long, but relevant to my life right now...
My tuesday tutee was late to our meeting at the library tonight. Actually, she was completely absent. Her father showed up about fifteen minutes late to tell me that "she's done." We talked about her for a while. I got the feeling he was not at all pleased with her. I was pretty dumbfounded. Really, what could I say? "Maybe you're slacking as a parent" or "you see, your daughter is this way"? It's really none of my business. So instead of those I strongly recommended she study for her upcoming final. He gave me some money for my troubles and that was that. It wasn't altogether crappy. It's not like I was fired due to my incompetece or anything. More like I was 'let go' because my position was eliminated. At least I got some severance pay.
Yeah, so what's the deal with kids? Why are they so dim sometimes? Like her father, I don't see a problem in her not performing well in the subject AS LONG AS SHE TRIES. Yeah, so canceling tutoring sessions isn't really trying at all.
I also got the impression that her mother wasn't yet aware of what was happening and that her father was running the show tonight. Anyone care to place bets on whether or not I'll get a call from her mother by the end of the week?
Ah, but as a door closes, a window opens...or something like that. As I was walking to my car I noticed that I was stealing some books from the library. I quickly returned to check them out (something that, at the very least, allowed me to finally part ways with the girl's father). Waiting in line, I heard a mousy "excuse me" from just behind me. I turned and was met by a five-and-a-quarter-to-a-half-foot-tall-teenage-girl-with-braces. Yeah, one of those.
Pete (geek): "yes?"
Girl (dork): "are you a math tutor? uh, we *points to fellow page* overhear things and, I know it's strange..."
Pete(heard that one before): "yes, I am"
Girl (mile-a-minute mouth): "I have a friend who needs some tutoring in math. Are you free to...?"
Pete (thinking 'I am now'): "yeah, I'm free. Let me give you my number."
Girl (gawky, shuffling): "great" (gets a piece of paper)
Pete (suddenly thoughtful): "Do you know what subject this is?" (writing number)
Girl (awkwardly bounding to her friend, whispers): "do you know...?"
Other girl (bad hair dye, bad!): uh...more whispers. what's the freakin' secret? I'm going to find out in a second anyway.
Girl (you get the point): "math, 2R" (same course I just 'finished' tutoring in)
Pete (still a geek): "Great, here you go"
Girl (may have actually doubled in dorkiness): "thank you"
Yeah, so I may have another job already. I know. That's what I said.
On top of this, Evelyn may have a job for me with the tutoring service. It's during the day, which means this kid is out of school for some reason. Last one of those was at the psych center, an experience I wouldn't mind repeating. Still, I don't want to get ahead of myself. Right now I'm down to only one tutoring job and a slightly unhappy automobile...not good.
My tuesday tutee was late to our meeting at the library tonight. Actually, she was completely absent. Her father showed up about fifteen minutes late to tell me that "she's done." We talked about her for a while. I got the feeling he was not at all pleased with her. I was pretty dumbfounded. Really, what could I say? "Maybe you're slacking as a parent" or "you see, your daughter is this way"? It's really none of my business. So instead of those I strongly recommended she study for her upcoming final. He gave me some money for my troubles and that was that. It wasn't altogether crappy. It's not like I was fired due to my incompetece or anything. More like I was 'let go' because my position was eliminated. At least I got some severance pay.
Yeah, so what's the deal with kids? Why are they so dim sometimes? Like her father, I don't see a problem in her not performing well in the subject AS LONG AS SHE TRIES. Yeah, so canceling tutoring sessions isn't really trying at all.
I also got the impression that her mother wasn't yet aware of what was happening and that her father was running the show tonight. Anyone care to place bets on whether or not I'll get a call from her mother by the end of the week?
Ah, but as a door closes, a window opens...or something like that. As I was walking to my car I noticed that I was stealing some books from the library. I quickly returned to check them out (something that, at the very least, allowed me to finally part ways with the girl's father). Waiting in line, I heard a mousy "excuse me" from just behind me. I turned and was met by a five-and-a-quarter-to-a-half-foot-tall-teenage-girl-with-braces. Yeah, one of those.
Pete (geek): "yes?"
Girl (dork): "are you a math tutor? uh, we *points to fellow page* overhear things and, I know it's strange..."
Pete(heard that one before): "yes, I am"
Girl (mile-a-minute mouth): "I have a friend who needs some tutoring in math. Are you free to...?"
Pete (thinking 'I am now'): "yeah, I'm free. Let me give you my number."
Girl (gawky, shuffling): "great" (gets a piece of paper)
Pete (suddenly thoughtful): "Do you know what subject this is?" (writing number)
Girl (awkwardly bounding to her friend, whispers): "do you know...?"
Other girl (bad hair dye, bad!): uh...more whispers. what's the freakin' secret? I'm going to find out in a second anyway.
Girl (you get the point): "math, 2R" (same course I just 'finished' tutoring in)
Pete (still a geek): "Great, here you go"
Girl (may have actually doubled in dorkiness): "thank you"
Yeah, so I may have another job already. I know. That's what I said.
On top of this, Evelyn may have a job for me with the tutoring service. It's during the day, which means this kid is out of school for some reason. Last one of those was at the psych center, an experience I wouldn't mind repeating. Still, I don't want to get ahead of myself. Right now I'm down to only one tutoring job and a slightly unhappy automobile...not good.