Ketchup with Hayley's Thoughts by Hayley Bray

Ketchup with Hayley’s Thoughts

Freaking Out and Dining In

Don’t you hate it when fast-food restaurants forget to give you the extra ketchup you asked for? Or when waiters bring you a diet soda when you specifically asked for a regular?  I was one of those people. In fact, I used to get so upset by miniscule incidents such as lack of condiments that I would complain to whoever was serving me, or simply never eat there again. This was before I became a tutor at the West Springfield Writing Center.

Working Behind the Scenes

After becoming a tutor, I have learned to put myself in other people’s shoes. Unlike before when I had almost no experience working closely with different people, I now understand how difficult it can be to put on a cheerful face and help people I have never met before for hours at a time. Tutors are supposed to have a positive, welcoming attitude anytime that they work with a struggling student who needs help. Unfortunately, keeping up the facade of a calm and collected tutor is not always as easy as it looks. Homework, sports, and clubs are just a few stresses from life that put many high schoolers at risk of mini-panic attacks and other emotional breakdowns. Being the studious scholar and Olympic athlete that I am, I know exactly how it feels to have enough pressure on you to make it seem like you’re drowning. I constantly feel like stress is slapping me in the face, which allows me to empathize with others who feel this way as well. Becoming a tutor has caused me to cut others some slack on their performances as waiters, teachers, and any other job that involves working closely with people. Unlike a grave digger or truck driver, being a tutor means helping others even if you don’t want to. This means that I  have learned to quickly adapt to different situations in order to successfully help students. I have learned that it doesn’t matter if the tutee is a self-absorbed six-foot tall Victoria’s Secret model or a timid bookworm, either way, they still have to be tutored!

Wrapping Up and Carrying Out What I’ve Learned

On the bright side, tutoring has forced me to meet new people almost everyday. Tutoring has made me realize how large the world is, and how many insanely different people there are to talk to. I have tutored both rowdy jocks and creative geniuses, who have no idea how to write. This is the best part of the job because every person I meet has one goal: to create an incredible essay. This is when I truly connect with people because the essay becomes the equalizer. There are no more social classes with popular kids and nerds, instead there are only shy students afraid to share their work. This has taught me that not everyone is as tough as they seem, and sometimes even the scariest looking people turn out to be the most fascinating. Whether it be revealing the true personalities of others, or showing me the stress and hard work people go through everyday as they try to do their jobs, becoming a tutor has taught me important lessons that have completely changed the way I view everyday life.

Here is a website that sums up one of the lessons I have learned as a tutor: walk

in others’ shoes before judging them.

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