What People Are Saying
The 'Gee I'm Smart' Moment
Richard Suen, Hillcrest Elementary School
My greatest accomplishment was learning how a little bit of tutoring can go a long way. So many students need extra attention and time. I love it when the students have the "Gee, I'm smart" moment.
The Excitement of Learning
Betty Robinson, Experience Corps member, Malcolm X Academy
I enjoy the opportunity to observe the excitement of learning. I work with a great group of kids - full of life, eager to learn, to play, and sometimes be mischievous in a fun way. They aren't afraid to ask challenging questions. It makes every day different!
Careful Matches Between Members and Students
Francisco Duran, principal, Everett Middle School
Many of our Experience Corps members have been here for years. They have consistency which makes the program effective. Teachers can trust that the members will be here and have the skills needed to do the job. Experience Corps listens to what teachers need and makes careful matches between members and students.
With a Smile on My Face
Norman Woo, Experience Corps member, Sunset Elementary School
I have enjoyed my time with Experience Corps more than I could ever have imagined. I was a bit nervous when I started, but then a girl asked me to play cards with her during her free choice time. I had so much fun. Now, I go to Sunset Elementary daily with a smile on my face because I know that I'm helping students develop.
Someone in Their Corner
Eliza Mimski, Experience Corps member, Lafayette Elementary School
When sixty-one-year-old Eliza Mimski first met Sandra she was struck by her timidity. The third grader's voice was so hard to hear that Eliza had to lean all the way in to catch her words.
As Eliza continued to work with Sandra she heard about some of the difficult things that Sandra experienced in the classroom and the schoolyard. She told Eliza that there were other girls who had been making comments about her and threatening her.
"I can't learn like this," she said tearfully, "I can't learn in this classroom."
"Everybody needs someone to listen to them," Eliza pointed out. "I could have used that myself when I was a kid."
Eliza raised the issue of bullying with the classroom teacher, who agreed to discuss it with the class and to allow Eliza an opportunity to work with the students. Eliza built a role-playing activity around issues of bullying and intimidation, involving the whole class in acting out scenes they might experience at school with other children. The activity provoked some unexpected reactions from students who also said they had been bullied, and got the children talking about how to solve problems. It was a conversation the entire class could share.
"It's important that kids know there is someone in their corner," Eliza said. "It creates the opportunity for the children to share things with an adult that they otherwise might not share at all." In Sandra's case, Eliza felt she'd been given an unexpected gift - the gift of trust.
"We walked through a new door that we hadn't been through before" she explained. "One minute we were working on schoolwork and reading, and the next she was really talking to me. I felt good that she trusted me enough to share her problems"
Now when Eliza arrives each week in the classroom to tutor the children, she is pleased to note that she can "see the change in the kids" she works with.
"It's more about being someone the kids can talk to, not so much a tutor but more of a mentor figure. The girls come up and hug me and I can see their faces light up when they see me."