My Great Job

by Nancy Jiménez
Educational Coordinator

“What do you like most about your job?” This is a question I’m often asked and the answer is always different. Lately what I like most about my job are the moments I get to spend one-on-one with the kids—especially if it’s outside of tutoring. There’ve been a couple times when I’ve taken teens to the library or an internet-café to work on a research paper. The casual feel of the outings are a special treat for me and for the students as well. I think that letting the kids see me in an environment outside of the tutoring center is a great mentoring tactic—it suddenly dawns upon them that I’m a ‘normal person.’ I become real to them. I become their friend. They let down their guard and open up. And most importantly, they begin to trust me. Occasionally, I also get to work with students at the tutoring center when they show up for extra help or if their tutors are absent. It’s a chance to see the students’ abilities and needs firsthand. Better yet, it’s a chance to get to know them. This is why I enjoy picking the kids up after school, too. They tell me stories about their day or their weekend. They share their problems with me and I try to offer thoughtful advice. Sometimes, they even give me advice: like the time one 5th grader suggested I get a ‘cool’ make-over including purple highlights, long acrylic nails, and a tattoo! Needless to say, this advice was unsolicited. It did make me laugh though. And these are the kinds of things that keep me interested in my job. I wonder what connections I’ll make today.