After such a rough last week after weeks before of nothing special, this week has so far proven to be very inspiring. Although my Monday with my new stubborn student was very difficult and uncomfortable – she gave me the silent treatment for the entire 50 minute class – Tuesday was a total 180. She began her assignment as I expected – without a word – but suddenly, she actually asked me a question. Finally, she felt that this class could teach her something. Now tutoring her is productive and perhaps even fun. I’ve learned that the way a student treats you is often sadly based on their whim, or their mood, or on what they think of the class. I was right to not take it personally, because it wasn’t me – it was her utter disinterest in learning anything that I attempted to teach her. It just took time for her to accept the class as useful and important to her future. And I’m one of the lucky ones – sometimes it takes students weeks to figure that out.
With that off my shoulders, I began to prepare for the Health Career Fair. The health teacher assigned me to organize the event, and I took it upon myself to invite 12 professionals, create a banner, elicit assistance from students to make posters around school, and make a welcome brochure for all of the attendees. The event was a complete success. More than once a student would tell a health professional “I had no idea I could do that as a career!!” and I knew from the smiling faces that the professionals had a great time as well. They were rarely left sitting by themselves, almost constantly occupied with another inquisitive student. The science teacher compared the event to speed dating since I gave them a reward for speaking with all of the participants. I like to think that the opportunity to speak with these professionals helped the students realize how much is out there beyond just being a doctor. I don’t know if they would ever have an opportunity like this otherwise. Being a major part of that meant a lot to me.
