Goodbye to old job

I will be leaving my tutoring job at the end of the month. I have been working for a tutoring company for two years.  I was there when the branch first opened. The staff and I were all new to the job and the other tutors and I were all hired in one group interview.  We were all university students who worked as tutors part time. I saw them leave one by one as they graduated from school and went on their desired professions. I never knew that I would be last of the original staff to leave. Some people quit earlier to focus more on their studies.

I really like the staff. We never had any issues with each other at all. We also try to have regular get togethers so we can talk about work and unwind. We all didn’t agree with management at times and we always had amusing stories to relate about our classes.

I will miss my students. The tutoring company works as a school and I have a class of students. I have watched the children grow and master new skills. When I look at them I remember how little they were and when I first met them. For instance, when I look at Lena* I think of the day she first came to class. We had a class game outside and she fell over. I felt really bad about it as it was her first day and we didn’t have any bandaids. She was crying and all we could offer was tissue paper. It was her injury that prompted management to get a first aid kit. They had forgotten all about it before.

Another student that I will miss is Penny* who use to worry so much about not being able to add two digit numbers. Now that girl can convert fractions with ease so she’s come so far. She was quiet as a mouse when I met her and she is still quiet. I think she’s happy and just a quiet kid.

The children all know that I am going. I told them that they would get a new tutor at the start of the new term. I explained how the tutor will run things differently and not to expect things to be the same. I have been training the new tutor to take over. I have showed him my methods and explained why I do things but I have made clear to him that he can run the classroom the way he likes. I know from experience that when teaching, you have to do what you are comfortable with and that the same methods sometimes don’t work for you.

So far, I have asked him to teach one on one and do some of the marking. I think the new tutor will do fine. He’s a bit unsure of how things go and that makes the children take advantage of him. However, I think when he gains some confidence, he’ll be fine. Children always like to say, “But our teacher always lets us…..” to any new person.

I am currently buying little presents for the children for the end of the term. I always like to give them a gift at the end of each term to thank them for their hard work. Usually I buy everyone the same thing or give them a list of options to choose from but this time most of the children have opted for me to surprise them. So I’m searching for interesting things that they might like. 

The children like little toys and novelty stationery items. One boy asked for an I Pad and I was like “in your dreams, mate” because as if I’m going to buy an I Pad. He had a look of hope in his eyes and I suspect that although I said no to an I Pad, he thinks I’m going to surprise him with one. I’ll have to tell him again this week that it’s not happening.