This will be a short blog post today. I finished teaching a class where I was impressed with the student’s progress.
She spoke in Spanish more than ever before
We discussed a variety of topics
I was able to naturally introduce some new grammar points
But guess what?
She did not feel that she had done a good job.
This is why honest feedback matters.
We were able to compare how I felt about the class compared to how she felt. Furthermore, I was able to share the logic grounding my feelings. In the end, the student said that she felt better because I thought the class went well and, I think, that the reasons I shared were sound.
What if I hadn’t had that conversation?
The student would have left the class feeling like it didn’t go well. If that happens 3-4 times in a row, eventually the student would get very discouraged and will stop learning. Of course, they likely wouldn’t say that the reason was that they are discouraged. They’d say something like oh, it’s a busy time for me. I think I’ll revisit things in the New Year.
Part of the tutors job is…
Emotional management. It’s understanding how a student is feeling and acting accordingly to maximize the chances of them sticking with the process so that they do, in fact, reach their fluency goals.
Thanks for reading!
Azren
Calgary Language Nerds owner
https://azrenthelanguagenerd.com