Blog 2: The Journey Begins

     I was nervous going into the Rock Island high school for the first time. I was worried about many different things. I was worried that I wouldn’t remember or know the material enough to teach it to the kids and that I would look dumb and stupid. It was math that I would be teaching them, and math has never been a strength of mine I am very shy when I just get to know people and had never done any sort of tutoring before so my emotions were running high. I think I was just nervous because I really didn’t know what to expect. And kids, especially high school kids can be somewhat mischievous and don’t really care about strangers.

     As soon as I got there Mrs. Kanter made us feel very welcome and introduced us to the class. She asked if anyone wanted to go with us down to the library and immediately four girls raised their hands. We went down to the library and I feel like Kait and I were more nervous than the girls were. We looked at the homework they had to do and collectively we remember how to do these simple equations. I found that I was actually very good at teaching the kids and it was rewarding for me to see them learning.  During this first session we talked strictly about the math and the task at hand. We did not take the time to really get to know each other. There was no sort of introduction or background information given about each other.  The time flew by and I couldn’t wait to get back to help them again.

     Face concern was evident in the above situation. I was very worried about what the students would think of me. I was worried that I would look dumb or stupid if I didn’t know how to do something or got something wrong. I believe the kids themselves were struggling with this as well in their own way.  They would quickly try to do the problems and get them done and that would cause them to mess up. They would erase it quickly and insist that they know how to do the problem. It felt like they were worried that we were going to think that they were stupid. They very much wanted to impress us. It seemed as if we were both concerned about our own faces and how each other view and perceive the other person.

     For the future I know that I will be less nervous and less concerned about what the kids think of me as I get to know them it will be easier. I will also be more encouraging and let them know that it is okay to make mistakes, and that often times we learn the best when we make mistakes. I will encourage them more when they get the answer correct. I will hope that my positive and encouraging reinforcement will help them with their math. I hope that it will create a positive learning environment which will allow them to take their time and feel more comfortable doing their math in front of me and getting some questions wrong and know that it is okay to ask me questions. I will make it known that I do not expect them to know everything and I would love for them to ask me questions so we can work on it together and get the best grade possible as a team.