Growing into the Promise
By Children Rising | June 5, 2018
Article written by Pam May (Kids Count) and Jessie Palmatier (Admin)
A few of our faithful math tutors. Join the team!
This year has been a time of building up here at Children Rising. Along with adding several new staff members, we are excited to introduce the newest addition to the Children Rising family of programs: Kids Count! This learner-centered math tutoring program seeks to reduce barriers to success and provide a welcoming environment that supports teacher instruction while enriching student learning.
Our tutors take a personalized approach for each student, addressing the “mismatch” between a student’s grade level and the actual skills he or she has developed. Tutors find unique and creative opportunities to engage each student individually, making learning math a comprehensive and meaningful experience.
Math Tutor Steve Nation and his student Divine
Steve Nation, pastor of Oakland Worship Center and one of a handful of math tutors this school year, enjoys his time helping kids with math—and the other victories that come with it. In a recent interview, Steve explained that when he first sees kids come into tutoring, they’re not sure of themselves.
“You can see it in their posture sometimes. Slumping over when they’re doing their math problems, they’re not confident. And by the time you work with them a few weeks, their postures change, they’re sitting up straight now. They’re engaged and they’re excited about doing math now, as opposed to it being a drudge and a dread to them. You see that transformation happen right before your eyes.”
One of the most important things we can do for kids is to simply believe in them. Steve remembers, when raising his own kids, he had no doubt they would be good at math because it always came naturally to him. He brings the same confidence to his tutoring—he just believes the students will be successful. “That’s part of being ‘at promise,’” Steve says. “As Randy used to say, ‘We hold the crown up above their heads and let them grow into the promise that they have already within them.’ ”