Successful tutoring can be measured in different ways. Yes, grades are important and we strive fully for our students to increase their grades in school. After all, that is one of the reasons why some of our students come to us in the first place.
However, obtaining better grades is not the only goal we have at Accelerate Tutoring. We strive for our students to become independent learners who take ownership of their learning. I will be the first to admit that it is not an easy task, however it is a task that is so valuable and fulfilling.
...obtaining better grades is not the only goal we have at Accelerate Tutoring.
Ayden came to us when he was in third grade last year. His mom got in touch with me because he needed help with math and writing. His mom shared with me that Ayden did not like writing at all.
During the assessment, I asked Ayden to write a paragraph in response to a writing prompt I had given him. He sat there staring at the paper for a while, and after a few minutes, he wrote an incomplete sentence and said he was finished. I could see on his face that he was not thrilled to be in our tutoring session.
So what can a tutor do in this situation? Give give up or try something new? Giving up is not an option! The assessment gives us and insight into our journey ahead. During Ayden's assessment, I could see that Ayden needed something to motivate him to want to write. As I worked with him during our math sessions, I discovered that he loved superheroes, especially Spiderman, and he also loved cars. So I began to include these topics in our sessions.
Ayden needed something to motivate him to want to write.
At the beginning Ayden had a big wall up. I call it the “wall of resistance” . We would work together on a specific kind of writing. (persuasive, narrative, etc) Ayden would begin writing a few sentences because it had to do with a topic that was of interest to him. However, when I wanted to go ahead and implement the writing process, (planning, drafting, revising, proofreading, editing and publishing,) Ayden would bring that wall up again. He would look at me and nod his head, but he would refuse to implement the instructions and strategies I would teach him. It was challenging working together sometimes. I remember having to pause the session to talk to Ayden about his resistance to instruction. I would ask him why he was in the session, and who was the tutor. I would ask him if he trusted me to guide him, and I could see at first that he didn’t.
As our sessions continued to take place, we began looking at sentences and what makes them complete. We started taking our sentences and making them “juicier” (more descriptive.) Ayden really liked this part. He loved taking simple boring sentences and turning them into longer, more descriptive sentences.
Ayden would write and I would help him revise. Ayden would get frustrated if he wrote a few sentences, and I asked him to revise them. Nonetheless, I continued to remind him that writing is a process and it’s okay to change things up. Having to revise our writing once or many times doesn’t equate to us not being intelligent at all. The writing process is an art that we craft and perfect as we continue to revise and edit. I collaborated with his mom, who has been an excellent supporter of her son’s learning. She would follow through with any specific assignments, or revisions that needed to take place.
The writing process is an art that we craft and perfect as we continue to revise and edit.
I can’t explain the joy I felt when one day, I asked Ayden to expand a simple sentence I gave him, and he wrote a whole paragraph with descriptive words, and he wanted to continue writing. I had to ask him to stop because we were out of time and I had another session right after. Was the paragraph perfect? Not at all, but I felt so happy because I could see that the wall had begun to come down. Ayden was finally understanding that our sessions were a safe place to try new things and make mistakes. I praised Ayden for his awesome effort and he said something I will never forget. “ I have evolved! I am a new Ayden!” I love this phrase and it reminds me that our students have so much potential if we just take time to listen and observe what they need.
I praised Ayden for his awesome effort and he said something I will never forget. “ I have evolved! I am a new Ayden!”
From that day forward, Ayden started to take ownership of his learning. He would come to our session with specific ideas of what to write about, or if I had something planned, he would ask me if it would be okay to modify it in a way that included what he was thinking about. Seeing Ayden empowered to write, makes my heart full every session. We have continued working together. I no longer have to push Ayden to write. He is motivated during our sessions and I love that if I come with a plan, I must also leave some room for Ayden’s creativity. Last week, he told me that he had begun writing a piece at home about dinosaurs and he wanted us to leave a few minutes at the end of our session to revise it together. Oh my goodness, this request made my day! I am currently encouraging Ayden to apply everything he does with me to his everyday activities at school. I am beyond proud of Ayden, it was not easy to tutor him at first, but it has been one worth every while! I am so grateful for him and all he has learned and continues to learn. As I have mentioned in my other blog in order to have a successful tutoring experience, a tutor and a student must operate under the influence of humility which will then yield amazing results!
a tutor and a student must operate under the influence of humility which will then yield amazing results!
If your child is experiencing what Ayden experienced in writing, do not wait any longer, please reach out to us for a free assessment. We would love to join you in your child’s educational journey.
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