Las summer I learned of the volunteer site called Cov-Education that focused on helping students with extra help during the Covid pandemic. The first student I was assigned to tutor never reached out to me. So I was a few weeks without touring. I didn’t expect to gain much but to tutor students in English and Spanish. However, a nonprofit organization president reached out to me a few weeks after finding my profile on the Cov-Education site. She asked me if I was okay with tutoring students outside of the United States because she needed a tutor for students who lived in the US but got deported back to Mexico. I agreed and ended up working with teenagers in Mexico. I started making lesson plans and had to figure out how to reach out to these kids through video chat. I learned a lot about myself, about teenagers, and teaching in general. I thought that if I put a little faith in myself everything would be okay. I learned the workload it is to lesson plan, teach, and the importance of being prepared. My experience in teaching these students has been a fantastic and eye-opening experience. I have learned the best way to aid them in learning while also trying to make it easier for them to adapt to learning through a screen. First, what took me to surprise is how ready they were to learn and their excitement every time they understood a concept. 

Over time, I learned how to gain their trust, and they slowly realized that they could ask questions and request to go over whatever topic they want without reprimand. And I felt so proud of creating an open environment for them because it is crucial for them to feel comfortable to ask questions. So far, I have made lesson plans via Google Docs and have them follow along. I am trying to promote speaking more, which was a task, but I have noticed by comparing the first day and now that there has been a drastic change. 

I’m grateful because being a tutor has also benefited me greatly by working with students. It has forced me to think outside the box to provide a useful but also fun learning experience. We have covered the start of the United States while also increasing our everyday English vocabulary. I tried to do different activities while also having a similar routine to have a sense of familiarity. I came up with an idea to start every day with a personalized question that we answer in English to practice our conversation skills. So, without realizing it they are expanding their vocabulary. Overall, I had so much fun, and I can genuinely say it is a fantastic program that promotes growth and learning for both the students and tutors.