One thing I love love about being a tutor is learning what my students are learning. By some fabulous coincidence my daughter in fifth grade, my junior in high school tutee, and my sophomore college tutee are all learning American history. My college tutee and I got clear on how the Siberian nomads crossed the Bering strait to enter into North America, but Rose told the story much more evocatively with the People of the Deer having to follow the deer into unknown territory in order to survive.

My high school tutee and I have been putting together the timeline of the revolution and now I know the difference between John Adams and Sam Adams. I noticed he was not learning about Abigail Adams, whom I did remember.

From my college tutee's textbook I learned that China was the economic and political superpower in the 1450's followed by the Ottomans. Europe, devastated by the black plague, was way behind. And, I had no idea how important Newfoundland was at the start of the European exploration/colonization. Did you know it was the place to hang out and meet explorers from all over the world and compare notes? I didn't. This student has a learning disability which makes it difficult for her to remember things, but she does have strong visual and artistic skills, so I keep having her draw visual cues and maps. And of course, they help me too.

I know lots of study techniques and I've been teaching them to my students, but I think the most important thing I do is be excited about what they are learning and want to learn from them. And I do.