My greatest accomplishment in teaching would probably be from tutoring at Brown last year. I would go out in the hall and help 1-4 kids at a time with work, usually math. There was one girl in particular who struggled with math, and what complicated things was that she didn't talk much. I talked to the teacher and found that she wasn't just shy, she had a "tragic backstory" that included removal from her parents' house, and she now lives with her aunt and uncle. This girl was easily intimidated by anybody older than her, especially men. I tried to help this girl in the hall quite often with her math, and she seemed very unmotivated to not only do the math, but speak to me. She often spent the entire half hour looking at her feet. I began to adjust my approach to make her more comfortable, and slowly, she began to respond, and even learn a lot. By the end of the year, she was figuring new concepts out with minimal help from me, and when I asked her questions, she would actually smile and answer out loud. It took a while, but she gradually made it, and it felt really good to see that transition for her. I was clearly not the only influence in that situation, other adults were working with her, but it still felt great to see that.
Day 9: Write about one of your biggest accomplishments in your "teaching" that no one knows about.9/9/2014
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