This week, we had an influx of parents coming in to sign their students up for tutoring. The first couple parents seemed a “normal” amount to me, but by the end of the second day, I was wondering what was going on. I checked the school calendar, and sure enough, report cards went home last week! We are now close to 30 students on our waiting list, and the first student o the list has been there since the beginning of November. With this influx of students, I have redoubled my efforts in finding volunteers; renewing postings on various sites, and even contacting local retirement homes. Hopefully, one day, our capacity will not be determined by how many volunteers we have, but by the office space we rent.
While the week was a short one due to there being no school on Monday, there were definitely ups and downs with some of the students we work with. Many times I have mentioned a set of brothers in second grade, who have been coming to LIST. I have seen them make progress, but lately, their attendance has been inconsistent, and they have not been studying and doing extra work at home. Unfortunately, at this point, there seems to be little I can do; they are so far behind that is it going to take far more then coming to LIST once in a while to really make a difference. Next week, I am going to have to speak to the mom to find out what has been going on and explain, once again, the HUGE need they have for extra help, not to mention extra practice at home.
The other student attending this mini “class” is a first grade boy who is repeating first grade but is still far behind. He also, has not been doing the work at home I am asking him to do, but he has made some progress; at least he is coming consistently. When he is learning and making progress, he is animated, engaged and super talkative. When he has forgotten his work at home, or has not made progress, he completely shuts down; he does not talk and stares at you with a blank look on his face. I hope to see more of the animated boy we are getting to know; he promised me on Thursday that he would not forget to study at home.
While this week had its ups and downs, I have been in education long enough to recognize that this is part of the process (and I know the teachers out there identify with me). Some weeks or days, it seems you have the touch and the students are learning and understanding, while the next week or day, it seems they have taken 5 steps back since the last time you saw them. That is why teaching and learning often builds perseverance; so we will keep working with each student, knowing that eventually they will be fluent readers!
