The first thing I do when
I sit down with my students is make a to-do list for the session. Do they need to come up with a study
plan for finals? Are there any
long-term projects we should start working on? Is there homework due tomorrow that’s confusing? We decide together which tasks are top
priority and then get to work.
This exercise was always a
little interesting with one of my students whenever she had a test or quiz
coming up. She was perfectly
content to study by glancing at the material during her drive to school the day
of the test. Every time she
mentioned a test and I suggested studying for it, she would only grudgingly
agree. Even when she finally
accepted that studying could be done in advance, she would insist that she did
just fine on tests by re-reading the material rather than being quizzed on
it. For the first two months of
the school year, we had the same discussion every time there was a test or quiz—and
each time she got one of those tests or quizzes back, I was sure to point out
that she did much better when she was quizzed on material. Nevertheless, she didn’t seem swayed.
In one session last month,
I sat down to make my to-do list with her as usual.
“Do you have any tests or
quizzes in the next week?”
“I have a French quiz
tomorrow.”
“How do you feel about the
material?” Oh boy, I figured. Here comes the same old discussion.
“Can you quiz me on it?”
Could I? Was
she serious? I decided not to dance around the room, but I said
enthusiastically, “Of course I can quiz you on it! I’m so glad you asked!”
These small successes in
tutoring are often the most memorable moments. My student’s question could’ve been completely insignificant
to anyone who didn’t know her.
However, not only did this question show me that she had started to
rethink her ideas about studying, simply asking it showed me that she was
taking the initiative with her own education!
