Each month, the Tutor Spotlight will feature a Sunshine Method Tutor who has gone above and beyond to engage with and inspire students to reach their fullest potential. Read on to meet our change-makers!

Meet Chris!

What motivates you to tutor children in your community?

I think tutoring really makes so much of an impact. When I was growing up, you didn't really have that option. It was just one teacher in a huge group. So, if you fell behind, it was very difficult to catch up. But now that [our children] have all tutoring options, it really helps tackle where kids are struggling to be able to get back on track.

What role do you believe education plays in a child's life?   

I think it's so important that kids have a proper education. It shows them that they can do things that they thought they couldn't. If they don't a receive proper education, they'll just go on thinking they’re not good enough. But once they have the proper education they need, they get that confidence.

How does the work you do with The Sunshine Method connect to your own personal values?

I am just so happy that I can make a difference in this way. Being able to talk one-on-one with a student, to help them where they're really struggling. I love being able to do that.

Can you describe the best experience you've had working with the child? 

I think a big thing I keep seeing with kids is they always want to rush. When reading something they just want to go-go-go but when you actually get them to slow down and focus, they're like, oh wait, I can read this! Getting them to realize they actually can do something they thought they couldn't by just having patience and slowing down, I think that's the best rewarding experience I've seen. 

What kind of long-term progress have you seen your children make? 

I've been working with [one child] for a long time, and I've seen him really struggle with reading and math, but as we kept practicing and kept repeating things, he actually realized he could do it.  I thought that was just so awesome, he really didn't think he could do this stuff, but after we repeated it, he realized, oh, I can.

How has education changed your life and how has it changed your children's lives that you work with? 

It changed my life because I realized that I really could help these students, while at first, I thought I couldn't. Maybe they just can't do some things, but no, I was wrong. If we just have patience, then we really can make a difference.

Thank you for reading, and thank you, Chris, for your contributions and impact on the next generation!