Entering college, a constant use of my phone and laptop led to my unquestioning confidence in my digital skills. Soon, as a first-year, I would be introduced to something called “Davidson Domains.” What’s a domain? Subdomain who?? Answer: they’re personalized sites funded through Davidson College hosted by Reclaim Hosting. I quickly learned I was not as digitally-literate or technologically-savvy as I had hoped.

My first year at Davidson, I used Domains to make subdomain portfolios for two courses: Digital Art and a year-long Humanities course. I was familiar with navigating the Humanities program’s subdomain, posting weekly responses to readings, looking at the schedule, etc. The Humanities subdomain differed from Moodle and other CMS (Course Management Systems) because the site left an impression. Its design was representative of the course. It was well thought-out. Everything I needed was at hum.davidson.edu. However, when it came time to build my own organized, visually-pleasing portfolios, the experience was…frustrating. Of course, as an Art major I had a ~vision~ for each portfolio. But translating that vision from mind to screen was not nearly as simple as sketching it, mind to paper. (This is called a wireframe– a great first step to take when designing a website.) In WordPress, I chose a theme, added pages, copied-and-pasted writings into posts, and presented my work digitally. Then, in class. Here are some previews:

Over winter break during my Sophomore year, I began applying for internships. It was a daunting experience, not knowing what kind I wanted or my chances of getting one. I came to two realizations:

1. Web-designing and proficiencies in Adobe programs = marketable skills.
2. Domains can be used for any work: personally, educationally, professionally.

I figured gaining these skills could only be productive. With this mindset, I set out to build an art portfolio. Something to showcase my in-flux, growing collection of drawings, paintings, collages, and digital work.

Spring semester began and my next opportunity arose. Because of my three subdomains and a willingness to learn, I left Davidson’s T&I building with a Media Consultant job. As one, I was expected to self-train using Domains, Adobe Programs, and media lab technology to then help other students. All one can do is continually learn.

Paired with my gig Media Consulting was my enrollment in a Critical Web Design class. A match made in heaven… Entering this new world, I applied lessons gained from painting (LOVE a good liberal arts education!), like the value of experimentation, attention to detail, and patience, to my digital literacy journey. Mind you- I have never thought of myself as “a tech person.” By the end of Spring semester, I applied my new knowledge of HTML, CSS, and web designing principles to Domains. However, I still had questions. How should I use my main domain (adellepatten.com)? Why should I put more time and effort into another one? And this is when I began to think critically about my own digital presence. What do I want anyone and everyone to know about me? By this point in my college career, I had all the social media accounts, plus Handshake and LinkedIn. My digital presence felt scattered. It majorly lacked a uniform representation of me.

It finally occurred to me that my main domain could become an all-encompassing, comprehensive introduction to me starting a summer internship with Davidson’s Digital Learning team.

After attending DOMAINS19, a conference hosted by Reclaim Hosting, my suspicions about social media and technology were solidified. Third-party providers often obtain our personal data from social media and use of the Web. Open the flood gates of today’s technology and you’ll be swept away by targeted advertising, the very real existence of surveillance culture, flawed news, skewed politics, polarization all-around. But with these frightening trends, I realized I could use Domains to enhance my digital presence, while being securely hosted.

Twitter humor says we all have our own FBI agents:

They usually make judgements about what we look up, post about, watch on Netflix, etc.

I leave you with this: think about your digital presence in relation to the potential opportunities available through Domains. What do you want your hypothetical FBI agent, potential employers, family, professors, or friends to see about you, outside of the mask that is social media? Maybe nothing, maybe everything. It’s a personal decision. However, as the line between truths and falsities continually blurs, I challenge you to use Domains to your advantage. Make it an ultimate, truthful depiction of you that demonstrates a level of digital literacy by its very existence.

By Cassie Nooyen

The original version of this post appears on Cassie’s own domain, of course!

This summer marks the one-year anniversary of acquiring my domain through St. Norbert’s “Domain of One’s Own” program Knight Domains. I have learned a few important lessons over the past year about what having your own domain can mean.

