Sep 01

Tutors of the Month – September 2016

Tutors of the Month – September 2016

Region 2 – South LA

– Christian Avalos. Christian made a video describing his tutoring experience with School on Wheels. In the video, Christian talks about how, after a big turnaround, he went from being the teacher to being the student.

Region 4 – Long Beach, South Bay

Janet Cho, School on Wheels Tutor of the Month

– Janet Cho. Janet is enjoying tutoring her ball of sunshine, Paula. Both Janet and Paula are learning from one another, which is incredibly inspiring. It just shows that no matter what age you are, you can continue to learn and grow. Janet’s dedication, love and enjoyment for tutoring with School on Wheels are just the right ingredients to be our Tutor of the Month! We are very fortunate to have her with us. Keep up the great work!

During the beginning of this year, I often found myself messily tangled up into the complex intricacies of my daily routine. I decided that I needed to do an activity that would take the focus out of my own life and into something bigger than myself. What started for me as a means to give back has become an experience where I have gained so much myself.

Kristina Rakosh, Regional Coordinator

Region 5 – Hollywood, Silverlake, Pasadena

Michael Erzingher, School on Wheels Tutor of the Month

– Michael Erzingher. Michael has tutored with SOW for about 10 months. He has been extremely dedicated and an excellent role model for his student Gabriel. Gabriel continues to do better in his academics, and it is definitely due to Michael’s help.

Tutoring with School on Wheels is as rewarding as it gets. My student, Gabriel, and I work together to implement creative, but fun, learning methods. I hope Gabriel carries what he has learned to his life beyond the classroom.. We teach each other; sometimes I’m unsure which one of us is doing the teaching!

Lancella Hunter, Regional Coordinator

Region 6 – Inland Empire

Megan Robbins, School on Wheels Tutor of the Month

– Megan Robbins. Megan has been a dedicated tutor since February of this year. She tutors in the city of Riverside in a group setting. Although she is faced with many distractions, limited space available and a fast turnover with her students, she stays positive and makes each session the best it can be. Her positive attitude not only influences students but also encourages other tutors around her. Megan is extremely patient, creative, flexible and responsible. Her commitment to School on Wheels and our students is remarkable.

I became a tutor for School on Wheels because I wanted to contribute to the Riverside community now that I’m getting settled here. This type of service is a great fit for me because I love interacting with the kids. They challenge me to think creatively about how I’m teaching them. Something as simple as going over what a decimal is can be so rewarding when the kids and I come to an understanding together. It’s always amazing to see the dedication these kids have to improving their math and reading skills; they often sit with us at group tutoring despite the fact there are other kids playing around them along with many other distractions.

Marisol Farfan, Regional Coordinator

Region 7 – San Fernando Valley

Isaac Weingart, School on Wheels Tutor of the Month

– Isaac Weingart. Isaac has been a dedicated School on Wheels tutor since June, 2014. During his two years of service, Isaac has tutored nine students! He is very patient in helping each student and is great at teaching math. Isaac stays in communication and logs his hours every week! A big thank you for all the help you’ve given to homeless students in need!

When I retired from teaching, I volunteered with School on Wheels because I want to continue positively impacting students. I love teaching math, especially Algebra, because the process of setting up and solving equations to find an unknown is very much like being a detective using all the clues provided to solve a mystery. I have enjoyed working with John this year and continually ask him, “What do you need to do next to isolate the unknown?” He, like a lot of students, wants to come to conclusions quickly, but is learning how to take things step by step to compose equations.

Brianna Grothe, Regional Coordinator

Region 12 – North Orange County

Katy Michaelis, School on Wheels Tutor of the Month

– Katy Michaelis. Katy has been a passionate, dedicated tutor for over six years. School on Wheels is so fortunate to have tutors with such a heart of gold!

I have been a tutor with School on Wheels for six years, both in Los Angeles and in Orange County. I have worked in one-on-one and group settings, and I have been with my current student for three years. Building this relationship with Sunny has helped me grow and learn as much as it has her! She is an amazing young woman, and I love every experience we have together.

Trish Arias, Regional Coordinator

Online Tutoring

Jin Tan, School on Wheels Tutor of the Month

– Brian Gray. It is an honor and a pleasure to award Brian with this month’s Online Tutor of the Month Award. I first met Brian at a partnership meeting at Harvey Mudd College while he was the Associate Director of Community Engagement and Homework Hotline Coordinator. Brian is now the Director of Tutoring at Columbia University in New York. Thousands of miles away, Brian continues to be a consistent, expert, positive tutor and role model to our students. Thanks, Brian. Keep up the great work!

My experience with School on Wheels has been nothing short of incredible. The students are quick to show me that I need to earn their trust, and that’s been a more than worthwhile investment. Volunteering can be hard work; it forces us as tutors to constantly re-evaluate and interrogate our privileges and assumptions, but that makes it rewarding. When I went back to LA recently, I got to visit the Skid Row Learning Center. Tutoring the students in person and playing basketball with some of the students I tutor online from New York was the highlight of my month.

Ian Chan, Digital Learning Coordinator