Tutoring @ TJ’s

Thus far, I have been fortunate enough to not have experienced a client with any of the extremely rude behaviors discussed at the last meeting. However, I have had my share of frustrations. I think my most memorable was when a client, who was scheduled for a thirty minute appointment, came in the day before the exam and wanted to learn all five of the chapters that were going to be on the exam. While I was very frustrated at first, I was able to distance myself from the situation, acknowledging that it was not my responsibility to teach him the material in thirty minutes. We were then able to look through the large amount of material and narrow in on a couple of areas that it would most benefit him to study. At the end of the session we also talked about a few ways that he could efficiently use the little study time he had that night.

Of course, I’ve also had plenty of really great clients. (more…)

How many times have you had a kid come in who doesn’t have his book, has no clue what material they are even studying, and then hands you his homework assignment to do it for him? Hopefully not that many, but I’m sure that it has happened. Then, when you tell the student that you cannot do the work for him, you get a blank stare and a negative comment placed into the comment box at the end of your meeting. How do you all deal with this? Honestly, I just laugh…it’s the cure to everything. Don’t worry, though, I do not laugh in his/her face. You have to wait until they leave…that’s the trick. Unfortunately, these situations are not even the worst…

Now, how many of you have had a client who comes regularly and has showed promising strides at times, but then appears to a meeting as if he had never been in the class? (more…)