SECURITY

The first issue that I never really thought about was the security and privacy on my domain. A few months after having my domain, I realized that if you searched my name, my domain was one of the first things that popped up. I was excited about this, but I soon realized that this meant everything I blogged about was very much in the open. This meant all of my pictures and also every person I have mentioned. I made the decision to only use first names when talking about others and the things we have done together. This way, I can protect their privacy in such an open space. With social media you have some control over who can see your post based on who “friends” or “follows you”; on a domain, this is not as much of a luxury. Originally, I thought my domain would be something I only shared with close friends and family, like a social media page, but understanding how many people have the opportunity to see it really shocked me and pushed me to think about the bigger picture of security and safety for me and those around me.

BLOGGING

I was hesitant to start my blog because I thought, ‘What do I possibly have to say?’ I still have that thought occasionally, but I have turned my blog into a blog really just for me. Sure, I share the posts online, but I like to blog to remember my memories of college. Even at the end of the year, I was looking back at some of the first blog posts I wrote and I had forgotten some of the fun things I was able to do earlier in the year.

I have two different blogs: my personal blog on my main domain and my work blog on my subdomain. I have discovered two main differences and how they relate to one another: how much I blog and how much fun it is. My personal blog is all for fun; if I don’t want to blog, I don’t have to. I usually only blog when fun things are happening in my life, which happened to go in waves. I wouldn’t post for about two months, and then I could post three weeks in a row. I never felt pressure from anyone else to post anything; it was completely self-run. The main pro of this random blogging is I feel the quality was a bit better because I was never forced or rushed to post. For this same reason, I seemed to put it to the back of my mind and it would only come to my mind occasionally; this made my blogging very sporadic and infrequent. This style works great for a personal blog, but it is very easy to procrastinate if it was ever for a class assignment.

Meanwhile, on my work domain I was encouraged to blog weekly about the different projects I was working on. This usually brought two different emotions to mind: excitement when I had accomplished a large task and had ideas for the program, but also slight frustration when I felt like I was working on the same project for weeks at a time or felt like I could not accomplish anything that week. The main benefit of weekly blogging was it made me more self-aware of what I was working on. When Thursday and Friday rolled around I started to think about what I had accomplished that week, if I felt like it was not much, I took a step back and thought about the reasons why. Was I unproductive? Unmotivated? How many hours did I work? What else was happening in my life? This exercise did really help me to evaluate my work and make sure I was giving my best effort to be a part of the team. This frequent blogging was a bit of a stress on me and would not be the best for a class, but it did help me to be self-aware and to reflect each week. Although blogging so often was difficult for me sometimes, knowing that I could still take a few weeks off made the structure less intimidating; it was important for me to take a break every once and awhile.

I really enjoy having both blogs; the one that I can update every two months or daily, and the one that I update weekly. I feel like both blogs show my growth this year, both personally and as a student worker.

ASK FOR HELP

In the beginning of the year, I was slightly terrified to ask for help because I had experience in website design and I felt like I should know everything I was doing. However, I soon realized that this was horribly wrong. Some of the errors were as simple as something being spelled wrong, but others really needed another set of eyes to help. Everyone around me was there to help me and teach me, and not relying on them only left me feeling stuck and frustrated. The only way I am  going to grow as a designer and a developer is to ask for help. Many of the advancements I have made on my own domain and FSL’s domain are because I asked for help when I did not understand. The best projects are made by teamwork and being able to admit when I don’t know everything is one of the most important lessons of all.

On the other side of this, I have learned how important it is to share my knowledge with others.  I used to be the person who would just take the laptop and do it for you, but now I understand the importance of teaching and explaining so others can also learn. I still struggle with this, but I continue to try to get better. Sharing knowledge with others helps both people to grow; life is not about sitting in a corner and trying to be the best, instead it is about helping every person to grow together.

CHANGING YOUR MIND

The biggest lesson I have learned with my own domain is that not only is it okay to change my mind, it is actually encouraged! A domain is never done; it is always changing and improving. My main domain has stayed consistent, but my subdomain and other projects have been through many phases and designs. I came into St. Norbert with no WordPress skills at all. I had previously worked with Adobe Dreamweaver and it turned out to be a very big change. Finding a theme for my main domain turned out to be an adventure, but I have stuck with it ever since the beginning of the year. Recently, I decided to change my header image from black and white to color and was astonished at how much that brightened the site! Changing one image helped me to completely change the look and feel of my website.

