I enjoy working with all of my clients but sometimes, they leave to go on much needed vacations over the holidays to help their brain relax from all the learning and routine that they have been exposed to in the last few months.
The reason why I am writing this is because I want to stress that Learning Does Not Have To Take Place In A Building... It can take place anywhere - in the arms of a loving parent or grandparent, in the care of an astute professional, or through an environment rich with opportunities for development such as a community center or a library.
One of my little clients (although she is starting to grow at an Olympic rate and I am afraid that she will become taller than me by next year) left to travel overseas for almost six weeks. One month before her trip, her mother asked if I could prepare lessons for her that they can work on over the month. I obliged and completed a packet full of resources and activities that could augment in me not being there. When I handed the folder off, it was "Christine In A Box" - a basic substitution for me on vacation..
Weeks went by and as each major holiday passed, I would sit and aimlessly wonder how she was doing. I normally do not share this information with my clients (as it shows them how sentimental I become) but I would hope that her mother and her would share some quality time together and read some of the information that I had put together for her. I know how hard her mother works - (she reminds me of my own brother, who recently had to quit his job to tend to my beautiful niece who has a physical disability) and was quite excited to see how she would execute the "vacation learning challenge" with me.
After all the major holidays passed, the mother finally contacted me when things had settled down from the trip. I was so excited to learn about how my little learner took to the books that I had prepared for her. I noticed that she had learned so much in the last few weeks that seemed like an eternity to me. She read all of the 72 books (yes - 72. You should have seen the look on my face when I gave those books to her mother. I was terrified that she would throw them all away in the garbage.) that I had passively assigned to her. It was as if she had been reading for the last few years - and not just a few months.
More importantly, when I finally met my little learner, I noticed a sense of closeness that she felt towards me that was not present before. Her "physical space" was a bit narrower and the only regret that I felt was that I did not seize the moment and applaud her for feeling comfortable. I was in complete awe with her development and was so proud to be a part of it all.
The reason why I am writing this is because I want to stress that Learning Does Not Have To Take Place In A Building... It can take place anywhere - in the arms of a loving parent or grandparent, in the care of an astute professional, or through an environment rich with opportunities for development such as a community center or a library.
One of my little clients (although she is starting to grow at an Olympic rate and I am afraid that she will become taller than me by next year) left to travel overseas for almost six weeks. One month before her trip, her mother asked if I could prepare lessons for her that they can work on over the month. I obliged and completed a packet full of resources and activities that could augment in me not being there. When I handed the folder off, it was "Christine In A Box" - a basic substitution for me on vacation..
Weeks went by and as each major holiday passed, I would sit and aimlessly wonder how she was doing. I normally do not share this information with my clients (as it shows them how sentimental I become) but I would hope that her mother and her would share some quality time together and read some of the information that I had put together for her. I know how hard her mother works - (she reminds me of my own brother, who recently had to quit his job to tend to my beautiful niece who has a physical disability) and was quite excited to see how she would execute the "vacation learning challenge" with me.
After all the major holidays passed, the mother finally contacted me when things had settled down from the trip. I was so excited to learn about how my little learner took to the books that I had prepared for her. I noticed that she had learned so much in the last few weeks that seemed like an eternity to me. She read all of the 72 books (yes - 72. You should have seen the look on my face when I gave those books to her mother. I was terrified that she would throw them all away in the garbage.) that I had passively assigned to her. It was as if she had been reading for the last few years - and not just a few months.
More importantly, when I finally met my little learner, I noticed a sense of closeness that she felt towards me that was not present before. Her "physical space" was a bit narrower and the only regret that I felt was that I did not seize the moment and applaud her for feeling comfortable. I was in complete awe with her development and was so proud to be a part of it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment