Qualities...

The following passage is an excerpt from Colleges that Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges, by Loren Pope. He speaks about the qualities that are present in valuable learning experiences. His passage (included below) really speaks to me because it describes my personal style, especially as I begin to define the inherent qualities that make the Speaks-Love Tutoring style unique:

“Their power lies in how they do it. The focus is on the students, not the faculty; he is heavily involved in his own education. There are no passive ears…Teaching is an act of love. Learning is collaborative rather than competitive, values are central; there is a strong sense of community….where the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Aspirations are raised, young people empowered.

It is those qualities that develop leaders, people who can land on their feet, who are bold and imaginative, and who can see the big picture. They do it for students who are strong and intellectual and for those needing tender loving care.”

I care. I listen to them, to their parents, teachers and counselors. As mentor, friend, educational companion,  reader to them, their teacher and student, their support, encouragement, their advocate. I do take the concerns and challenges and successes of each student home with me. They absolutely feel like my own children that I am helping to grow. I do agree that it takes a village; I had a village as a child, and every bit of it was necessary, appreciated, and never forgotten. I enjoy what I do so much!