My sub-domain however, I still don’t love. I had the same theme almost all year and I feel like it is too plain and boring. I recently updated it to include purple, the main focus color of Full Spectrum Learning. The grid is focused on the intersection of engagement (blue) and technology (red) to create purple. I added pictures to each page to get more of a visual for what I am working on each week instead of just paragraphs of text. I do want to continue to experiment and maybe even try out a new theme.

The biggest change that happened was the Full Spectrum Learning Website. I created the first iteration of the site in early fall. It took all of about two hours, and that should have shown me the quality. With help, I found a new plug-in called Elementor and experimented for days on how to make the website look the best. I continue to experiment and upgrade pieces of the site constantly. I know the website will never be complete, it is always improving one piece of code at a time. This is the beauty of website design, it is encouraged to continue learning and it can be incredibly fun and rewarding to keep improving.

This lesson is the hardest to learn, but the most important. You have to be open to changing your site. No website is or will ever be perfect, but making small little changes can help it to be that much closer. Sometimes the opposite is true as well. As I have learned, it can be important to know when creating a new sub-domain to play around with and completely starting your site over is the best option.

These four lessons have been my main takeaways from my first year having my own domain. I know that it will continuously change and grow and that is necessary. I learn something new about my domain and its possibilities each day and I am excited to see the growth from the beginning to today. I have also seen these lessons applied in other parts of my life and they have all helped me to grow as a student and person. It is always important to be able to admit I need help and do not know everything, and to embrace the idea that there is often more than one right way to do things. I am excited to look back at my progress and continue to build on all of the skills I have gained this year.

Cassie is at St. Norbert College majoring in Computer Science with an emphasis in Graphic Design. You can find her on Twitter here. 

Photo by Zach Taiji on Unsplash

In 1990 I graduated university with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree and big ideas of what my life would look like in terms of family and career. After working for six years I started a new journey as a fulltime stay-at-home mom to a family that would grow to include three wonderfully amazing daughters. It was a tremendous learning experience and very personally rewarding, but financially taxing. Once they were all in school five days a week, I turned my attention to finding a job

In 2010 I returned to post-secondary school on a part-time basis. I attended human resources courses at my local college, and concurrently I also started a Master of Education program online. I had faced great difficulty in rejoining the labour market after being away for so long, and I felt that adding to my formal education would help in my endeavours to become a working parent.

Several years later when it came time to write a culminating research paper to cap off my graduate degree, I selected a topic I was familiar with; a consideration of the role of post-secondary learning in aiding my return to the workforce after a significant employment gap.

I chose to use an autobiographical narrative research approach, and I wrote 40 reflections based on significant temporal landmarks in my life, from my childhood to the present. What follows is an entry I authored on October 29, 2013 called “First Class”. It describes what I was feeling as an adult learner experiencing my first post-secondary class in over 20 years:

“I like order. I like to be organized. And I have the time. So, as I prepare for my first organizational behaviour class, I am able to set up my online college account and print out my notes for my first class. I graduated university in 1990. Research was done in person in the library. Graphs were drawn using a pencil and a ruler. Notes were handwritten in pen. Now I can access information from around the world from the comfort of my home.

Course PowerPoint slide presentations are loaded onto my account. I can even rent the text in e-book format if I choose. Notes can be highlighted on my computer instead of on paper with a florescent yellow or pink marker. I embrace the technology as a tool to gain knowledge, organize my notes, and hopefully pass the course with strong marks.

Armed with my papers I enter the classroom and await my first lecture in many, many years. Around me is a cross-section of part-time and full-time students; just out of high school, adult learners, international students, males, and females, each of us at different stages of school and life.

For some, this class is an elective and they will not venture further down this path. For others, it is a specific course an employer wants their employee to take. And for some, like me, it is an opportunity to become more marketable in the workforce. I feel nervous, excited, and I wonder how I will measure up against my classmates. But at least now I have some concrete goals.

The next day I add my own recorded notes to the materials supplied, start a list of definitions, and even make up cue cards to study from. If I am going to commit financially and personally, I am going to commit fully to doing my best work. Especially if potential employers want a copy of my transcript.

Underneath this façade of organization there are lingering doubts. Can I do this and still be there for my children? Will I be able to handle the pace of learning? Will I do O.K.? Am I making a mistake? Will this schooling actually help me find a job? Why didn’t I do this sooner?

As the weeks progress, I realize how much I have missed formal learning. I value the fact that I can dedicate my time during the day to prepare for classes. This is a luxury not shared by most of the other mothers in my class who are either working or are full-time students.

I excel. My marks are positive reinforcement of my efforts and drive me to work harder. At the end of the course I have earned a perfect mark of 100% for my final grade. It feels good to be rewarded formally for my skill and effort. The mark is tangible evidence I accomplished something.

It is not that I expect to have a cheering section jump up every time I fold a load of laundry or manage to cook a well-balanced meal for my family. But it is nice to have people see me in a different role from “Mother”. And it is enjoyable to model a different form of hard work and effort for my children.

They are proud of me, and they are willing to help me out around the house when I am busy doing school work. I don’t know if I would have been able to focus on school when they were younger and less self-sufficient. Juggling marriage, studies, and a young family is a learning curve for all of us but we are managing.

School is raising self-doubts, but as I accomplish each task, I develop pride and self-confidence. Attributes that ongoing employer rejections have had a way of depleting in me. For once I have ended up at the top of someone’s list.

At the end of the course I organize my notes one last time into a newly purchased binder that I label neatly with the course’s name and number. I set it on the shelf above my desk with satisfaction. One down, eight more to go. Maybe I can do this after all.

Fast forward six years later to 2019, and I now work at the very same local college where I was once an unsure student. Every September it is still very easy for me to remember what it felt like to sit nervously in my seat on Day 1 of a course and wait for what comes next. Only now I am the person who loads the course PowerPoint slide presentations for my own students to download in preparation of their first class with me.

Elaine Greenwood is a Program Coordinator and Professor at Georgian College.

Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash

Tutoring is a journey that takes us on paths that are as different as our own lives and personalities. Often, the first step involves facing real or imagined fears about yourself, such as Am I good enough? and Are people going to find out I don’t know anything? and yet, to allow the feeling that you indeed have valuable knowledge to share with others to overcome these crippling ideas. Some of us are confident throughout the whole process, and some of us express doubts along the way, what is important is how it makes us grow.

To grow, that is where our paths and the paths of our students converge, and the journey of learning becomes an adventure taken together. Some of us might recognize in our students the courage to ask for help, and the crippling fear of not being good enough, that was once (or perhaps still is) our own. Be what may, most often we are the guides our students look to for direction, and we are asked to provide not only academic, but emotional support as well.

Life is about persevering and beating the odds. It is about admitting I do not understand, please teach me, which is both courageous and humbling. In the same vein, both asking for help and deciding to be a tutor, can take the same amount of courage. Being a tutor is simply that next step we take when we feel that we can guide others past the same point where we were in the past. And yet, a point one never gets past in life, not knowing, a beautiful concept in itself.

As we go through life, we will always be both the teacher and the student. Ascribing oneself to being only one or the other is either arrogant or self-devaluing, respectively. Everybody knows something and has yet to learn something else. It is the realization and the desire to better oneself that is important.

The student-tutor relationship is a much more personal one than the classic student-teacher relationship. One way I could describe it, starting with the student-teacher relationship, is that it is akin to the relationship between a restaurant patron and the chef. The food represents the knowledge that the student consumes, and while they may read the menu and pose a few questions to the waiter about the meal, which is usually the extent of it because so many other students are waiting to eat as well.

The student-tutor relationship is more like cooking together. The meals can be of varying complexity but the way I like to think about it is that both the student and the tutor are trying to fill a big crock pot with various ingredients. Of course, the tutor oversees the pot, but it is his responsibility to allow the student to put as much of his own contribution barring something that would completely ruin the taste. In that case, the tutor must point out to the student why putting an old shoe into the pot might not be appealing and provide alternatives.

At the end of the session, both the student and the tutor will savor the meal they have created and thus, have partaken in the learning process together.

Igor Peric is a 3rd year Internet Applications and Web Development program and has been a tutor since Fall of 2017. In the future, Peric plans to continue his studies at University in Computer Studies.

This post originally appeared on The St. Clair College Tutor Team 9X9X25 Blog

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

by KRISTI NICODEMO

Everyone has been there – that first day of school. You might have been excited and looking forward to the day or you may have been nervous and dreading it, but we have all been there. College can be at a different level and you’ll want to make a good impression.

