Tutor Reflection
Coming to ACE
By Austin Blanchard, Tutor 2011-2012
Early September of 2011 saw me sitting in front of my computer screen one night, learning about a program I had previously never encountered. It was called A Community for Education, or ACE, for short, and while navigating the site I imagined myself in the role of one of the many tutors whose reflections filled the pages.
Words jumped out at me like “apprehension,” “excitement,” “frustration,” and “happiness,” and I compared these emotions with how I felt in my current situation. With no real motivation or feeling of purpose in my job, I was both wary and increasingly interested at the thought of changing course and applying to the program.
A close friend of mine had just been accepted, and it was that friend who made me aware of ACE. Having graduated with a degree in Spanish, and having just spent a year not using it much, I was drawn to the bilingual aspect of the program.
I imagined not only the impact I could have on the young students, but also the impact our conversations would have on me. The exchange of every word or story would offer the real life implementation I desired, and the opportunity to help teach a child how to read seemed unimaginably rewarding.
After a hurried week of applying and a long phone interview one morning, I was eventually put on the wait list. My daydreams of working for the program ceased a little, and I accepted that I would continue working my current job and begin to look for something else.
One day, however, just shortly after my friend had begun her training, she wrote to me and told how one member had dropped out on the first day. She eagerly told me to check and see if I had been offered the spot.
As I skimmed over the new message waiting for me in my inbox, it was a while before I realized they had offered me the position. Everything stopped. My stomach did a flip as all the thoughts and emotions raced back into me. After a phone call or two, and some quick thinking, I quit my job and replied saying I accepted.
The next few days were a blur. I made arrangements to drive the 2,000 miles from Oregon to Texas, sold some belongings, and attempted to visit with friends I would be separating myself from. After a long but scenic drive, I arrived in Austin at night and was set to meet up with everyone in the morning.
It was the last day of training, and I walked into a classroom full of smiling faces and loud chatting. There was movement and energy everywhere. These were people like me, and I recognized it right away. I can’t say in that moment that I knew it was the right decision, but it felt like the beginning of an adventure, and I had no regrets.
Before I knew it, I was meeting my team and visiting my new campus. Teachers strode the hallways and students filled the classrooms and cafeteria, and from everywhere there emitted feelings of comfort and enjoyment.
After I’d taken the photo for my badge and been shown the room we’d be tutoring in throughout the next year, it settled in that I had done it; I had risked leaving the familiarity of home for something unexpected and potentially life-changing, and it had paid off.
Now after Christmas break and well into February, things have only gotten better. I know my way around the school and have grown close with many students and teachers. My tutoring team goes out for food or a drink some afternoons, and the city never fails to offer creative and fun ways to spend a warm night or sunny weekend.
Even with all the fun I’ve had exploring Austin and getting to know new friends, the greatest impact I’ve felt since arriving here has come from the tutoring.
When you first pick up a new student and introduce yourself, they can be anything from shy to bursting with energy. Over the following weeks they open up and show signs of frustration and even doubt, but soon things change. Days start coming when they show great pride in their progress, and something as simple as a sigh of relief at finally recognizing a letter sound can reduce you to a feeling of pure happiness.
I have a while to go and that’s an encouraging thought. I’ve graduated many kids from our program, but I’ll still quiz one if I see them in the hall just to make sure they remember what they’ve learned.
Challenges and triumphs will undoubtedly arrive in the days to come, but those are precisely the reason I’m here with ACE.