Lessons with Primary School Students

 Today was suppose to be the final lesson I would have with Filip as in a week he has his final exam. However, he asked me to meet with him (online of course) two more times. It must mean that he finds his hour with me helpful, which makes me really happy.

As he is having his exam next week we decided it will be best if he tries to solve an entire practice paper by himself - this way we will see how much he actually knows.

I noticed his progress and although he still needed my help in few of the exercises I can say that he did much better than he did at our first meeting.

 

Lessons with Primary School Students

Today I showed Filip some new techniques I use to solve math problems quicker. He picked it up and we did a couple of example exercises so he could get better at it.

After that we went back to our usual plan which is just doing a practise exam. I showed him where the thing I showed to him could be used, and he agreed with me that it lets him solve the problem faster. 

I think I, as well as Filip, am getting better and better and I also feel more comfortable talking and teaching him what I'm good at. 

Lessons with Primary School Students

Today we faced a new kind of exercises. They were based on time. I noticed that Filip has a problem with remembering that one hour equals sixty minutes while turning them into a decimal fraction. 

I brought it to his attention, as he made this mistake numerous times. 

This taught me that beside teaching and explaining how to do something I also have to carefully watch what my student is doing so I can show them their mistakes and propose how to solve their problems. 

 

Lessons with Primary School Students

Today I spend my lesson with Filip trying out something new. I asked him to answer the questions as fast as possible. It was a closed test, so there were situations where a critical look at the proposed answer would be enough. 

As he has the limited amount of time on his final exam I thought it would be a good way for him to practise answering faster than he usually does. 

It was hard for him, so I showed him how some of the answers can be eliminated at the first look. After that I let him do it himself. 

I'll see at the next lesson whether he will actually decide that this is a helpful way for him, or he prefers to do it the same way as before. 

Lessons with Primary School Students

 Today I was helping Filip solve a MOCK exam prepared by Operon in 2019. 

Filip found this one really easy at the beginning, so I almost did not have to propose solutions to him, however near the end there were a couple of exercises which he just could not do. 

I explained them to him and after that he was able to solve them himself. 

I think I am doing a good job with helping him and hope that it will be reflected in his final exam results.

Lessons with Primary School Students

 Today at my lesson with Filip I had to face the fact that he thinks differently than I do, and that it has an effect on the way he chooses to solve a certain exercise. I had to force myself not to interrupt him and propose my solutions just because I thought them easier.

Still, after he solved them his way I showed him in which direction I would go while finding the solution. I hope that he is learning a lot from me, although I cannot say anything just from looking at him during our classes.

Lessons with Primary School Students

 Today I had another hour with Filip, who is preparing to his 8th Grade Exam. 

We were solving another one of past papers. Now he still needs a lot of my help but I hope that in time I will be barely talking as he will be able to solve all the exercises on his own. 

I can say that he is dedicated and determined to write his exam really well. It will take place at the end of May so I still have almost three months to help him prepare.

Having a class is something really different from anything I have done before and I can see that when I try to explain certain aspects of Math to him, he does not necessarily understand what I say the same way I do. It shows me what challenges teacher must face and it makes me more open to their side of school.

Lessons with Primary School Students

 Today I had my first lesson with Filip. 

It was happening over zoom, I was worried about the way in which to organise it, but he helped me saying that he will just share his screen and write on it, so I can see his solution to the problems. 

I am there to provide him with some explanations, tips or just to check his work. This all is meant to help him write his Exam well, which I surely hope it does. 

It was a weird experience, much more unusual than the one with Maja, who is significantly younger than Filip. However, I can see the point of having lessons with both of them. 

Lessons with Primary School Students

The supervisor of my Service work at Centrum Kultury Wilanów came up with the idea in which we can do our voluntary work during the pandemic - by providing lessons to younger children in areas we are good at. 

I said that I am able to teach primary school students English and Maths, and I got two students of my own - a 5th-grader Maja and an 8th-grader Filip. Both of them I will be teaching maths and Maja I will also help with English.

I already had a meeting with her during which we talked in English and I explained long multiplication and long divination to her. 

Something like that is entirely new to me and I believe it will be a learning experience for me as well as my students. 

     

Service in Centrum Kultury Wilanów

Today I attended a meeting with Marcin Kielak - the coordinator of volunteers in Centrum Kultury Wilanów. I, along with few of my friends, decided on doing our service there as an alternative to being a volunteer in a museum, which we are unable to do because of the Covid-19 pandemic. At Centrum Kultury Wilanów we still are able to have contact with art, although not to the extend we would have in Art Museums. 

During the meeting Mr. Marcin told us about being the volunteer at the center. Our role would be to help with various events organised by Centrum Kultury, for example preparing the room for a theatrical preformance and checking the tickets.

The meetin
g lasted almost an hour. At the end we signed the documents making us the official volunteers of Centrum Kultury Wilanów, we also signed on for our first event.

I am really looking forward towards being a volunteer there, as I think it gives me much room for personal development. In the picture there is CKW's plan for the October, other months will probably be as busy as this one is. I only hope Coronavirus pandemic won't develop further and there will be no need for closing bigger events, so I will be able to do my Service at CKW.