Blog

11/8/2011

Meet Mary Jane, an exceptional soul

She never settles for less than a 4.0

All work’s done on time,

Expectations exceeded,

For Mary Jane, no additional help is needed.

Meet Matthew Smith, a passionate athlete

He pushes hard, never accepting defeat.

But when it comes to math, he’d rather be benched-

His frustration shows in his fists that are clenched.

Susie Q is a social child

Her grades are “fine”

But her partying is wild.

To make the most of her academic talents

Susie needs help in finding that balance.

Then there’s Josh,

He’s become quite withdrawn.

He doesn’t cause trouble; no one knows if he’s gone.

But inside Josh is dying; he just can’t cope,

A new environment for Josh can give him back hope.

There are so many kids, with so many needs

Some are pretty basic, some serious indeed

My hope for these kids, is to live life at their best

With honesty, integrity and above all, happiness.

10/10/2011

Parents, Are You Listening?

Whew! Tutor Force recently sponsored the Duluth Fall Festival and participated as a vendor at the Taste of John's Creek. What a busy, but fun weekend we had! It's always so nice to get out into the community and talk with people in all stages of life, but especially the children. Our tent usually draws quite the crowd, not only due to its bright orange and blue color scheme, but also because we have a prize wheel. The kids love to spin the wheel to see what special prize is waiting for them. While they spin, the parents get an opportunity to sign up for a raffle of three, free hours of tutoring for their child. It came as no surprise when the parents were excited about the raffle prize, but what did surprise me were the kids' reactions. They were very excited about the possibility of "winning a tutor," many of them jumping up and down saying they needed one. Even high school and college students who were there without parents were signing up for a chance to win. Their reactions painted a very clear picture - our kids want to learn. They want to feel successful and confident. The ability of even the youngest students to recognize and ask for help is compelling. So, the youth of Duluth and John's Creek taught me, a mother of two and former teacher, a lesson. I learned that although we as parents and educators guide and teach our community's youth, they are actively involved in their own learning, and may surprise us with the efforts they're willing to put forth to make learning possible?. If we just listen.