I'm sitting at the library doing some tutoring with Tio (they also have some nice quiet rooms you can sign out for meetings and such). He was written up for bad behavior at school yesterday and last week so I pulling in the reins to keep him on track. He's doing his reading and math homework. After this, we'll try to write something. For the past six weeks we've been working most days on some writing or math or language and even internet research. It has been a struggle just to get through it without a firestorm of emotion - unless I go easy.
I started off today with lecture # 7: learning to learn. A tough concept for many adults but particularly hard for kids. Since he can't or won't concentrate for more than 5-10 minutes on anything and imagines somehow he'll magically have the ability to slog through an hour and a half or more of homework that requires more than a 5 word answers in the coming school years. I keep explaining that learning is a skill, too. He just doesn't want to acquire it if it requires learning. I know, how ironic.
So, he's here with me, reading a movie script I wrote 20 years ago that I based on a true story about one of my brothers. He's actually interested, which is good. Maybe I can get him to read a couple more. He's also enjoyed having me read the latest draft of my novel as well (if only he wanted to read what I've actually had published!). He's patient today, he'll be patient tomorrow. The trick will be to get him to be patient next week, too.
God bless those we hire to teach our children. If they knew what they were really getting into, they would never take the job.
