A day to remember

2.8.2018 was a good day for me. At 2 pm my two students (siblings – one in primary 3 while the other is in primary 5) came for their lessons. They both came to me for tuition for the first time on 20.6.18 and yesterday was their 14^th lesson with me. The mother had heard about me from a member of the Rotary club in which I was to talk about how to eradicate illiteracy. 

Both of the siblings could not read when they came to me and neither of them could even spell words like was, to, went etc.

I went against my own advice that I should not take students older than those in primary 3 and accepted them as my tutees. 

Yesterday, half way during our lesson the older boy said that his teacher was surprised that he could now read and had praised him.

Then, when it was the younger sister’s turn she too said that she has been praised by the teacher for being able to read much better now. I asked her as to how she is able to read as well as she is doing. She just stared at me. I then prompted her – ‘It is because I am a good teacher’. I asked the same question again and she said ‘Because you are a good teacher and gave a half smile’. That made my day.

When their mother came to pick them up she said that the boy’s school teacher had spoken with her and after listening to her asked her to get two of my books. If that doesn’t make one feel at the top of the world nothing would.

Then in the evening I made my presentation to the Rotary club members after thanking them for the privilege extended to me to present a talk on a topic dear to me – ‘How to reduce illiteracy’. 

You can get the book here:

 

Unfortunately a lady arrived late for the talk – she arrived just as I was finishing my talk. She then left after buying a book. I met up with her later and found that she was recommended to come by the mother of the 2siblings mentioned above.

I believe the talk was well received with quite a few questions from the members at the end of the talk.

I had invited the two mothers of my latest two students to come for the talk.

When it was time for the guests to introduce themselves I was more than surprised that one of the 2 mothers of my latest 2 students stood up and said something that really touched my heart.

She said that her daughter and her niece who came together for tuition last Tuesday had told their parents that they liked the way I taught them and that they were eager to come back for their next lesson.

That is something difficult to believe coming from two 8 year- old kids who had just come for a one hour  lesson from me. But then again, don’t forget that these are smart kids who have shut down from learning to read because of wrong instructions. These are kids who cannot understand why other kids can read while they can’t. Now, after just one lesson they believe they will be able to read like other kids.

 I am real proud of this lady who stood up in from of 16 total strangers and said what she said. 

I know the two kids were happy to have come for tuition as they now are able to read in complete sentences within one hour. I had explained to them that alphabets in English have more than one sound when one of the girls pronounced the word ‘to’ as ‘toe’. I could almost see the light bulb light up over her head.

With Mother Nature’s help I will be able to wean these two kids off in 4 months. God willing they will end up as top students in the school just like most of my previous students.