Partial Payback Time

I've been tutoring the son of a friend for a few months now. He has attention issues and lots of gaps in his algebra and fraction skills. For 4 days a week, my children have had to be super-quiet during after-school tutoring sessions so as not to distract him and dinner has frequently been delayed and a bit "thrown together." But I felt strongly that I should try to help this boy with math so it doesn't become a stumbling block to him in his eventual career. Both of his parents are health professionals. He wants to work in genetics and has a lot of curiosity and memory for the things that interest him. He has a lot to offer the world, but he'll never get there without overcoming his math woes.

He recently took a mid-year assessment test, and he has gone from "unsatisfactory" to "partially-proficient" in math since autumn. He's gone up 19 points on a scale that usually sees 5-10 points growth over the course of an entire school year. We still have a lot of work to do, but these are very encouraging test results. To quote Lina Lamont from Singing in the Rain, "our hard work ain't been in vain for nothin'."

It's at times been a sacrifice for my family, but I'm glad they've been part of this project this year. I expect they'll take from this 1) a great appreciation for not being behind in math themselves, 2) a conviction that service to others is worthwhile and rewarding, and 3) a realization that extra effort is required sometimes in life.