple interpretations, but here's mine (applied directly to my life, so feel free to disagree): I AM on the edge of glory, and that's a great thing. We all work towards some sort of goal, our own personal glory if you will. And, there comes a time in each of our lives when we are *so close* to it, we can feel it--we're right there. On the edge, if you will. And, it may be just one little thing to push us over the top. One word of encouragement from a friend, one bold action, one kiss or touch, one hater trying to bring us down...no matter what it is, that's what puts us over the edge. Right now, I'm on the edge of glory. I'm starting my last year of school--student teaching will be what puts me over the edge, and pushes me towards glory.
And, I can't wait.
So, to my Britta friends, carpe diem. And, to my fellow Jeff friends... best of luck in reaching the edge.
Peace. <3. Happiness.
So, I recently re-watched most of season 1 of Community. For those of you who don't know, it's a show "mocking" a community college, but it actually takes a pretty close look at life and relationships between people: friends, teachers/students, lovers, and the like. It's funny (of course, with Joel McHale how could it not be?!) and it often either exposes a part of life we refuse to confront, or "teaches a lesson," so to speak. I recently watched an episode in which the professor of the class was very "Carpe diem!"--albeit, it seemed very fake (he was too happy!). He told his students they would only pass the class if they could "seize the day" (as the phrase loosely translates).
So, throughout the episode, Jeff (Joel McHale) goes on about trying to plan some a way to seize the day.
If you're not laughing yet, or at least chuckling or shaking your head...you should be.
He's planning to seize the day?! Come on now! How do you plan to be spontaneous?!
Well, so as to not leave you hanging (and spoiler alert, for those who plan on watching season 1 but haven't yet), Jeff tries and tries to impress the professor by "seizing the day"...only when Jeff is in the professor's presence! It's so contrived, it's unbelievable. And finally, Britta (Jeff's romantic interest/friend on the show) helps him "seize the day" by pulling him into a passionate kiss in the middle of the quad. The professor sees, and gives Jeff an "A" for seizing the day.
Ok, now by this point, you're probably thinking, "So what? Where the hell are you going with this?" And I admit, it seems a little silly to go into such detail. But this aligns SO much with my life right now! In my life, I see Jeffs, and I see Brittas. And, I admit, for the most part...I am a Jeff.
It's not that I don't like being spontaneous, or doing random things, but for the most part, I have a lot of responsibilities. Welcome to the real world: being an adult, and making commitments. Although I was likely more of a Britta in high school... since I've started college, I've definitely become a Jeff. And, in a strange way, I think that's a good thing.
I can plan, and organize, things to a T. I can schedule and manage my time; when I want to do something, I follow through and make sure it gets done. People looked at my work/school schedule this past semester, and said, "You're a crazy woman!" And (while that is true, sometimes) I'd have to disagree overall. I am a Jeff. I plan to succeed, and the only way for me to do that is by keeping a schedule. I mean, if I "carpe diem'd" all day, I would not get anything done!
And, that's not to say that I don't enjoy being random in general. Why, just tonight I started looking at plane/train/bus tickets to go see a good friend in Pennsylvania. It's completely random, unapproved (though warranted), but I still allowed myself to do it, and am still seriously considering it. However, this is not the general way I live my life.
Although there's a lot to be said for people who do seize the day (they tend to have more fun, at least), I do think there's a lot to be said for the Jeff Wingers out there. Despite being cynical, crude, and sometimes a downright asshole, his heart is often in the right place. By that I mean, he's in it to win it (so to speak), and at the same time he shows a great amount of loyalty and caring towards his friends (that's awkwardly phrased, but it's 2 AM and I really can't think of how to say it better). I have a lot of reasons to thank my Jeff Winger personality. My Jeff-ness (haha) has allowed me to do things like:
-move out of my parents' house
-minimize tuition
-pull my GPA up over 3.7
-pull straight A's the majority of the time
-keep a steady work schedule
-find meaningful work in my field
-hold down 4+ jobs while still attending school
-take the maximum amount of credits in school (gotta get your money's worth!)
-build lasting friendships
-maintain close ties with my family (for the most part)
-build lasting relationships (ha, maybe still debatable. rather, build the potential for lasting relationships)
-commit, and follow through, with things like: hosting guests, attending social gatherings, attending family events, and so on
-write good lesson plans that a) have a timeline and b) are relevant, fun, and creative
-work the same job(s) for more than two years without having to quit, or without getting fired and/or laid off
-commit my time to a family (not just a student) that I tutor
-launch a successful social media campaign, and receive positive feedback from even the CEO of the company for which I work
And so on.
