TUTORS GROW SO THEY CAN SOW
It's that magical time in the school year when progress and student learning becomes evident. The Reading Seed coaches have built strong relationships with their students, and things that were struggles all during the fall are starting to click. As exciting as this is, it's equally as exciting to see the growth in our volunteers.
Reading Seed Volunteer Manager and Trainer, Jessica Dennes, shared a story of the huge impact that coach learning has on students and their families. Last November, she worked with a coach who was having difficulty finding his groove with his students, and he just couldn't understand why they weren't doing what he was asking them to do. So, he asked for advice!
After he shared his struggles with Jessica and was open to her suggestions, he attended some Professional Development workshops, and he explored our library resources with Violet Kennedy, our Library Coordinator. He took these new ideas and tools and reframed his work with his kids. Rather than trying to change the students' actions, he began to focus on their strengths and their interests. His goal changed to how to make reading fun!
Now they play word games and use wordless books, and he uses the free books to engage them beyond just their time together. His new approach not only changed the way he viewed his students' abilities, but it has also increased their engagement and motivation to read.
Recently, the coach shared this:
"Since I have taken a more fun approach with the boys, they seem more engaged ... One success story is Miguel [name changed]. My 4th grader is teaching his mother how to read English. When I suggested that the boys find someone in the family to read with, Miguel said no one in his family spoke English. It was his idea to teach mom. The whole interaction has been very rewarding. I can definitely see progress."
We celebrate ALL our volunteers who spend so much time on their own learning so that their students can grow!
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