So I am in the midst of my last semester and I have been very busy completing the assignments for my reading courses. I am also tutoring a middle school student in reading and I have really enjoyed it. This week it was my turn to post a clip of our tutoring session to the online class board for my group members to listen to and comment on. I was a little nervous about it. I know that I am a little crazy and I was afraid that some may not think I am serious enough to be a teacher. One person in my group is very smart, serious, and from what I can tell, he is a great teacher. I really wondered how he would respond to my clip. Today he posted this:
"Obviously we can't see what is happening, but as I was listening to it, in my mind your student seemed to be really engaged, smiling, and enjoying herself. It seemed like she was grasping the "silent e" concept and the vowel sounds, but it was really her joy and enthusiasm that stood out to me. Keep up the good work!"
I was thrilled with his comment. It meant a lot to me that he appreciated how humor can make learning fun. I started thinking that I may be OK. My student and I do have fun, but what really excites me is how much she has improved with her reading. Her attitude about reading has also improved greatly. I did a book selection activity last week and at the end of it she literally ran into the media center to select a book. I gave her the tools that she needed to understand what kind of book she wanted and she ran with it. I love teaching. I am quirky. And it's OK.
