Nora: Journal 12

I was able to tutor the same girl at the Padua Center today. Again, the progress was slow. There was another boy there, so there were a lot more distractions today. We constantly got off track and I had to direct her attention back to her homework, or remind the kids that they shouldn't be violent (most of their verbal defenses were "I'll punch you" or "I'll beat you up"). One challenge for me has been finding an effective way to teach her the basic skills that aren't quite clicking in her head without boring her. Although she has good intentions, it seems that she prefers the easy answer rather than searching for the right answer. She always needs that extra push to figure the answer out. I have been trying to really break the concepts down for her so she can go through the process and figure out instead of just giving her the answers.

Her curiosity is amusing- or more specifically, the questions she asks out of curiosity. Yesterday, when we were feeding the chickens, she asked if there were any male ones. Bryan told her no, so then she asked how they could lay eggs. After a brief silence, she inquired, "Are they gay?" I finally got around to explaining the reason why today. Today, she also asked Hedyeh why she was wearing a scarf on her head, then proceeded to ask if she had hair. Also, when I told her my parents were from Syria, she noticed it sounded like the word "cereal" and wondered if it was even real. She also asked me if I was sure that I wasn't Indian. Even better, she asked if Abi and Hedyeh were sisters, and outright told Abi, "You're not that funny." Oh dear. It was better than the boy, who said I had a big nose and poked fun at my hair. I didn't care or take it personally. I didn't really say anything, actually. I wouldn't respond to him the same way I would respond to one of my friends (because my friends and I completely degrade each other... It's out of love though) so I didn't respond at all. Sigh. I like working with the kids and tutoring them, but I don't know how teachers do it. If I had to do that every day with more than just one kid, I'd probably pull my hair out. I am preaching the truth here, folks. Ah, teachers- bless you, you brave souls.