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 towards lifelong success.
Enid has been with The Sunshine Method for over 4 years, and is passionate about teaching and helping her students grow into resilient young adults!
Join our conversation with Enid below:
Hi Enid, thank you so much for sitting down with us! Can you tell us a little about yourself, and your journey as an educator?
Hello! It's great to sit down with you too. I have been in the education system for almost 50 years. My passion is to work with students, and I'm also an excellent mentor.
While I was a classroom teacher, I noticed many students needed help in certain areas of their education, especially when it comes to reading comprehension. I believe every child can learn, and every child must learn. I’m motivated by the number of students who are leaving school and were not able to succeed or excel to a tertiary level of education. Most of all, my big passion as an educator, is to have a positive influence in the lives of students, and the world at large. I possess the power to inspire and motivate my students and others so they can discover their strengths and conquer their challenges.
We share in your belief that every child can learn! It's such an important perspective. Since you've been a tutor with us, is there a moment that has stuck with you?
Yes, I was asked to tutor a student who had repeated 2nd grade. When I was matched with this student, he was below his grade level. He needed a lot of help. He was reading at 15 words per minute, and he wasn’t so respectful either. He wanted to do his own thing. So I mentored him. As we worked together for two hours per week, I would do [reading] fluency using my timer, and a reading passage. As we worked together, he started participating because he saw he was getting somewhere. He started to cooperate and participate in whatever we were doing. I am currently working with him, and last year, when I checked his fluency, he was reading at 125 words per minute. He’s able to use his syllabication skills to decode unfamiliar words.
I’m so proud of him because within a month of tutoring, he was on the principal’s honor roll at his school. He would often come and share his medals and his award certification with me. I’m so proud of him. He has improved so much.
Thank you for sharing! What an incredible experience for you both. What is the best advice you'd give to a child who is struggling in school or lacking confidence?
When you have a child who doesn't want to do tutoring, doesn’t believe that they are worth it, or their self-esteem is low, what I would do as a tutor is to find out from the child, if is there a problem at home that is preventing them from working well with me. I would embrace the child, and help them to know whatever it is, they are to put their education as a top priority in their lives. They are to balance academics with extracurricular activities. And they are to remember to care for themselves as they go along. [If they have any special needs], I would help them to know that their disability is also an ability. I would do a lot of mentoring, encouraging, and praising. I praise all my students, even if the child did not do well at the end of the session, I still praise the child. I always bring a lot of encouragement when it comes to students who are not willing to do what they are asked to do.
You've impacted so many children's lives over the years. What role do you believe education plays in a child's life?
Education plays a big role in the life of a child. Without education, we cannot get anywhere. Education is the key to everything. Education is critical. It helps a child to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. It helps to build their confidence and self-reliance. It helps them to develop critical thinking. It helps them to build positive relationships, to develop a sense of purpose, and prepare them for the future that lies ahead. It builds emotional intelligence. Education is very important.
Through all of your experiences, is there something a child has ever taught you?
If there’s anything that my students have taught me, it is to be more patient. Not everyone learns at the same pace, and not everyone learns with the same method. I use a variety of methods to work with the students. I may have two students with ADHD, one learns this way, and the other one learns that way. I have to make sure I know what I’m doing. It’s even helped me to pray a little more, because I’m always praying for them.
What do you think it takes to become a Sunshine Method tutor?
Being a Sunshine teacher, I’m able to impart my knowledge to the students who need my help. When it comes to The Sunshine Method, it is a company that represents education as an inclusive environment for both the students and the tutors. Being at Sunshine helped me to be flexible because I’m able to work at different times and with different levels of students. Working with Sunshine is a pleasure, especially when the students are moved from one level to the next. I would recommend the Sunshine Method to parents, seeking academic support and mentoring for their children, and for tutors who have a passion for education, equity and student success.
Do you have any advice you'd like to give other tutors?
I would encourage them to be flexible and patient. I would encourage them to plan, because if you don’t plan, you cannot execute the lesson. Planning is very important. You have to make sure that you have different activities according to the level of the students, because one shoe does not fit all. We know we have to have different shoes for the children to be successful. I would also encourage them to be a good listener. Make sure you listen to the students, and you have to make sure they trust you, too.
Thank you again for taking the time to chat with us today, I just have one last question for you! What are your hopes for your students in the future?
My hope for my students in the future is for them to achieve their goals. I want them to be better citizens. When I’m done working with them, I want them to apply whatever they were taught in their classroom, in the community, and in the world at large, but most of all I would like them to obtain all their goals in life.
Thank you for reading, and thank you, Enid, for encouraging each child to keep going, no matter what their experiences may have been in the past!