Sara

= __**Biography**__ = My name is Sara Kross and I'm in grade 12. I'm peer tutoring in the learning centre. I wanted to take this course because I'm thinking of going into teaching in the future. I've already applied for some future teachers programs. Outside of class I play field hockey, soccer, netball, and dance. I also coach soccer and field hockey. I like hanging out with my friends and family on the weekends and unfortunately for my bank account, I love shopping. I also really love photography. = **__Entry 1__** = This week I helped Bob and Billy in the learning centre. Michelle Kwee and I work together helping the two of them out. Bob is in JumpStart so we helped him mostly with Social Studies this week. A few times we helped him with math too. Billy is in grade 11 so we mostly helped him out with his English work. They were also working on success maker so some of the time we just did homework. Learning Centre is pretty challenging. It's hard to remember that the kids in there need time to think and need breaks from doing work the entire block. Bob is dyslexic so making sure he is actually understanding or is able to read his work is challenging. Billy has pretty bad focus so keeping him on task in hard. I hope to learn how the two of them opperate best so that I can help them succeed.

= **__Entry 2__** = This week we have to focus on what we want to improve on. I sometimes forget that the kids I have to help will pretend to understand even if they don't or they will lie about not having work to do. I need to work on getting them to want to get their work done and want to do it well, not just have a "fun block." I'm good at mulit-tasking but most of the time they aren't so I need to work on keeping them on task all the time but remembering that sometimes they need breaks.

= __Entry 3__ = I peer tutor the same 2 students everyday, so I've been building connections with them both. One of my students in grade 9 and the other is grade 11. I feel like I have a good connection with the grade 9 because I'm three years older than him so he sees me as a teacher not just a student. The grade 11 seems to not take us as seriously because we're so close in age which can be difficult. I'm starting to help peer tutor in Science 9 as well so being able to gage process is hard when I'm not with them all everyday. An experience when I felt like one of my students had progressed was when Billy (grade 11) was writing an English essay and said he didn't need our help because he wasn't having trouble.

= __Entry 4__ = Being a peer tutor means a lot to me because I`m hoping to go into teaching after high school. I have been accepted into the Future Teachers program in Douglas so peer tutoring seems to be a good test run to see if it`s a future I`m truly interested in. My other classes, I`m the one learning and doing my own work. In peer tutoring, I may not being doing MY work, but I`m helping the kids do theirs and I`m learning how best to do that in this class.

= __Entry 5__ = This week, I felt confident one day when the kids in Science 9, who normally act out, cause disturbances all class, continuously talk, and refuse to do their work, were quiet or non-distracting for most of the class. They even did some of their work. Mr. Yip asked me to help in his class to do more crowd control than tutoring. They are the type of kids who are "too cool for school" and don't like listening to higher authority. Getting them to show respect and pay attention is a big accomplishment and I felt good about it.

= __Entry 6__ = These past couple weeks in Science 9 have been pretty difficult. The kids just got an overview of their marks. Instead of seeing their marks and wanting to try harder and do well, they've been giving up. They don't take their notes, they don't do homework, and they don't study for tests. I wish I knew what to say so that they would try harder. The "too cool for school" image they are trying to uphold is hurting their grades. They don't listen to anything I have to say. They are rude and somewhat disrespectful. I want them to do well, but they think I'm just nagging them because Mr.Yip makes me. It's really frusterating because I know if the try they will do well. = = = __Entry 7__ = This week, Science 9 started doing metric conversions. I was never good at those when I took chemistry in grade 11. In facts, I was awful at chemistry and math. Weirdly enough, I'm learning at the same time they are and I understand these conversions really well. Today, four of the boys didn't understand what to do. Normally they treat my presence as a joke and call me "Peer Tutor". Today I asked one of the boys if he needed help and he said yes. I explained the concept to him and used examples. I got him to try a couple too. When the others saw that I was helpful, they asked me for help too. This is a huge deal because they are the ones who goof off the entire time. I was able to teach all four of them how to do the conversions, have them understand it, and be able to do it on their own. It's not really a conversation, but it was the most real communication I've had with them.

= __Entry 8__ = These past couple weeks, the students have been realising that I really can help them and that they like having me there to ask questions, even if they act like they don't care. They can get frusterated easily, especially when Mr. Yip doesn't break down questions enough for them. They also have troubles concentrating. I was in Mr. Yip's Chem 11 class and I find my experiences from there help me. I know what it's like to find the tests too hard, the assignments tedious, and the marking unfair. Being able to tell them my experiences and how I dealt with them, seems to make the burden a little less. If I didn't use what I had already learned in Science 9, 10, and Chem 11 and Bio 11, I wouldn't be able to help them with their assignments. What I've realised is that although I'm "teaching" them how to do things, I'm learning as I go along. I'm re-learning the material, but also learning how to be the teacher-side of the school environment which I believe will help me in the future when I want to become a teacher.


 * __Entry 9__ **

(Sorry it was late! My power was out all afternoon yesterday! Someone blew the circuit through my street!) Star: I got one of the kids who never does work to finish his homework and do an in-class lab Star: Kids just had their physics test and I was able to help them pass by working on homework with them Wish: The kids would take me more seriously and understand they have to respect me and not talk back all of the time Okay, well this semester was interesting to say the least. I started out in the learning centre this semester. It was an easier atmosphere for me to be in because I was usually only working with one or two kids, and helping them with the things I am strong at, English and Social Studies. After a little while, Mr. Yip desperately needed help in his Science 9 class so I got moved into there. That class was seriously challenging. The way the classroom is set up, there are only 2 long tables, like a computer room. This made is very easy for the students to get distracted. Without trying to offend the students or call them names, about 10 of the students were known as problem students who didn't have the best behaviour in many of their classes. They all sat together at this table. Being a peer tutor in that class was hard. Because I'm in grade 12, the expected me to be cool about everything and just go along with their behaviour. But I didn't. I tried to keep them in line and they weren't a fan of it. Many time Mr. Yip got to the point where he was being so disrespected he would stop the lesson, walk out, and sit in his office for the rest of class while they just did questions from the book. On Monday, one boy was being so rude that I told him to be quiet, and stop distracting his girlfriend and everyone around him. I didn't even say it in a rude voice, I just made sure he knew he was being disrespectful. He didn't like that very much. In fact, he said to me, "Who the f*ck do you think you are? My f*cking mother? You're just a stupid, white b*tch." A couple of them continued to tell me a I was useless, and stupid. They didn't seem to understand that they can't get away with that behaviour. I try to help them, they just don't care about school which makes it challenging. This really made me appreciate how much teachers really have to go through. Today, a few of the guys were worried about a quiz they have tomorrow. It's hard that I can't help them with it all, and help them study but I'm glad they told me. Usually they just would pretend like they didn't care and laugh about going to summer school. If they pass the quiz, and even do better than they expected, I'll be happy for them. It's the little things like that, that made this class worth it. I loved seeing them get excited when they did well on an assignment, or finally understood metric conversions. It was a hard time doing this, but I think it really opened my eyes to the side the teacher is on.
 * __Entry 10__ **