Daniel+L



Biograph

I decided to take peer tutoring 12 because I am a part time tutor, and I thought that it would be an excellent opportunity for me to improve my teaching skills. I chose math 10 because I knew math is one of my strong points and that I would be able to devote myself most in that subject. My other hobbies include playing classical guitar and listening to reading. I think peer tutoring twelve is going to be an interesting experience which it has been, and I wish to learn a lot.

Friday March 2nd

Describe connections you are making with students. Do you feel comfortable in the classroom? Are there students who you haven't been able to help or reach? Describe an experience you've had so far where you helped a student and saw an improvement (if you've seen any improvement at all in your students).

I felt awkward at first with the students in my math 10 class. However, I befriended some of the students by helping them with their home works. I now talk to them more often and even say hello at the hallways; I have come to be comfortable in the classroom.

I am now able to socialize with the students around me more often; we even discuss some of the recent television shows we watched. More and more students are approaching me for help instead of me offering help, and by now, everyone in the class knows my name.

I am still working on trying to help students at the other side of the classroom from where I sit. Because I am preoccupied with the half of students on my side of the classroom, I had difficult time helping them.

When I first entered the classroom environment, the student sitting in front of me, Ayden, received a failing mark on her first unit test. I approached her more often after Mrs. Bhattal’s daily lessons and she recently got 90% on her quiz.

Friday March 9th

What makes peer tutoring meaningful to you? You are not just a student in this class, you are more like a teacher. How does this change the experience you have in this class compared to your other classes?

The student’s willingness to improve and their improvement makes peer tutoring meaningful to me. Seeing a certain student improve from a C to an A or better yet, B to an A satisfies me. Moreover, when a student comes to for help and continues to ask me questions, it makes my time more worth-while. Because the whole process allows me to think from the teacher’s perspective, I am more willing and attentive in my other classes. I am able to understand their feelings when a student excels or slacks off.

Peer tutoring is also meaningful to me because it is an opportunity for me to be more open. I am usually shy, but when I am more outgoing, students seem to be more comfortable with me. My students and I share a teaching-learning relationship; however, when we socialize, such as talk about our favorite movies, I feel that peer tutoring very meaningful.

My experiences from my peer tutoring class differ from my other classes because I am placed in a different position. Because I am aware that I am not a student, I subconsciously behave more maturely.

Friday March 30th

Describe an experience in Peer Tutoring this week where you felt confident. Why did you feel this way? How can you take this experience and use it to grow confidence in other areas of your life. We all have different strengths - think about yours and how you use it in Peer Tutoring.

I reviewed some challenging concepts with students around me to prepare for their geometry unit test. I felt confident in teaching them because not only is geometry my strong point, but the students started to understand better and solve questions independently. I was able to realize that I teach better when I am confident rather than shy. Similarly, I am a terrible public speaker; as soon as I step in front of a crowd, I lose confidence, and my mind automatically goes blank. My strong point is engaging people with conversations; however, I am not able to engage in these conversations to a great number of audiences due to my lack of confidence. I plan to apply my strength at first to a small number of people, and as I gain more skill and confidence, I will gradually expand my reach to as much students as possible.

Sunday April 29th

Did you have any particularly meaningful conversations in these last two weeks? This could be a conversation with a teacher or student. If you can't think of anything - write about a joyful experience in your Peer Tutoring class. What has happened that made you feel happy, or proud to be a Peer Tutor.

A student and I worked very hard for an upcoming math test; we even worked various days after school for the test because she had difficulty with the unit. Despite preparing for the test for several days consistently, she still received poor grades, and she was very disappointed. She claimed that she worked harder than other peers but she still received lower grades than them. I told her that hard work never fails and I guaranteed her that the students that are receiving high grades were once frustrated like her right now. She promised to stay positive and work even harder for the next test. Consistency in grades made me proud as a peer tutor. I especially focused on a student who needed more help than other students. Over a period of time, she was able to get satisfying grades without my help. On several of the previous test, she has been showing improvement and consistent, good grades, and I happy that she was able to do so.