Kirin

ALL ABOUT ME Kirin Dubois has been born and raised in Canada, she has two older sisters, and is very family orientated. Soccer is a very large part of her life and she has been playing for thirteen years. Soccer has formed her into a dedicated learder always striving to suceed. Kirin's attributes are she is a caring, patient and well-rounded individual. Kirin is devoted to making others around her happy and always bringing her positive attitude to any situation. Her dream is to become a pilot for Air Canada, to accomplish her dream she will attend BCIT for flight school training. Kirin is currently employed at WhiteSpot where she interacts with customers on a daily basis, and is motivated to make everyone's evening a pleasent one. Kirin has always been focused on her friends and family and belives that they have made her into the leader she is today. In peer tutoring I hope to not only teach others but in the process learn throughout the expirience.

Journal 1 My first week of peer tutoring went very well, I enjoy the time I get to spend with Stacey. I help Stacy with her Socials 11 homework and try and give her different study techniques to improve her mark. She seems to enjoy our one on one tutoring and is starting to understand the material better. John is very quiet and will not seek help until asked however is very bright, I have help explain difficult words, and helped with reading. Jenny is always on the computer either working on planning or English. She is always helping her other classmates but needs to remain on her own work at time. The only struggle I have found is keeping the Stacy on task. The types of work I have helped Stacy with would be definitions, understanding concepts and mapping out certain areas. So far this has been a great first week.

Journal 2 In my second week of peer tutoring, the tutee’s have gotten used to the style of my tutoring and seem willing to work if im working just as hard. Stacey is still doing well in her Socials class but struggles with keeping her attention on the task at hand. Jenny is working on her grammar this week; she needed help doing direct and indirect pronouns. Josh is still hesitant to ask questions but I believe with time he will become more comfortable. In my spare time I have put together a Prezie for Mrs. Gregory, it is on procrastination and how to approach the problem and take action! I find these little presentations that I am helping with will greatly improve the kids study habits. The feeling of stress will soon be replaced with ease and comfort. I have made friends with the kids in the learning center, A way I can strive to be a better tutor is to brush up on all the stuff the kids are learning so I can give them answers more quickly.

Journal 3

I have made a special connection with one particular student. Stacey. Throughout high school I would have never thought a friendship would be made with this individual however now she is one person that I have to talk to every day. Forming these relationships has made me extremely comfortable in my surroundings. I feel as though I am able to keep her on task and teach her certain study habits that will better prepare her for grade 12. One project we are working on together is our "talk like a lady" project. Although it sounds funny to others it is a very big step on teaching Stacey how to talk in interviews, to teachers and to her peers. The growth that I have seen in Stacey is amazing; her progress is not only within the classroom but outside it as well. However Stacey is not the only one learning in this classroom she has also taught me a great deal in this class. When first arriving in peer tutoring I thought I would only be teaching but to my disbelief I have retained so much information, that I couldn’t have had outside of peer tutoring. For example: Playing doughnut shop every Tuesday and Thursday has giving me little facts that I would have never thought of. I am constantly trying to find different ways where I can help her improve.

Journal 4 What makes peer tutoring meaningful to me opposed to being taught in a classroom is the reaction I get from students. In a classroom I rarely have my classmates inventively listening to my thoughts however in the learning center the students make me feel as though I have something to offer them. This changes the experience changes my attitude in a classroom because I am more tentative to what my teacher is talking about, I know how it feels when someone is talking while you are trying so hard to teach them a subject or texting while I am trying to talk. Peer tutoring has given me so much more respect for my teachers. In Law 12 I have been able to voice my opinion more in class compared to previous years, this is because of peer tutoring. Realizing that my opinion and my thoughts impact the people around me gives me incentive to voice my opinion. Peer tutoring has also helped me because I stay on top of my own studies, if I come to peer tutoring to do my homework that it leaves another student without help. Peer tutoring is very meaningful and I encourage all students to take this class as motivation to help others and to benefit themselves.

Journal 5 My confidence in peer tutoring has greatly improved since the first day I arrived. Before I was comfortable with the tutee’s it was harder to relate to them and get them to listen to what I was saying. I have to admit I was so nervous to come into a classroom to teach students that I thought would never take me seriously. When I was younger I could only be taught through constant repetition and I have learned not all kids learn in the same way I do. However now that I am close with them, they are able to ask me for assistance when needed. When I tutor English is when I feel the most confident. When you show confidence, it can help you in different aspects of your everyday life. For example, in sports such as soccer if you show confidence you are able to boost your self-esteem and in return play better. Throughout the course of this semester I have grown close to the students which has enabled me to be a better peer tutor, in return I am able to help students and make them feel confident in the process. In conclusion I have been able to approach different students in positive and encouraging ways and in the end peer tutoring has taught me how to communicate with others outside of peer tutoring.

