In Search of Happiness (Part I)
It was gradually getting dark just few minutes after the sunset in a windy day of fall. The weather was not that cold, although I had a jacket on. “Thank you, here it is” I asked the taxi driver who had passed the right stop before I noticed. The neighborhood was clean and calm. I took out this folded map out of my pocket. Like a treasure map, it was mystically marked by lots of signs and clues in order to find their home. I think it took me just about ten minutes to find the address after passing through a park and a couple of alleys. An exiting feeling of starting a new experience was so comfortably in me.
When her dad first came to me two days ago and asked if I can teach mathematics for grade three, I was not completely sure what to respond since I was really busy with this whole university work. However, the boring life at that time made me spontaneously think of giving this a chance. “Just a few hours a week is not that a big deal” I thought with myself. “OK, I am available this Wednesday” I then answered.
It was a two-story building, covered with white marble tiles. The beautiful garden of the front yard full of trees and plants was a good sign to me. I pressed the ring button as I was hastily making my hair and fixing the glasses. There she was who curiously opened the door followed by her mother and the little brother whose head was half out of the door frame. “Come on in” her mother kindly invited me.
The last time I had such and opportunity of working with children was three years ago when I was teaching mathematics to grade 6, 7 and 8. I still can not believe how passionately I used to take this two hour trip by bus every week to the school. Well, I think every single point they could learn from me was injecting energy in my blood to continue.
Entering into the home, I could simply feel a good chance of getting back to pursuing what I had been created for. I stepped into a large corridor while I suddenly noticed that Hussein, this five year old little boy, was holding my hand and guiding toward the living room.
The introductory conversation went very fast as I was reviewing some questions in my mind to ask from Zeynab, a skinny girl whose eyes were scrolling over me all the time that her parents were talking. Then I got a chance of evaluating the knowledge of a young brain. Believe me, it is really hard. It is not a matter of asking the answer to 3x4 or the area of a triangle. I tried to find the main source of weakness in her course based on my previous experience and the guides I had gained from these whole set of kids’ education books.
She was smart like hell and easily able to figure out various types of questions. In fact this was her main problem. She could not concentrate on a single case without thinking of other things. Hussein, of course, had a major role in her distraction. Almost all this hour long time of discussion, he was on my shoulders trying to take our attention. Soon, I realized that this tutoring is going to be more handling the physiological part than the math itself.
I explained my initial observations to the parents and suggested a strategy to work things out. Zeynab was very happy with my method of conveying scientific concepts. Later, I heard from her mother that I was accepted among number of teachers who had tried to communicate with her before. I gladly saw in their eyes that this is just the start of a longtime project.
On the way back to my home, I was amazingly happy about the first impression that they received from me. The wind coming in from the taxi’s open window was cooler than ever washing my face from the tediousness of the past few years. I had an incredibly enjoyable evening. It was one of the moments I felt a sense of being proud of living. “I wish I was a teacher” I memorized how many times I have said this to myself. I had no idea, however, that how this tutoring will change my life soon.
When her dad first came to me two days ago and asked if I can teach mathematics for grade three, I was not completely sure what to respond since I was really busy with this whole university work. However, the boring life at that time made me spontaneously think of giving this a chance. “Just a few hours a week is not that a big deal” I thought with myself. “OK, I am available this Wednesday” I then answered.
It was a two-story building, covered with white marble tiles. The beautiful garden of the front yard full of trees and plants was a good sign to me. I pressed the ring button as I was hastily making my hair and fixing the glasses. There she was who curiously opened the door followed by her mother and the little brother whose head was half out of the door frame. “Come on in” her mother kindly invited me.
The last time I had such and opportunity of working with children was three years ago when I was teaching mathematics to grade 6, 7 and 8. I still can not believe how passionately I used to take this two hour trip by bus every week to the school. Well, I think every single point they could learn from me was injecting energy in my blood to continue.
Entering into the home, I could simply feel a good chance of getting back to pursuing what I had been created for. I stepped into a large corridor while I suddenly noticed that Hussein, this five year old little boy, was holding my hand and guiding toward the living room.
The introductory conversation went very fast as I was reviewing some questions in my mind to ask from Zeynab, a skinny girl whose eyes were scrolling over me all the time that her parents were talking. Then I got a chance of evaluating the knowledge of a young brain. Believe me, it is really hard. It is not a matter of asking the answer to 3x4 or the area of a triangle. I tried to find the main source of weakness in her course based on my previous experience and the guides I had gained from these whole set of kids’ education books.
She was smart like hell and easily able to figure out various types of questions. In fact this was her main problem. She could not concentrate on a single case without thinking of other things. Hussein, of course, had a major role in her distraction. Almost all this hour long time of discussion, he was on my shoulders trying to take our attention. Soon, I realized that this tutoring is going to be more handling the physiological part than the math itself.
I explained my initial observations to the parents and suggested a strategy to work things out. Zeynab was very happy with my method of conveying scientific concepts. Later, I heard from her mother that I was accepted among number of teachers who had tried to communicate with her before. I gladly saw in their eyes that this is just the start of a longtime project.
On the way back to my home, I was amazingly happy about the first impression that they received from me. The wind coming in from the taxi’s open window was cooler than ever washing my face from the tediousness of the past few years. I had an incredibly enjoyable evening. It was one of the moments I felt a sense of being proud of living. “I wish I was a teacher” I memorized how many times I have said this to myself. I had no idea, however, that how this tutoring will change my life soon.
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