Well, let me pause here and reflect. Lately, I've been in a "poor me" state for the most part. What do I mean by this? Well, the month of June was particularly rough on me. I lost a lot, including a family member whom I will never see again. For the past week, despite amazingly happy developments in my life, I could only think about "the losses" I've "suffered." And now, in making this list, I can see that while I have lost significant things (people, opportunities, relationships, friendships, and the like), the amount of things I still have are so great in number. And, looking at this list, I have to stop myself and ask, "How in the world could you think, "poor me"? Because, let's face it, when it comes right down to it, I have a lot going for me right now. In addition to all that listed above, I'm also getting ready to start student teaching (yay 5th grade!), and getting ready to graduate next spring. Yep, that's about 10 months away right now--crazy, right?
So, while I'm not entirely ready to jump on the carpe diem bandwagon, I can say that at least what I do have is working for me, Jeff Winger style.
Long story short (I know, you're thinking "this is far from short!"--I agree), I'm on the edge of glory (if you haven't heard the song or watch the video--please do so!). It doesn't matter how I got to the edge, whether I seized the day or planned my way here. What matters is that I arrived. They say that life isn't about the destination, it's about the journey. While I agree that the journey is important, I also recognize that if you don't have a destination, you'll never get anywhere.
Because I don't want to leave the song hanging, take another look at it. Sure, you might think it sounds monotonous, like "just another pop song" or (worse) "just another stupid thing from Gaga." But look closely, at the lyrics (I'm going to take out a few repetitions--don't worry, if you listen you'll hear them):
Another shot, before we kiss the other side,
Tonight, yeah baby.
I'm on the edge of something final we call life tonight
Alright, alright.
Put on your shades 'cause I'll be dancing in the flames
Tonight, yeah baby
It isn't Hell if everybody knows my name
Tonight, alright, alright.
It's hot to feel the rush,
To brush the dangerous.
I'm gonna run back to, to the edge with you
Where we can both fall far in love.
I'm on the edge of glory,
And I'm hanging on a moment of truth,
Out on the edge of glory,
And I'm hanging on a moment with you,
I'm on the edge of glory
And I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge with you
...
I'm on the edge with you
Sure, being that it's art, there are multiple interpretations, but here's mine (applied directly to my life, so feel free to disagree): I AM on the edge of glory, and that's a great thing. We all work towards some sort of goal, our own personal glory if you will. And, there comes a time in each of our lives when we are *so close* to it, we can feel it--we're right there. On the edge, if you will. And, it may be just one little thing to push us over the top. One word of encouragement from a friend, one bold action, one kiss or touch, one hater trying to bring us down...no matter what it is, that's what puts us over the edge. Right now, I'm on the edge of glory. I'm starting my last year of school--student teaching will be what puts me over the edge, and pushes me towards glory.
And, I can't wait.
So, to my Britta friends, carpe diem. And, to my fellow Jeff friends... best of luck in reaching the edge.
Peace. <3. Happiness.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The cost of an education (why I teach).
One of the best privileges of holding multiple jobs is having the chance to experience education from multiple angles. One job in particular, for a company that matches tutors and students nationwide, has been on my mind in particular lately. I'm not at liberty to name the company on here, but I do all types of work for them. I take issue with a few policies, most of which I shouldn't be writing about publicly, but I'll share with you one today that's been on my mind a lot recently.
The cost of a tutor.
The tutors for the company I'm referring to are allowed to set their own hourly rate for tutoring students. The company I work for then swipes 40% of what the tutor charges, leaving the tutor with the remaining 60% of the original rate. All things set aside, this is how it happens, and I'm not going to comment on that, at least not at the moment.
The company's tutors are invited to keep their own blogs on the site, which I am (partially) in charge of reading, approving, and then (if I see fit) commenting on and engaging individual tutors to make them feel more welcome and comfortable sharing information, and so on. Recently, I had posted on one woman tutor's blog. The blog was about "the bravest kids in school," and was a lovely reflection on both general and special education. The tutor basically said that, any student who feels uncomfortable in school, either with the material (too hard, too much too fast, etc), with classmates (victims of bullying), or with the teacher(s) is one of the bravest students in school for sticking it out and returning every day. I liked every image her blog implied, so I commented and told her that, as a fellow teacher, I completely respected and agreed with her opinion, and that I was very glad that students may have the opportunity to find tutors, or teachers, like ourselves to help them through such a seemingly difficult time in their education. She actually responded back, thanking me for my support, and then engaged me in further conversation saying how much she loved having the opportunity to help children so much.
Intrigued, I clicked the link to her profile to see what her story was....AND WAS APPALLED AT WHAT I FOUND!
Her hourly tutoring rate is...
Wait, before I tell you, let's take a little test here. Let's imagine you are a parent, and have a child who needs a tutor. This isn't a one time thing, but you know you'll be paying this tutor for a minimum of 5 months, and would like your child to be tutored at least 2 times per week (since studies, like mine!, show that for tutoring to have any effect at all, it needs to be done at least twice weekly, if not three times, consistently over time).
