I had a feeling that my service with AmeriCorps would be a rewarding experience, and I’ve felt that sense of reward most through working with Fernando, an 11th grader at Forest Grove High School. The way my schedule is set up at FGHS, I have a “prep” period each day. About a month ago, I had a teacher from across the hall approach me during my 2nd block prep period. He teaches a PRAG (Principles of Algebra and Geometry) workshop class that block, and he told me one of the students was really struggling and could use some extra help. He didn’t want to infringe on my prep period every other day, but I said I would be willing to help out. I agreed to work with Fernando for 30 minutes each 2nd block, to help get him caught up on his work and back on track to pass his math classes.
From the way the teacher described Fernando to me, my expectations weren’t high. I was told he never did his homework, his math skills were incredibly low, and that he wasn’t on track to graduate, possibly even on a 5-year plan. I figured I had my work cut out for me.
We had our first tutorial on November 18. I pulled Fernando out of class, and we went to my office to work. I spent the first 10 minutes or so asking him about where he came from, what he liked to do, and other non-math related questions, looking to create a connection and make him more comfortable with me. He turned out to be a very nice kid. I discovered quickly that Fernando was definitely bright enough to pass his classes; what he lacked was confidence. He was originally from southern California, and his family had moved around a lot. They moved to Portland a few years ago before settling out in Forest Grove. After years of limited success and predominant failure in the classroom, between many different schools, his spirits had been broken, making him timid and uncertain about all of his work.
As the tutorials went by, I could sense a boost in Fernando’s confidence. I kept the encouragement coming, praising him for asking me questions and encouraging him to go with his instincts and not to second-guess himself. At first, every time he would answer my questions pertaining to math he would respond uncertainly, as if he wasn’t really sure, and if I didn’t give praise right away, he’d begin guessing other options. We worked through several units, and I could see him absorbing knowledge from our earlier sessions and applying it to the new concepts we were going over. He has begun to ask me questions out of curiosity, rather than simply to get the correct answer for his worksheet. His eyes now light up when I peek my head in the classroom to pull him out. Working with Fernando one-on-one has allowed me to focus more heavily on his specific needs, rather than the needs of 3-5 kids at once, and I’ve been able to connect with him much easier without other students to look after.
Fernando’s teacher told me within the first week of our tutorials that Fernando was showing signs of improvement in the classroom, which made me extremely proud. Since then, I’ve been told that Fernando has been turning in his homework, and he has passed his last two tests. His attitude toward school, or at least math, has improved quite a bit. It’s only been a month of tutorials, but I’m truly excited for Fernando, and I can’t wait to see his improvements over the next few months.
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