To who? To your professors, to your classmates, but most importantly, to yourself.

A good start at school can set the standard for your year. Preparation is a key part of making a good impression. Have all the supplies that you need, including extra pens, pencils and paper so you are never without and can share with someone who forgot – you might just make a friend! Make sure to take a look at a map of the campus or drop by for a quick visit to find your classes and what buildings you will be in. Double check your schedule to know what classes you will be taking and who your professors are.

The evening before your first day of class take a look at the weather. Make sure you dress appropriately for poor weather with an umbrella for the rain or a scarf for the wind. Make sure you set your set your wake up alarm to ensure you get there on time – try to aim to be early! Double check your transportation. Will the buses be running? Is there gas in the car you’ll be in tomorrow? Is there air in the tires? Lay out your clothes for the next day, dress professionally. Think getting ready for a job interview. The goal is to make a good first impression on people.

The day of class, attend with a positive attitude and an open mind. Arrive prepared to learn new things and to meet new people. Stay positive and spread it as you go, be genuinely happy for your classmates. Pay attention in class and be prepared to take notes. Greet your professors with a ‘Hello’ when you arrive and offer them a sincere ‘Thank you’ at the end of your class.

The most important part of a good first day of class is to have fun! School should be an amazing learning experience and I hope you enjoy every moment of it!

Kristi Nicodemo is a 1st year Event Management student at St. Clair College and a grad of the Travel and Tourism program. She has been a tutor since September 2017. Nicodemo plans to continue her education next year with a degree in Hospitality Management.  In the future, Nicodemo wishes to inspire and bring joy to others in the workforce with her experience with tourism, hospitality and event management.

This post originally appeared on The St. Clair College Tutor Team 9X9X25 Blog

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

First of all, I am very excited to be a part of this blog. It’s not every day that we get to share our thoughts and experiences on learning and teaching. I would like to start by introducing myself. I am a 3^rd year biomedical engineering technology student and have worked as a tutor for the last 2 years approximately. I also work as a tour guide with Marketing and Recruitment department.

In addition to be a full-time student and managing two part-time jobs, I have also worked as student researcher, so you can tell that I have a lot of experience in almost every aspect of student life to share with you.

I started studying after a long time since I was too busy working all my teenage years. I started this diploma in the year 2016. Initially, I was struggling with almost all my courses. I knew already that I would have to work a little extra as compared to other regular students. Reason being I had so many other duties to handle as well, for example, taking care of a toddler and performing all those household duties plus I was out of school for so long that I almost forgot how to manage my time and my organization skills were rusty as well.

Luckily, I came across some amazing tutors who helped me get organized, developed self-confidence and, most importantly, they inspired me a be a tutor myself.

Tutoring has given me a lot of confidence that I didn’t know I had. It has polished my social skills as well as my teaching skills. I enjoy interacting with new students every day. Helping them learn is another thing that brings a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. Knowing that I made someone’s life a little easier is the best feeling that I get to experience daily now thanks to my students. I just love being a tutor.

My strategy is making my students comfortable by letting them know that we will both learn from this session as we go. Getting them organized is another thing that helps them learn better and understand the material delivered by their professors in class.

Some tips that I always share with my students is to review the material that was taught in class every day. Even if there aren’t any homework assignments that requires you to go through the material, I still emphasize the importance of reviewing course material regularly.

Faiqa Khzir is a 3rd year student in the Biomedical Engineering Technology program at St. Clair College and have been a tutor since September 2017. Khzir’s future goals include to study further after obtaining this diploma from St. Clair College. Khzir would like to get an engineering degree and then, as a  final step, to work as an engineer in the medical field.

Photo credits: Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ` Winston Churchill

Not everyone understands the pleasure of giving, and some of those who do understand are the richest people on earth. For example, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Inc., one of the richest men in world, has given the most to charity ($35 billion). He is definitely among the greatest philanthropists. As a tutor, I have the opportunity to impart new learnings to the upcoming students. I execute this task with utmost passion. In return, I get recognition, and respect from my students. Also, my own knowledge increases by leaps and bounds.

Knowledge is a wealth that grows by sharing. Every learner has a different way of learning. Some may learn by reading, writing, and listening; others may learn by visualizing, creating, and participating. Horizons of learning increase when an educator’s knowledge is tested by an inquisitive learner.

