Every now and again, you meet a truly remarkable educator--someone with passion, wisdom and the skills to inspire. These teachers are becoming increasingly rare, or perhaps it's just that I'm not in the right place. Jenny, your leadership is greatly missed. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words:
Dear Melanie,
I hope you have a year where you feel challenged and given scope to forge your wonderful talents. The students benefit enormously from you because you know your subject so well and have the depth of intelligence and curiosity that makes students feel confident and trusting of you. I now view so much through the prism of what I'd like for my granddaughter and grandson, and my wish would be for them to have teachers like you. Treasure your career; you are so capable and have so much more to give.
Jenny xx
This is OK as long as:
- realness isn't justification for rudeness;
- imperfections don't correlate with being unfair;
- flaws do not include continual dishonesty;
- quirks excludes putting on the tears to get your way (literally!).
I recently worked with a woman who displayed the traits outlined above. She was always comfortable being herself. The only problem was that she was wily and manipulative. These kinds of quotes have many interpretations. They rely on the assumption that people are decent at heart. But what if they aren't? Should we just tell everyone to 'be themselves'? I get what the quote is saying, but some people spin it their own way (like my former colleague) and let me tell you, working with her was not my idea of fun.
When you're person who has such deep beliefs about decency and honesty and fairness, it becomes increasingly hard to be surrounded by those who don't hold these values in high esteem. Perhaps they think they do, but delusion tends to run rampant in those who want to defend their daily routine of earning the most money for the least amount of work.
I have witnessed so many lies in action, so much cunning. I thought that my superiors wouldn't appreciate that element in their workplace, but I was sadly mistaken. No leader likes it when such glaring deceptions are pointed out because they tend to take it personally - sometimes they have even aided and abetted the dishonest ones for their own gain. Being able to see right through people is such a curse. You usually catch a glimpse of something genuine, of course, but people's self-protective reflexes often end up slapping you right in the face.
I have witnessed lies about hours worked, jobs completed and colleagues' actions. It's been a dog-eat-dog web of deceit that has challenged my sensibilities to the core. Yet, I have had to remain a silent witness. It has affected the meaning I attribute to my job aa many questions began to emerge: Who else is faking it for self-profit, for self-aggrandisement? Who is willing to punish those who care because the carers ventured a little too closely to the truth?
Liars are bowed down to and the lazy are rewarded. And so it goes...
A - Appreciate; B - Build something; C - Connect; D - Do what is difficult; E - Explore; F - Forgive; G - Gather; H - Honour; I - Ignore the skeptics; J - Just be; K - Know you are loved; L - Listen; M - Make; N - Nourish body and soul; O - Observe; P - Plant a seed; Q - Question; R - Read; S - Stretch; T - Try something new; U - Unplug; V - Vote; W - Wonder; X - EXpress your gratitude; Y - Say Yes to adventure; Z - Get enough Zzzzz
I was recently in Gladstone, Central Queensland, and it was a surreal experience. There was a bit of a disconnect: the people were very proud of their industrial town, whilst the many visitors from Sydney, Melbourne, etc. had difficulty viewing it through the same rose-coloured glasses. I applaud the great sense of pride the locals displayed, and Gladstone has certainly grown into a thriving town, but this is primarily due to the expansive industry in the area such as the gas processing plant, electricity power plant and the aluminium refinery. The environmental effects of this industry (e.g. dredging to expand it) made it difficult to see the place in the same positive light. I know that industry needs to exist and that it brings prosperity to a town like Gladstone and Queensland itself, but what will happen when the power plant shuts in 2028, or when many of the industry jobs become automated? I am interested in knowing how the town will become self-sustainable? A large percentage of the money is being taken by Rio Tinto, etc. (i.e. millions of dollars are going offshore daily), and at what price?
I am not meaning to come across as a rampant greenie or ignorant of the situation--I know that the industry creates a lot of employment in the Southern Great Barrier Reef area. As an outsider looking in, however, I have been influenced by the conservationist cause. I welcome comments from Gladstone locals and am happy to be set straight. I'm sure that I have many misunderstandings about the whole situation. Please leave a comment below.
I have been an employee at Tutor Doctor for nearly three years now. My colleagues ask me why I do it since it offers a lot less pay than teaching or private tutoring, especially when compared to the casual rates available for teaching. Well, the simple answer is that it's actually very rewarding work for the following reasons:
1) The parents are serious about their child's academic progress. They purchase a number of hours in advance, understanding that progress is a long-term venture and that academic success is not achieved overnight. The tutor is able to invest time and effort into the student, knowing that the tuition will last longer than a mere five or so sessions. This ultimately benefits the student once momentum in learning starts to kick in.
2) The employer seeks feedback from the parents at regular intervals, thus building a systematic evaluation of the employee's performance over time. This becomes a valuable connection for an educator because it documents their teaching skills in a commercial setting outside of the school context.
3) Tutors are trusted to lead the sessions according to their expertise and experience. This is more enjoyable that having to adhere to saturated curriculum topics. Rather, the tutor is able to tailor the learning progression to suit the individual student's interests and needs. Tutors are also able to get to know their students well, ensuring that gaps in knowledge and skills can be continually revisited and reinforced.
4) The one-to-one tutoring environment allows for exponential growth as the tutor provides scaffolds then gradually removes them. Dedicated time spent interacting and engaging with an adult, a 'more knowledgeable other' (Vygotsky, 1930/78), is an invaluable experience for young children and adolescents.
5) Tutoring can be quite cathartic for a teacher. All of those school-based lessons that were never taught or fully resolved due to interruptions or student issues can be efficaciously used in the tutoring context, providing the tutor with feedback for improving their teaching in subsequent sessions.
These are the main positive outcomes of one-to-one tutoring. If you're truly a dedicated teacher, and money isn't your main motivation, consider working for Tutor Doctor. You'll gain a wealth of knowledge as you prepare for diverse tasks on a plethora of topics and texts. You will grow as an educator as you also learn from those you teach!
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Tutor Doctor.
Text by Melanie Davies © 2018