Journal 6 The past couple months have flown by in peer tutoring, I enjoy the time I get to spend with the tutees. The last two weeks have picked up speed and we have gained two new students that require help in math. These two students made me realize the teamwork that goes on and is needed in the learning center. If I cannot answer a question I will get a student that is struggling in English and excelling in math asking to help. I have also helped with tutoring in socials 11 which has been easy for me because social studies was one of my stronger subjects! Another assignment I have be helping with is a students “ A Thief in the House of Memory” novel study. I read this book in grade ten so it is very easy for me to help with theme statements and different areas of the book this student doesn’t understand. Lastly I have been able to help Mrs. Gregory with helping around the classroom. Peer tutoring has helped me interact with different types of people at all different learning paces; I have learned to be very patient as well. The last two weeks have picked up the pace quite a bit and it makes me excited for what is to come for the upcoming months.

Journal 7 Within the past two weeks a meaningful event that happened was Mrs. Gregory wanted someone to decorate a wall in the learning center. She asked for my input and I wanted to make an inspirations quote of the week which students could look and after every week it would be changed and hung up on the wall as a memento of the year and all the quotes that moved an individual throughout the year. This was a good way for me to push myself. However instead of quote of the week, Mrs. Gregory gets me to put up a different quote every day just so students will get a fresh quote every day when they walk into the room. This quote has grown and grown and now the wall is almost full. It is astounding to see that something that I thought of at the beginning of the year is now a masterpiece for all my fellow students at Gleneagle to look at. When I first started my quote of the day I did not think I would gain anything from it, however every time I read the quotes I gain another piece of knowledge and it truly makes me proud knowing I made this. I found these past two weeks very motivating and inspiring.

Journal 8 My personal goals have changed throughout peer tutoring, at first I wanted to do this class to obtain a good grade. However as I continue to get to know the students in the class I am more driven toward help each individual reach their goals. I do apply my own life experience when tutoring students; I do get frustrated when students come in late to class with no remorse for their actions. If I am able to come to school on time to tutor than so should other people. I have voiced my opinion in the class to my tutees that I am willing to work hard for a student if they are willing to work hard to better themselves as well. My value as a person is to treat everyone equally and with respect, I hope that reflects in peer tutoring. I hold a goal for all the students I tutor is that they walk away this summer, knowing that it’s ok to struggle however it isn’t ok to be lazy. An example is doing the quote of the week, if I spend my time doing quote of the week than I expect for Mrs. Gregory to put it up when I am not there.

Journal 9 My two stars throughout the past two weeks would have to be the newest additions to the classroom. Bob and Peter. They are both very nice students. The first teaching experience I had was with Peter, he is an extremely unorganized individual. My goal for the past two weeks has been maintaining his mess of a binder. Luckily after a stern tutorial on binder organizations he has been able to keep up the cleanliness and stay on top of his work! My second star of the week was Bob, this was the highlight of my last two weeks, Bob was given a full sheet of outstanding assignments to be done before the end of the year. I could see how discouraged he was thinking that this task would be impossible to complete. To his delight we began working through each page step by step together and after two weeks of hard work, he had completed every missing assignment on that sheet. My one wish is that I do not ease up coming towards the last days of school, the kids in the learning center have grown so much and have taught me so much I would hate for their success to be diminished by laziness in the last days of high school.

MY FINAL JOURNAL

Peer tutoring has given me an outlet to constantly learn and grow. This semester has flown by and I could not think of a better way to end my last semester and my last year in high school. I will only share a few of my favorite moments in my last tribute to peer tutoring. First, my quote of the day that I created, whenever I walk into the peer tutoring room I can look up and see something that I made. One wall filled with quotes that talks about love, life and loss. All teaching everyone that takes the time to look at it a valuable lesson. It has taught me that without perseverance and patience there will be no success. Secondly, I was so happy when a boy whom I tutor, finished all of his outstanding assignments that I had helped him with. He not only completed them, he also obtained great grades on each of them. In that moment I realized how rewarding it is when student succeed and how important the support of teachers is. Thirdly, one of my tutees or I should say friends that I tutor, wrote about me for one of her final essays in English. The headline stating, “ Kirin Dubois tells all.” She told me how I was one of her role models. I was ecstatic when she told me however a bit scared that I have had such an impact on younger students as a grade twelve. I feel proud of the work and connections that I have established in my semester of peer tutoring. No matter what the friendships I have made with each individual cannot be broken. Peer tutoring was one of the most beneficial classes I have taken. Peer tutoring has taught to be more patience, understanding and most importantly putting others problems before your own. I have left my footprint in high school and hopefully left behind a positive and memorable legacy at Gleneagle. Thank you to the Peer Tutoring program for allowing me to explore my love for teaching, helping and allowing me to be myself. These two creations are my mark on peer tutoring twelve and hopefully they grow for the years to come. THANK YOU & GOODBYE