Meet Our Tutor: Crystal

Many of you know about Reach's alternating schedule. On Mondays and Wednesdays, our tutors are trained. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they tutor elementary school students. While Crystal does relatively well during our training sessions, she truly shines as a tutor. When things get a little too chaotic in the classroom, I find Crystal - and her student, DeJah. They, without fail, provide an oasis of calm amidst the (only slightly) controlled chaos. Each day, DeJah is excited to work with Crystal, and they have a singular focus during the time they spend together. It's a beautiful thing to watch.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have almost 40 people in a single classroom. It can get loud, and one student's bad day can disrupt the learning of many children. But, that's never the case with DeJah. Crystal creates a cocoon within the classroom - a big kid and a little kid, two brains and a story.

During an early session, Crystal told me she was interested in pursuing a career in Cosmetology. While I have no doubt that she will find success in whatever career she pursues, it's tough not to imagine her leading a classroom one day. She has a true gift with children. While a few unexcused absences and a sometimes less-than-serious attitude on training days remind me that Crystal is a high school freshman, her work on tutoring days reminds us all what can happen when we provide high school students with real responsibility for student learning.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark