Students of the Month – February 2023

Brandon – Age 10

Brandon is from Guatemala and likes to talk about his family. He is a very bright and sweet boy, very good at math. He has such a great smile and is a pleasure to work with! 

Brandon has a hard time focusing sometimes but working for shorter periods of times helps a lot. He wants to be a policeman when he grows up. 

I have learned about video games from Brandon and also to take things slowly and be patient. 

– Patricia Del Valle, Tutor

Oliver – Age 7

It was clear from our first session that Oliver is a very special kid. He’s so willing to learn and genuinely excited in all of our sessions! I’ve never tutored a student so thrilled to be learning. He approaches every session with not only a great attitude, but so much confidence! One of my favorite things about tutoring Oliver is when he gets a problem right and says, “that was easy!” with the biggest smile.

Oliver sometimes struggles with focus. He has a big imagination and loves to tell stories! We’ve been working on this by taking breaks when we finish a section of homework during our session. This gives Oliver the chance to draw, show me his toys, or tell me about his day. Then we’re ready to focus again and get back to homework! Oliver loves drawing and art. He wants to be an artist when he grows up. I think he would make an amazing artist — one of our favorite activities together is drawing surprise pictures for each other when we’re done with homework! Oliver knows the importance of practice and dedication, so he’s always working on his artistic skills.

I’ve learned patience and positivity in my sessions with Oliver. I’ve also learned how important it is to make learning fun. Oliver and I have our best sessions when we can make each other laugh or have a little fun as we’re working.

– Isabel Moon, Tutor

Laura – Age 13

I think what makes Laura special is her kindness. She has told me of numerous occasions where she helped stand up for classmates who were being bullied and helped new students feel welcomed by introducing herself and giving the new student a tour of the school.

For us, completing homework assignments is always a challenge because we need to learn how to manage our time and juggle all the homework from the different classes. What we found helps Laura complete her homework assignments is to have a group study session using [online teaching platform] Big Blue Button. Sometimes Laura understands how to do her homework and she doesn’t need my help directly, but just needs someone to help her stay motivated to finish her work. 

Even though we may not be talking to each other about the homework, she might finish her homework independently, while I am finishing my own work independently, similar to an actual (live) group study session. 

Recently, Laura mentioned to me that she would love to study criminal law when she goes to college! I try to be as encouraging as possible. I have learned that there are a lot of stresses in our day-to-day life but it is important to not let them interfere with our minds. Being kind to ourselves is just as important as being kind to others.

– Kristen Wang, Tutor