It was nice to see my learner and return to CFL after our long winter break. I was hoping my learner would come back with the same motivation and enthusiasm as before break. And I was happy to see her sitting at the table waiting for me with an essay she had written. I gave her homework and was optimistic that she would actually attempt to write an essay or at least a draft. So, it was a pleasant surprise to read her essay, which she did a very good job on. It also gave us a good way to jump right back into tutoring.
For the rest of the session, we worked some more with her essay and writing skills and moved onto some reading comprehension. I was nervous because we had never actually done the reading comprehension exercises in her GED book, but she did surprisingly well! Even when we encountered a challenging excerpt from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, my learner amazed me and got every question right. As time winded down I could tell she was very tired so I gave her a long break and we just chatted. I immediately sympathized with her when she told me she had been up since 2:30 AM. It made me feel bad to think I was having a long day and my first class didn’t start until 11.
Sometimes going to service helps put things back into perspective and reminds me to be grateful for what I have. Being back at service also makes me remember to be patient. One of my goals for the rest of the year is to always be supportive of my learner, especially if she is getting frustrated and can’t remember how to do certain things. Also, something I was reminded of at service this week is that my learner will be leaving soon to have her baby. She is due at the end of March so sadly, I will have to say goodbye to her early. I am not sure if I will get another learner for the last month or so after she leaves, but either way this reminds me to work harder with her in the short time we have left together.
