What if you had learned to read and write at the age of thirteen? Would you choose to study online? What of these lost years, your hidden secret? Now there’s the discovery of the joy of learning, the opening of many doors.
As an online tutor for Akamas I’m not always privy to the history of my students; some say very little about about themselves, while others write a biography which demonstrates such a degree of commitment to their caring career that it leaves me speechless with admiration, not necessarily a good place to start from in terms of objectivity when it comes to marking their work!
Others write about early challenges in their lives which leave me wondering why it is that people who’ve conquered such difficulties in their lives often choose a path liberally strewn with the kind of salaried endeavours most people would earnestly avoid.
But, as I send them my feedback on their private forum (is this their private hell I wonder?), I have to stand back from my awe and marry a business -like approach to this tutoring business with a compassionate understanding of what lies behind the learning. My students are dealing on a day to day basis with challenging and traumatised children and young people and this online training is serving to skill them and the wider caring profession.
I find myself reflecting on online students who’ve come late to the acquisition of basic literacy skills. Presumably intelligent and questioning through primary school but unable to satisfy the longing to learn. Or else, completely disengaged and then suddenly ‘getting it’. I now have the task of being the friendly voice at their shoulder, metaphorically nudging an elbow to encourage and reassure that getting it right first time isn’t a requirement.
My feedback needs to be supportive, clear and unambiguous. And I need to remember that the faltering writing style only reflects lost time, not a lack of commitment.
Sheila
Tags: Add new tag, commitment, feedback, online student, online training, primary school