Students of the Month – November 2015
Region 2 – South LA
– Briana. In Part 2 of Jon’s video, he talks about tutoring Briana, who is always excited and waiting patiently for her sessions to begin. It’s match-ups like this that makes us all proud to be part of School on Wheels.
Region 4 – South Bay, Long Beach
– Jeremiah, 6th Grade. Jeremiah would be any teacher’s ideal pupil. Though relatively quiet and serious, his witticisms and bursts of silliness always make me laugh. The first thing I noticed about him was his ease with doing calculations in his head. He loves math and could spend the whole hour on Khan Academy if I let him. When we met, Jeremiah was already a straight-A student! Since he doesn’t seem as challenged by his school work as he could be, we do activities that exercise his imagination. At first, when I gave him some out-of-the-box thinking to do, I took his quiet staring into space as frustration or disinterest. Now, I just wait for inspiration to hit him and for him to crack a smile before he says, “Ooh, I know!” His high-achieving ways have taught me to be more creative with our sessions, and I have also learned from him that there is never just one right answer.
Sara Chisholm, Tutor
Region 5 – Hollywood, Silver Lake, Highland Park
– Chris, 5th grade. Chris and I have been working together for two school years. He is an absolute joy to work with and is always prepared to do his work. Chris is a very intelligent young man with great listening skills. Some of my favorite moments with him have been after his homework is complete. He loves to draw comic book characters and then he tells me the entire life story of the character. Chris is a talented artist with a wonderful imagination. I have learned to appreciate the thought and creativity that goes into creating comics thanks to Chris!
Olivia Scott, Tutor
Region 7 – San Fernando Valley
– Dominic, Kindergarten. Dominic is a lively, happy, playful kindergartner living in Reseda. He’s five years old and just started school a few months ago, but has taken to it like a fish takes to water. When he’s not pouring over his reading materials, he’s outside, skateboarding, scootering, or playing soccer. He’s a great learner, a hard worker, and, as of this month, a big brother!
Sam Miller, Tutor
Region 8 – Ventura County
– Joshua, 2nd Grade. Joshua is a smart, artistic and fun second grader who brightens up my day each week during our tutoring sessions. Right before school started, Joshua had to face some pretty big obstacles for someone so young. After having undergone a corrective surgery on both of his legs, he remained positive and never let a wheelchair or casts on each leg slow him down. Despite these challenges, Joshua has shown great improvement in his reading, vocabulary, and grammar skills that we worked on using the Summer Program. He recently took his post assessment, completely turning his score around and passed with flying colors. I am so proud of Joshua and the work he has accomplished so far this year. Joshua has shown me what a positive attitude and willingness to learn can achieve. Joshua truly is a Superstar in my book!
Amanda Evans, Tutor
Region 12 – North Orange County
– Jason, 6th Grade. When I first met Jason, there was no doubt that his intellectual capability and drive to learn was already there. His aspirations were huge, to become a scientist in the future. With each session, week after week, he grew more confident and experienced. I remember reading articles aloud with him the first couple weeks, and he would be quiet and timid. Today, however, he can project his voice easily. He can confidently and loudly read anything thrown his way, even if there are words he has not yet learned. Academically, his performances on the electronic testing assessments have also improved! We always have a good conversation for about ten minutes each week where we can really discuss about our perspectives and opinions on absolutely anything. I’ve enjoyed working with Jason so much. I feel like in many ways, his growing energy while learning has rubbed off on me, and I look forward to each week as another adventure!
Ryan Hsieh, Tutor
Online Tutoring
– Cassie, 8th Grade. When I first started online tutoring at a shelter for children and youth, Cassie took the initiative to ask to be included in this effort. Her motivation to reinforce her knowledge and expand her skill set is a testament to her love for learning. While she lacked focus during our first sessions, Cassie is definitely improving. She has picked a subject that she wants to focus on and she comes to our sessions with her own set of problems, eager and ready to learn. We work hard to meet her goals, and I can see Cassie’s improvement with every subsequent session.
Cassie has also shared that tutoring is one of the highlights of her week, and she feels comfortable enough to treat our sessions as a friendly space where she can share what is going on in her life. She even explained her soccer game to me! I feel grateful to be given the chance to support Cassie in multiple ways and I am proud of the energy and zeal that she brings to each session.
Manasvi Pinnamaneni, Online Tutor