Each month, the Tutor Spotlight features 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 Nigel!

We had the opportunity to speak with Nigel about how he is making a difference in the lives of his students through academics and in their lives. 

Join the conversation below: 

Hi Nigel! It’s great to meet you. If you could begin by sharing a little bit about yourself and how long you've been a tutor?

I've been a tutor since May of last year. I’m able to make a difference in a lot of students' lives-- not just academically, but in their lives in general, and their future, whether they're college-bound or not, and what they plan to do with their life.  

What motivates you to tutor children in your community? 

There's a great need for it, first of all. Good teachers are hard to find, and teachers who actually care are even harder to find. It's about the children's life, their future, and what they can achieve in their lives. [We] must help them in whatever way [we] can and put them in the center. 

We are so happy to have so many amazing Sunshine Tutors. Can you describe the most memorable experience you've had working with a child? What do you believe made it so successful? 

I'm going to say that not every student I have worked with is successful, but the majority are. The thing about that is that you gotta have respect for the students. It doesn't matter how old or how young they are - you have to show them respect. We don't know exactly how hard their lives are, what they're going through, and their family. The whole point is you gotta care. Not only transferring the knowledge you have. You can convey and transfer the knowledge but you also have to be on the caring side. 

That caring side is what makes mentoring so important with the children we work with! What advice would you give a child that is struggling or having difficulty with a subject? 

Try to find out exactly where their knowledge gap is and supplement that as a teacher. If they know something already, you gotta reinforce it like, “Hey, you're doing this great. Keep it up! You're doing it correctly.”   

What do you think it takes to be a Sunshine tutor? 

You have to work with students holistically and see their environment, family life, and their own lives, like their friends in school or what they're facing. Go from there and put them in the center. Mold [everything] around them because they are the most important. 

What are your hopes for your students in the future? 

Oh wow. I always encourage them to do what they're good at and get paid at the same time. That would be great, right? I don't want them to do something they don't like and get paid. I want them to do something they like and excel in that. You could go to school. I always encourage them to go to college if they can, and trade school. But first, you gotta pass math. 

Thank you for reading, and thank you, Nigel, for your contributions and impact on this generation!