Ok, so you have have all that information? Now imagine you are a parent that is with your significant other/spouse (which is fairly rare these days) but that your spouse is on unemployment, collecting about $800/month. You work part time, minimum wage, at a local store because that is all the work you can find, despite your college degree. You average about 25 hours per week, at $8.25 an hour, which means you're making about $825/month, but that's before taxes. After taxes, your family nets about $1450/month (and that's being generous). The apartment you're renting costs $900/month for the two bedrooms you have. You have an electric bill (~$50/month) as well as a gas bill (~$30/month) as well as cell phones for you and your significant other (~$100/month). Now, you're up to $1080, and you haven't bought groceries yet, nor have you clothed your kid(s), paid for doctor's visits, school/book fees, and the like.
Now, back to the original point. Your child needs a tutor because they are not understanding the curriculum in school. You'd help, but you're usually at work or trying to pick up hours as a cleaning lady on the side to bring in a little extra cash. Your significant other can't help your child, because he/she either doesn't know how, or your child won't respond. So you think, how much could I afford to put into my child's education? I have him/her in school, already, shouldn't that be enough?
So, I ask you, how much would you expect to pay for your child's education? Think about this, think long and hard. What hourly rate would you expect?
When I opened this tutor's profile, when I actually clicked through to see what she was charging those that she "loves" to help, I was shocked. Her hourly rate, folks, is $60/hour.
So, let's see, your kid needs a tutor. You decide the tutor and your child should meet twice per week, that's $120/week, that's $480/month.
Did you even have that much to begin with, before you bought groceries, clothed your kid, took him/her to the doctor, paid for school/sports fees, and so on? Yeah... I didn't think so.
It's times like these, when I see people charging SO MUCH for help, that I have to stop myself and think, what are they really getting at? What is their ultimate goal? In this melting pot we're in, all kids are entitled to an equal opportunity at an education. But without the proper support, not all kids HAVE an equal opportunity to obtain an education. As a teacher, I am committed to the success of my students...not ripping them off. I have never charged more than $10 an hour for tutoring. My current student's family hasn't paid me since February...and I haven't asked for the money, either. Why? Because I know my student needs the help. I know, deep down in my heart, that I would tutor this student anyway, with or without the money, because he deserves a good education, and a fair shake at success in school, which is what I'm trying to help him find. Now go back to that math we were doing earlier. At $10/hour, two times per week, parents would be spending an average of $80/month extra on their child's education. Sure, even this isn't ideal, but it's much more manageable than the $480 option with which we had originally calculated.
I must say that I do wonder about teachers sometimes. One of my first semesters in college, I had a professor say to me, "Well, one thing about education majors is clear: you guys aren't choosing this option for the money." And it's true, not once since studying education have I thought "Man I can't wait til I'm a teacher, making the big bucks!" It's just not something that happens, especially not in elementary schools.
I guess what I'm saying is, if the families you're catering to as a tutor can afford to pay you $60/hour, that's great, and I'm sure you're worth it. Having never had any experience serving these types of families, I really wouldn't know what that feels like. But I will tell you one thing: the first time my student came to me with no Ds or Fs on his report card? Well, that, my friends, was worth a million bucks. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.
So keep that in mind, the next time you hear about someone tutoring. The best tutoring in life comes cheap, or free, or...better said, the best tutoring in life is affordable, whatever "affordable" may mean for you. Because honestly, tutoring means nothing if it's causing financial ruin or strain. And tutors: remember to take your family into consideration. If they can afford to pay you $10/hour, or even less, know that it is the best money they've ever spent, and they would pay you the world if they could. At least, I know mine would.
I say this because everyone deserves a chance, an equal opportunity at education. Since no two kids are equal, no two opportunities look the same either, and some kids need a lot of extra support to have the same chance as another student, who many need no extra support. It's definitely something to consider, at any rate.
Thanks for reading, as always. :)
The cost of a tutor.
The tutors for the company I'm referring to are allowed to set their own hourly rate for tutoring students. The company I work for then swipes 40% of what the tutor charges, leaving the tutor with the remaining 60% of the original rate. All things set aside, this is how it happens, and I'm not going to comment on that, at least not at the moment.
The company's tutors are invited to keep their own blogs on the site, which I am (partially) in charge of reading, approving, and then (if I see fit) commenting on and engaging individual tutors to make them feel more welcome and comfortable sharing information, and so on. Recently, I had posted on one woman tutor's blog. The blog was about "the bravest kids in school," and was a lovely reflection on both general and special education. The tutor basically said that, any student who feels uncomfortable in school, either with the material (too hard, too much too fast, etc), with classmates (victims of bullying), or with the teacher(s) is one of the bravest students in school for sticking it out and returning every day. I liked every image her blog implied, so I commented and told her that, as a fellow teacher, I completely respected and agreed with her opinion, and that I was very glad that students may have the opportunity to find tutors, or teachers, like ourselves to help them through such a seemingly difficult time in their education. She actually responded back, thanking me for my support, and then engaged me in further conversation saying how much she loved having the opportunity to help children so much.