This phenomenon of learning, sharing, and growing is also supported by DIKW pyramid where D stands for Data, I for Information, K for knowledge, and W for wisdom. According to Cooper (2017), data is a value. It becomes information “when this data is placed in a context. It becomes knowledge when the information is structured and organized as a result of cognitive processing and validation” (Cooper, 2017, p. 55). When knowledge is shared for the benefit of self and others, it becomes wisdom.

There is maybe no other profession that is more fulfilling than teaching. It is because of the educators, that people are who they are, whether they are doctors, engineers, scientists, or business managers. Even a sportsperson needs a coach to be successful. So, I love the way I am contributing to the overall wisdom of my college, my community, my city, and my country.

 

 

Such is the pleasure of giving, it makes my ambitions fly.

When, I see the twinkle in their eyes, it makes my worth multiply.

Such is the pleasure of giving, it lifts my body and spirit.

When, I see them successful, it feels like, I did it.

                       

References

Cooper, P. (2017). Data, information, knowledge and wisdom. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, 18(1), 55-56.

Wikipedia. (2018). DYIK pyramid. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIKW_pyramid

Praveen Moudgil is a student in the Practical Nursing program and has been a tutor since September 2017. Moudgil plans to work in the nursing field after graduation and to continue studies towards a post-graduate degree in Nursing with the goal of teaching at the post secondary level in the future.

Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash

What is recognition?

The Recognition here I am talking about is slightly different from what the dictionary has presented. My understanding about Recognition in our tutoring services is to perceive, to understand, to know, to help, to change, and to give credit to those who you are helping. Specifically speaking, it lies in 6 different aspects.

1. Recognizing that there is no big difference between our tutors and our client students.
2. Recognizing that everyone comes from different learning processes.
3. Recognizing where they are and where they want to go.
4. Recognizing that everyone can be as good as you if you believe in them.
5. Recognizing that you can always see their understanding process positively.
6. Recognizing that whenever they make a progress, the recognition you give them will make them stronger and more confident in learning or solving problems.

Why is recognition important to students?

1. Knowing that everybody shares something in common gives us an understanding that they can be where you are and that helps tutors to have faith in students.
2. One needs to know where they are and then they will be able to know where they can start off. That is exactly where people can move forward properly.
3. Being understood by people makes thing easier, therefore the students would be more comfortable to learn with the tutors because they realize that the environment that they are in is open and free and not judgemental.
4. When you are giving positive feedback, you are actually helping people to understand themselves better in a right way.
5. Wherever there is a recognition, there is love and good will, and there is something makes people stronger and feel better about themselves.

How recognition can be different and how it works?

1. Always try to be truthful to who you are with but be careful of what you are going to say. Some truth you know might just be your subjective thinking and it can hurt people. Try to be as neutral and objective as possible. For example, if they think they are not good at math, it might just because they have not been doing this for a long time and they get rusty, and you should tell them about that and you are stating the fact and get it out from different angle.
2. Keep a weather eye out. Try to see what is good in them. For example, when a student can’t figure out how a fraction works, but if you observe that how they work well in algebra and calculating orders and you can tell them how they are good at those and they just need to try a different way out with fractions because things have different nature and we sometimes just get used to what we normally do. Also, when you get to know them better, you will know how to communicate with them in a way they feel comfortable with.
3. Always believe that they are good. Your attitude actually influences them a lot. People feel and perceive. They know how you look at them. Try your best to understand their feelings behind what they say and you will know how to work with them properly.
4. Always make a compliment whenever you see any progress that they have made. It doesn’t matter how small it is.

In a nutshell, recognition in tutoring is something that plays a big role where it affects, alters and helps what is going to happen in our student’s learning process .

Xiaoli Liu is a 2nd year Business Accounting student and has been a tutor since May 2018. Liu plans to continue her studies after graduation to become a CPA.

Photo by Buco Balkanessi on Unsplash

My father always emphasized the importance of time management when I lived with him. Now that I’m living in Canada, I see the importance of managing my time appropriately. From the time I left my hometown in India to this moment, the ethics and cultural norms instilled in me by my parents has helped me in every stage. When I consider my academic journey, most of the time I received good grades on every exam taken, however, I remain unsatisfied with the achievements.

