More than a dozen retired teachers serve as tutors and sometimes consultants, helping Succeed2gether to improve the quality of its training and programs. This former teacher found renewal in her work with her young charge.
By Sandy Spatola
As a retired teacher, I knew something was missing from my life; teaching had been my number one passion for nearly 30 years. I desperately needed to give back to my community. I began researching nonprofits for kids, and believe me, the good ones are few and far between. It was exhilarating to stumble upon Succeed2gether.
Two years ago I began working with A., a timid, quiet and bright-eyed second-grader. I noticed that if she was unsure of an answer, she gave up quickly. In her writing, she didn’t venture much beyond sentence fragments.
And yet I could see that A. was eager to soak up every tidbit of information I had to offer. She was motivated to learn, and that was refreshing after my years in an urban school district, where many factors can impede a student’s enthusiasm. I had to adjust to A., who was full of smiles, hugs and positivity.
We continued through her second-grade year, working on math problems, writing and reading. I tried to nudge her along just enough, not too much, and A. made some progress. Summer passed, we began anew in the fall, and about three months into this school year I noticed a shift in A., or more of a dramatic leap. She started thinking analytically and independently and trying harder. She began writing more elaborately, with adverbs and adjectives. Instead of “The dog bit,” she would write a complete and descriptive sentence: “The big black dog bit the fluffy cat.”
In math, instead of answering seven problems in one minute, she answered 30. Most importantly, A. began taking risks.
The very first time I understood that A. was having a breakthrough there were tears of joy in my eyes and happiness in my heart. At the end of our session I gave her the biggest bear hug ever and couldn’t wait to tell her mom! Her mother couldn’t stop grinning either and hugged me as well! I feel so fortunate to be a witness to A’s fantastic progress, and to be a part of the wonderful Succeed2gether community.