Intrigued, I clicked the link to her profile to see what her story was....AND WAS APPALLED AT WHAT I FOUND!
Her hourly tutoring rate is...
Wait, before I tell you, let's take a little test here. Let's imagine you are a parent, and have a child who needs a tutor. This isn't a one time thing, but you know you'll be paying this tutor for a minimum of 5 months, and would like your child to be tutored at least 2 times per week (since studies, like mine!, show that for tutoring to have any effect at all, it needs to be done at least twice weekly, if not three times, consistently over time).
Ok, so you have have all that information? Now imagine you are a parent that is with your significant other/spouse (which is fairly rare these days) but that your spouse is on unemployment, collecting about $800/month. You work part time, minimum wage, at a local store because that is all the work you can find, despite your college degree. You average about 25 hours per week, at $8.25 an hour, which means you're making about $825/month, but that's before taxes. After taxes, your family nets about $1450/month (and that's being generous). The apartment you're renting costs $900/month for the two bedrooms you have. You have an electric bill (~$50/month) as well as a gas bill (~$30/month) as well as cell phones for you and your significant other (~$100/month). Now, you're up to $1080, and you haven't bought groceries yet, nor have you clothed your kid(s), paid for doctor's visits, school/book fees, and the like.
Now, back to the original point. Your child needs a tutor because they are not understanding the curriculum in school. You'd help, but you're usually at work or trying to pick up hours as a cleaning lady on the side to bring in a little extra cash. Your significant other can't help your child, because he/she either doesn't know how, or your child won't respond. So you think, how much could I afford to put into my child's education? I have him/her in school, already, shouldn't that be enough?
So, I ask you, how much would you expect to pay for your child's education? Think about this, think long and hard. What hourly rate would you expect?
When I opened this tutor's profile, when I actually clicked through to see what she was charging those that she "loves" to help, I was shocked. Her hourly rate, folks, is $60/hour.
So, let's see, your kid needs a tutor. You decide the tutor and your child should meet twice per week, that's $120/week, that's $480/month.
Did you even have that much to begin with, before you bought groceries, clothed your kid, took him/her to the doctor, paid for school/sports fees, and so on? Yeah... I didn't think so.
It's times like these, when I see people charging SO MUCH for help, that I have to stop myself and think, what are they really getting at? What is their ultimate goal? In this melting pot we're in, all kids are entitled to an equal opportunity at an education. But without the proper support, not all kids HAVE an equal opportunity to obtain an education. As a teacher, I am committed to the success of my students...not ripping them off. I have never charged more than $10 an hour for tutoring. My current student's family hasn't paid me since February...and I haven't asked for the money, either. Why? Because I know my student needs the help. I know, deep down in my heart, that I would tutor this student anyway, with or without the money, because he deserves a good education, and a fair shake at success in school, which is what I'm trying to help him find. Now go back to that math we were doing earlier. At $10/hour, two times per week, parents would be spending an average of $80/month extra on their child's education. Sure, even this isn't ideal, but it's much more manageable than the $480 option with which we had originally calculated.
I must say that I do wonder about teachers sometimes. One of my first semesters in college, I had a professor say to me, "Well, one thing about education majors is clear: you guys aren't choosing this option for the money." And it's true, not once since studying education have I thought "Man I can't wait til I'm a teacher, making the big bucks!" It's just not something that happens, especially not in elementary schools.
I guess what I'm saying is, if the families you're catering to as a tutor can afford to pay you $60/hour, that's great, and I'm sure you're worth it. Having never had any experience serving these types of families, I really wouldn't know what that feels like. But I will tell you one thing: the first time my student came to me with no Ds or Fs on his report card? Well, that, my friends, was worth a million bucks. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.
So keep that in mind, the next time you hear about someone tutoring. The best tutoring in life comes cheap, or free, or...better said, the best tutoring in life is affordable, whatever "affordable" may mean for you. Because honestly, tutoring means nothing if it's causing financial ruin or strain. And tutors: remember to take your family into consideration. If they can afford to pay you $10/hour, or even less, know that it is the best money they've ever spent, and they would pay you the world if they could. At least, I know mine would.
I say this because everyone deserves a chance, an equal opportunity at education. Since no two kids are equal, no two opportunities look the same either, and some kids need a lot of extra support to have the same chance as another student, who many need no extra support. It's definitely something to consider, at any rate.
Thanks for reading, as always. :)
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