A warm and empathetic tutor.
Nov. 17th, 2004 04:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusI'm a warm and empathic person. Really, I am. I'm patient and understanding, and I listen. I understand the trials and tribulations of my students, because I'm a student myself. I will advise people on short-cuts: "if you're running out of time, write on a topic you already know well." Before I advise people to re-write a 5-page paper I ask: "When is it due?"
But I have little sympathy for being conned.
Yesterday a shiny, smiling girl signed up for a little tutoring. She batted her eyelashes and radiated eager friendliness. "I need some help with my essay."
She'd received a 65.
Her english was actually pretty good. But as I read the essay... well, let's say it was pretty clear that she was inventing her facts as she went along. I told her a couple things the subject usually touched on, and recommended she do a little research on the internet. To her credit, she cut some of my grammatical checks short saying, "This won't do any good until after I re-write it."
"Yep. Bring it to me tomorrow," I said.
Today, there she was, still smiling. "You're such a great teacher, you really inspired me in the subject!"
Unh-hunh. So inspired that she just used the two things I mentioned and did no additional research.
Then she tried to pump my brain for more.
I explained that I was not a good source of material because it wasn't a subject I knew well. And recommended that she do a little research on the internet.
Rinse. Repeat.
But I have little sympathy for being conned.
Yesterday a shiny, smiling girl signed up for a little tutoring. She batted her eyelashes and radiated eager friendliness. "I need some help with my essay."
She'd received a 65.
Her english was actually pretty good. But as I read the essay... well, let's say it was pretty clear that she was inventing her facts as she went along. I told her a couple things the subject usually touched on, and recommended she do a little research on the internet. To her credit, she cut some of my grammatical checks short saying, "This won't do any good until after I re-write it."
"Yep. Bring it to me tomorrow," I said.
Today, there she was, still smiling. "You're such a great teacher, you really inspired me in the subject!"
Unh-hunh. So inspired that she just used the two things I mentioned and did no additional research.
Then she tried to pump my brain for more.
I explained that I was not a good source of material because it wasn't a subject I knew well. And recommended that she do a little research on the internet.
Rinse. Repeat.