Engagement
Good morning all, I've been working in schools but not as a typical educator this year. We generally are told in education to prioritize standards, retention and knowledge, and hope for rapport and that by modeling how much we love our subject, students might see it and start to love it too. Lately, I've been working with Gear Up and Upward Bound as a math tutor and teacher. They seem to start with rapport, and once the students start to believe that you care about them and their future, they start to listen to what you have to say about your discipline and how it can help them achieve it. They start with they why they should care, and then work backwards to the how. I've been really impressed by how hard students will work once they believe you are on their side, helping them overcome whatever subject they are struggling with. In short, start with their dreams and aspirations, and help them figure out what they have to do to get there.