My grandfather revealed a story to me about one person who got everything just because of his education. This person was a son of the brick maker and his family was very poor. But he had an enthusiasm for getting an education. His father tried to manage everything for his education. Eventually, he graduated in the mechanical field and now he is a manager in a reputed industry and a successful businessman. This is a true story about my Dad, Mr. Chandrakant Prajapati. At that time, I realized the definition of success and for that, education is a major factor. I have learned from my father that in addition to knowledge, we require the acquisition of skills, values and beliefs. He teaches me to study to be accomplished, not affluent.

In this competitive education atmosphere, most students study simply to get good grades. I think, somehow, the education system overemphasizes how to make good grades. However, parents should understand and appreciate the areas in which their children are really interested and capable of excelling in. A circus lion can learn how to jump on a chair with the fear of being whipped, but we call such a lion well-trained not well-educated.

What happens if you get poor results in exams? I would say nothing!!! Grades won’t decide your future, so if you pursue excellence, success will definitely chase you.

Furthermore, my father was teaching after graduation and his unique pedagogy inspired me to be a tutor. I believe teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. In our tutoring family at St. Clair College, I always learn new things from tutors and students. Student satisfaction is my aim when I am tutoring. As I learn from many great personalities throughout my entire life, I always encourage students to make your passion as your profession. I believe that if you want to learn something, you will find a way to learn it. Also, institutes should be flexible in the way they teach students rather than follow a rigid curriculum that places too much emphasis on grades.

I was teaching after my Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in India, this helped me a lot during tutoring and in making materials for students. I also include simple and quick tricks to solve any problems in the material. Additionally, I provide practical applications and conditions in which students can learn better, with an aim to realize the purpose of what they are studying. I see my students improve every week significantly, which makes me more confident about my teaching skills. I would say knowledge is power but knowledge without application is useless.

“The real process of education should be the process of learning to think through the application of real problems.”  ~John Dewey

Harshkumar Prajapati has been a tutor since May 2018 and is a 2nd year student in the  Mechanical Engineering Technician – Industrial  program. In the future, Prajapati plans to acquire more knowledge and experience in his field after graduation with the goal of becoming an instructor.

“Beyond” flickr photo by j-dub1980(THANK YOU FOR 100k+ Views) https://flickr.com/photos/jdub1980/8088583525 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license

Learning and teaching go hand in hand – it is through learning that I realized the value of teaching, and through teaching I realized the value of learning.

I have always been a student who loved to learn, but this love could not be what it is now without my experiences. There are ups and downs – days where I thought what I am learning is pointless, and days where I thought it actually benefited me.

But as I look back each year at what I have learned, I notice that all the classes – pointless or not – gave me knowledge that would shape who I am now.

Each aspect of every type of lesson improved me in some way. I started to be more open, and truly think outside the box about things I never would have thought about. From that difficult Math class, to the endless essays, and that random Philosophy class I took in high school – it all contributed to greater processes happening in my mind. Studying Biology over and over again has improved my memory and studying speed drastically. It doesn’t matter if we’re never going to use this in real life because its value is not only in gaining information, but in allowing us to process things faster, more thoroughly, and from many different perspectives.

Then I thought, how could I have even gotten to this point?

That would be teaching. Without teachers, I would not have gotten this far. I began to understand how valuable teachers really are – with their methods, knowledge, and effort they put in each day to teach us something new.

I started to tutor as early as I can remember without realizing it. I have helped my classmates with school-work countless times, until I finally reached my second year of Nursing BScN and made it official as a part-time nursing tutor.

Even now, I would not have had this opportunity without the help of my professors. I look up to my teachers and appreciate the work they do, and I hope to do the same with my students. I truly care about their success and I strive to be the best teacher I can be.

I hope to have the opportunity to work in nursing education for the rest of my life. I appreciate every teacher I have had the honour to learn from – you have made me what I am today. So let’s appreciate learning and teaching.Thank you.

Batoul Al-Outa is a 2nd year BScN – Collabrative Nursing student at St. Clair College and began tutoring in the Nursing Lab in September 2018. In the future, Al-Outa plans to pursue a Masters in Nursing and to become a Nurse Educator and Researcher.

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash