One interesting thing about the schools I work with this year, other than the recent shuffling of some high schools (Johnston High now is Eastside Memorial), is the block schedule. This means that I have two sets of students that I see every other week, but doing more or less the same material for both groups. It’s actually an opportune time to try different things and see what works, but what I’ve found is that I come in and approach the tutoring session in more or less the same way. 

Every now and again we get opportunities to develop change in our lives. Change is difficult. It means viewing things in a completely different way, mostly in ways that are not comfortable. It requires listening to people, maybe from people we do not like, and hearing things we do not want hear. This is all part of development, and getting over this barrier can open up a brand new world.

Somtimes we need more deliberation and awareness to help us implement change. At my last APIE class, I took a few minutes of just quietly observing. Looking at the students working hard (and some not at all, heh). Looking at the dynamics between the students. Looking at the way my fellow tutors were communicating with the students. I didn’t realize how differently my peers were engaging the students and it was great because they approached things in ways I couldn’t think of. After class, I chatted briefly with one of the tutors who works with high school kids regularly. She shared some great advice, and I am glad I stepped out of my way to talk to her.

Change is always possible. Don’t forget there are people there to help, if you are just willing to ask for honest feedback. Make the decision today that something can be learned from anyone.

APIE