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Farrah Haddad is an exemplary tutor who has dedicated countless hours to carrying out Learn To Be's mission. We are proud to recognize Farrah as November's Tutor of the Month because she truly understands the meaning of helping through her endless patience and kindness with the students. This month's Tutor of the Month article is unique because Farrah has kindly given us a post to her blog in which she describes her experiences as a Learn To Be Tutor. Please get to know Farrah a little better by reading her post below!
Reflections of a New Learn To Be Tutor
Despite having spent eight and a half hours in front of a flickering computer screen reviewing doctors' orders and answering calls from irate nurses in the pharmacy at the basement of the hospital, I could hardly contain myself that warm September evening on the bus ride home. I was headed home to log on to my Learn To Be account for my very first tutoring session.
I was eager to get started but I had no idea what it would be like or what type of encounter I would have. As my mind wandered through the possibilities, a requested session faded in on my screen. I clicked on the Launch Session link after only a brief moment of hesitation and entered the virtual space reserved for tutor and student. I was welcomed with a greeting, and a feeling of happy realization spread inside me as my student – who was likely over three thousand miles away from my small city of Richmond, Virginia – promptly proceeded to describe to me the help she needed with her math homework.
As it happened, my very first student was a joy to teach. Her enthusiasm was contagious and her willingness to learn was a blessing. I had never thought that the complexities of conceptualizing and calculating volume would be so captivating. We both had a good lesson and I have since replayed in my mind that experience as well as others like it during the most trying hours of my day job.
Contrary to what one might think, tutoring these young minds after a long day is invigorating. Watching the spinning wheel loading data on the Active Sessions page has become a tension-filled few seconds, which instantly changes to a feeling of delight if a session is requested. I wish more of my daily tasks could feel this rewarding and energizing. I also wish I had more encounters as genuine as the ones I have had with the Learn To Be students.
More often than not, these students have shown remarkable focus, dedication, and perseverance during the sessions. They have also shown patience with my poor technological skills, and utter gratitude at the end of an “Aha!” moment. I believe this determined mind-set and abiding attitude may be due to the fact that they are the initiators – they seek the tutor out at a time convenient to them and when they feel, by their own evaluation, the need for some assistance.
I feel honored to be included in the Learn To Be community and to have been given the opportunity to touch the lives of these youngsters. You would feel the same, entering your virtual classroom for the first time and realizing that a few clicks of your mouse have brought the world to your fingertips.
This is a shout out to all the wonderful students whom I have had the privilege of tutoring and I hope this website will be around for them for many years to come.
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