Tutoring Center 101

Now that I've been at the tutoring center for two weeks, it's time to lay out for my blog readers what, in fact, it is that goes on at the tutoring center.  The easiest way to do that is to share what this past week looked like for me.


Monday I do not go to the center because it is our staff meeting and planning day.  Our staff meetings are held at Jeff and Tracey Dixon's home in the office they have upstairs.  During staff meetings we have a time of eating something delicious together, followed by a time of worship (both in English and Spanish).  We talk about prayer requests and praises, and then we take time to pray for each other.  We have been reading through the book of James together, as that is the book we will be studying with our teams that come.  I really appreciate these times of Bible study because they are done in Spanish and English, back and forth between the languages quite seamlessly.  My Spanish is not quite so seamless yet, but I am finding that I understand a whole lot and just need to keep on trucking with my oral Spanish.  After our James reading and discussion, we talk about logistical things such as the schedule of events for the upcoming week and needs at the specific sites.  We end around lunch time and then have the afternoon for planning together and running errands for the week ahead.  Today we did an  inventory and organization of donations we have received, lots of good stuff!

Coffee and chatting time before we begin our meeting

Intern Courtney and me, I'm sporting the national soccer jersey

Tuesday-Thursday the schedule at the tutoring center is pretty much the same.  On Tuesday we have the younger students come in the morning for tutoring, then the older students come after lunch. Because of their school schedules alternating every day, Wednesday we have older kids first, then the younger, and then on Thursday we're back to younger first than older. They come with their homework, notes from class, or practices to be finished to prepare for exams.  Jose and I talk with them to see what it is they need to be working on, and we get to work.  This past week I practiced reading ca, ma, sa, etc. syllables and words with Hadassah, helped Ruth practice her handwriting, drilled Weyner on his numbers in English, and read with Joyce, among other things.  Some of the students really struggle in school and need extra support from us, and some just need a quite place to work because their home is too noisy or chaotic.  It has been a stretch for me to explain math and science concepts in Spanish, and I'm so thankful for Jose's help (and the Spanish/English dictionary!)  

Joyce and me reading

On Tuesday afternoons during about the last 45 minutes of the day, Jose has been doing a Bible lesson with the students.  A lot of our students attend local churches and have a knowledge about God, but we have the privilege to share about Jesus with them on a more individual level, hear about what is going on in their lives, and pray with them.  Wednesday and Thursday afternoons we have art time together.  I've really enjoyed being able to share some of my experience of doing art at Malaga School with the students in Los Guido.  They have been doing a great job of being creative and getting to use some art supplies that they don't use at school or at home.  I am proud that I was able to teach the art lessons in Spanish, not perfectly, but well enough that they understood what my objective and instructions were.  :)


Friday we have girls' club in the morning while Jose has a bike club he does with the boys outside.  Girls' club is open to young ladies from about 9 and beyond, and it is a time for the girls to come and have a safe place to talk, be themselves, share about what is going on in their lives, and pray together.  We also have a lesson connected to some Scriptures to point the girls towards the biblical truths that Jesus wants them to be learning.  We also usually have a snack of some sort that we have made together or one of the leaders made ahead of time.  This week my team member, Tracey, was doing some counseling with one of our girls who has recently dropped out of school.  The girl is very discouraged and doesn't want to return, but because she only has a fifth grade education at this point, Tracey has been encouraging her to re-enter school and come to the tutoring center during the week to get some extra help from us.  The girls' group is a really special and important part of the job assignment in this community, and I'm looking forward to getting to know these girls more, investing in them, and helping to show them the value they have in the eyes of the Lord.


Friday afternoon we have library time with the students, and any age is welcome to come (as long as they are not ditching school to be with us, as some of them would like to do).  We have a time where they can read independently or in groups books they find in our library.  Then Jose or I do a read aloud with the students (which I just LOVE to do!) and then we have a book talk afterwards.  This week I read the book "El Pez Arco Iris el Rescate" or "Rainbow Fish to the Rescue."  We talked about the good Samaritan in connection with the plot of the book and then made our own rainbow fish drawings.  The students do not have very many (if any) of their own books in their homes, so library time is a special treat to get to share the love of literacy with them.  As a first grade teacher, there's nothing that I enjoy more than seeing kiddos loving to read.

Kiddos reading together during library time

Interns and kids reading together

So there you have it, that's my week of working at the tutoring center!  Every day is different and full of it's own challenges and rewards.  We'll see what this week has in store for me!