Recently, I've had the pleasure of speaking to a student who has enrolled in a local test-preparation course for a college entrance exam. He debriefed me on some of the areas of the test-preparation facility that would be of interest to me. One of the stories that he had shared with me was the environment that was apparently unfriendly compared to what he is used to.
After attending several sessions, he stated that some of the hired "tutors" made him feel stupid (I dislike this "s" word and spent several minutes even contemplating using this banished term from my blog) because of some of the mathematics concepts that he has not been exposed to. Another iota that was shared during the discussion was the amount of teaching (or lack of) that he was receiving during the test-preparation sessions. I know the price that his father has paid for this service - and to hear that a professional service provider would be doing this is something that upsets me more than any parent can imagine.
Before I became I teacher - I was definitely a great facilitator both in businesses that I had started at the age of 19 and in the various national companies that I have worked for. I recall that when it was time to study for a certification exam, crowds of newly hired employees would surround me to listen to me "teach". Even when I was in high school, my teachers would call on me to take over class discussions and offer my (very polarized) opinion on what the topic was.
Education - and the psychology of learning by leadership (and a certain knack for commerce) was handed down in my family. I come from a long line of "know it alls", but being humble and not imposing on a student's self-confidence has always been a priority for me. Insulting a student because they do not know the answer to a question is not a poor reflection on the student, but on the person that is requesting for that task to be performed. A true educator is one that demands more from themselves - than their own students. If you have not found the right switch to turn on, then you are probably in the wrong place.
Whenever you talk to your child about their tutoring session, ask them how effective their teacher is in helping them understand the information. Teaching is not about writing information on a piece of paper, blackboard, whiteboard or orange board. It is about providing an environment and experience where students will understand the information - naturally. There are many people that are teachers out there, but it takes a special person to help someone learn.
After attending several sessions, he stated that some of the hired "tutors" made him feel stupid (I dislike this "s" word and spent several minutes even contemplating using this banished term from my blog) because of some of the mathematics concepts that he has not been exposed to. Another iota that was shared during the discussion was the amount of teaching (or lack of) that he was receiving during the test-preparation sessions. I know the price that his father has paid for this service - and to hear that a professional service provider would be doing this is something that upsets me more than any parent can imagine.
Before I became I teacher - I was definitely a great facilitator both in businesses that I had started at the age of 19 and in the various national companies that I have worked for. I recall that when it was time to study for a certification exam, crowds of newly hired employees would surround me to listen to me "teach". Even when I was in high school, my teachers would call on me to take over class discussions and offer my (very polarized) opinion on what the topic was.
Education - and the psychology of learning by leadership (and a certain knack for commerce) was handed down in my family. I come from a long line of "know it alls", but being humble and not imposing on a student's self-confidence has always been a priority for me. Insulting a student because they do not know the answer to a question is not a poor reflection on the student, but on the person that is requesting for that task to be performed. A true educator is one that demands more from themselves - than their own students. If you have not found the right switch to turn on, then you are probably in the wrong place.
Whenever you talk to your child about their tutoring session, ask them how effective their teacher is in helping them understand the information. Teaching is not about writing information on a piece of paper, blackboard, whiteboard or orange board. It is about providing an environment and experience where students will understand the information - naturally. There are many people that are teachers out there, but it takes a special person to help someone learn.
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