Chloe is a Sunshiner who began her journey in digital marketing, and remains committed to fostering meaningful relationships with her students every day.
Each month, the Tutor Spotlight will showcase a Sunshine Method tutor who has illuminated the path for students, going the extra mile to inspire and engage them toward lifelong success.
Join our conversation with Chloe below:
Thank you so much for sitting down with us Chloe! We can't wait to delve in with you. Can you tell us a little about yourself and what got you into education?
I’ve been teaching ever since high school. For me, growing up, I saw a lot of students of color who didn't have the opportunity to get the help that they needed. That inspired me to help students from different economic backgrounds.
I love building connections with students, and showing them that they can trust me when it comes to things that they’re having difficulty with. It’s not always easy for someone to say that they’re having trouble, and I’ve worked with a lot of students who are embarrassed to say they don't understand something. Seeing them become more comfortable and share that with me is always huge.
Connections with the children are so important In education! What would you tell a child who was struggling in school or lacking confidence?
I would say to that child, try to find somebody, especially if they don’t have a tutor, somebody to go to. Maybe a teacher, or a parent, or a friend. I think it’s a big thing to try to communicate when it comes to that, because when students tend to stay quiet, they stay in that shell.
I was a student like that. I didn’t talk to anybody, and I felt like I was losing my self-esteem. But there’s always somebody willing to listen to you, to understand you, and to always remind you that there’s somebody else going through the same struggles.
We couldn't agree more! What is the best piece of advice someone has given you as an educator?
It actually came from my dad, because he was a teacher for a very long time. He told me that we can be hard on ourselves in our day-to-day lives, but just know that the job that we are doing is a service itself. Teachers are superheroes, and even though we don’t always see it, we are doing something amazing for students. So don’t be so hard on yourself!
That's something so important to keep in mind not only as educators, but from the children's perspective too. Is there any advice you'd give to other educators?
Every student is different. Don’t expect that every student can learn the same way, even if their profile is similar to another students. Remember to always ask those questions to students and parents, to make sure that when you’re helping them, it’s curated to them. Take notes. If they’re shy about saying something, I take a note. "Okay, let’s try a different method". Take notes and always pay attention. Those are gonna help you through in the long run.
When you're working with a child, either in person or online, what tips do you have to keep them engaged during lessons?
To keep them engaged, for me, it has always been little breaks. If we go through a lesson, there might be something they really don’t like, maybe geometry or algebra, and those little brain breaks motivate them.
The other thing is having conversations with them. A lot of my students love to talk about their interests, what they’re doing, maybe even rant. A lot of them love to rant during sessions, especially if it was about a friend, or whatnot, going on in life. Those are things that really motivate my students, and I feel it has even deepened the connection more with a lot of them.
There's that connection again! What do you think it takes to be a Sunshine Method tutor?
It takes a lot of love, a lot of care. It’s a community to help students, especially with our team. We’re always trying to make sure that students are accommodated, to make sure that everyone is happy, and there’s mutual respect between each party. It’s great to feel that support.
We just have one final question for you today, what are your hopes for your students in the future?
My hope for them is that they live and accomplish all their goals and their dreams. I have students that want to be doctors, some of them want to go into art, some want to be YouTubers, some want to go into the army, and I hope that all their dreams become possible for them. I hope they accomplish everything they want and don’t think anything is gonna stop them.
Thank you for reading, and thank you, Chloe, for inspiring each child to keep trying, even when they stumble along the way!