Tutoring

I am thankful for my tutoring job for several reasons--the main reason being that it is yet another thing that God uses to provide for our family.

I am also thankful for it because I enjoy it.  I miss being in the classroom so much.  I am so thankful that I get to be at home with Ada and John, so thankful, but I miss teaching A LOT.  And I am thankful that I get to do something education related a few times a week. 

Tutoring is so great, too, because I get to know the families so well.  And the students just bless my life in so many ways.

I am currently tutoring this one little guy, a first grader, and he is a struggling reader.  He absolutely can read--can sound out almost any word--but it just isn't flowing for him.  He sounds out every letter in a word, and we are just struggling along.  He is a smart kid, though, so smart.  And funny.  His teacher suggested that he repeat first grade because of his slow reading skills.  His mom really didn't want to do that because he really is so smart, and it didn't seem to make sense for him to repeat a grade.  Well we have been busting our tails trying to get him approved to move onto second grade.

Congrats to him because he is moving on.  He did GREAT on all of the end of the year tests, and he will be in second grade next year. 

Well, as I was leaving his house earlier this week, I turned around to say good-bye, and his sweet little six year old voice said to me from the top of his stairs, "Thank you.  Thank you for helping me pass."  He said it with such sincerity.  I melted. 

On the other end of the spectrum, I am also tutoring a guy who is a junior in high school.  I started tutoring him when he was freshman, and he is a fun guy with a really great family.  Well, his mom is great about giving me really fun "teacher gifts," and look at what I got tonight (we are done with tutoring for the summer)

So fun, right?  I am going to make it my water cup so that the only way I can use it is if I am drinking water.  It's true, I have to trick myself into drinking water.

As much as I love teaching and students and education, I am SO VERY THANKFUL that my mornings start out with these stinkers crowded in my lap, rather than a classroom full of students.