I have a 4th grade daughter named Vivian. She is almost ten years old and I see that she’s quickly transitioning from a kid to a pre-teen. Transitioning from “mom, I need your help” to “mom, do you even understand what I’m asking?!” Raise your hand if you know where I’m at in life! And if you don’t, just beware… your time is coming.
This change in attitude makes homework time a particularly dreaded part of our day.
It starts with a good afternoon snack and a positive “let’s put first things first” mentality. We’ve got this! This feels very much like a Monday when we were virtual learning through the pandemic.
Migrates into slight frustration and “mom, I have no idea what this question is asking me… can you help?” We’ve got this? This is reminiscent of our pandemic Wednesdays.
And ends with “this is NOT how my teacher taught me to do it at all… did you EVEN pass 4th grade??” We don’t got this! And now I’m officially at a pandemic Friday. DONE.
I am a good parent and I have a great daughter, but this year I have learned that taking on too many roles in your kid’s life can end in tension. I’m here to support her along the way as she transitions into her amazing pre-teen self, but I have learned it’s ok to ask for help along the way. Insert EBO Tutoring!
The Consultation
My experience with EBO Tutoring started with a free consultation. Scheduling was very easy and the consultation was held virtually. Because EBO Tutoring is all about meeting the specific needs of your child, the goal of the consultation is to find a good fit for a tutor and customize a plan that aligns with your objectives. During our discussion, I learned that EBO Tutoring has expertise to help in:
- Any core subject, specializing in 3rd grade through college
- SAT and ACT prep
- GED training
- College counseling
- And lots more
Tutoring is held virtually and there are opportunities for both 1:1 help or small group sessions.
Given that the Georgia Milestone exams were coming up for Vivian, we decided that a private lesson focused around Math was a great place to start. Now I just had to break the news that she was getting a tutor…
Breaking the News
“A tutor? Ugh, that sounds horrible! This is going to be so boring!” <insert eye roll>
Ok, you get the point. She wasn’t excited when I told her about her upcoming session.
The Session
By this point, Vivian realized that she wasn’t getting out of this, so she might as well make
the most of it. She dials in to the virtual call using an iPad and is greeted by Jamal. He is all smiles and positivity, which immediately projects outward and changes the game! He does NOT jump into Math immediately. Instead, he focuses the first part of the session on getting to know her. “What’s your favorite subject? Do you have a pet? What do you like to do in your free time?” He spends time getting to know her, which makes her feel comfortable and valued, then eventually transitions to the Math refresher.
They ROCKED the Math refresher together. Jamal gave her a few problems to detect her strengths and opportunities, then zoned in on those specific opportunities. He used this shared online white board (which she thought was “very cool”) to help work problems. The lesson reinforced what she has learned in a group setting, but with individual support.
The Aftermath
The word “aftermath” alludes to a doom and gloom ending – but in our case, it was sunshine and rainbows. She hung up the call, turned around to see me holding my breath waiting to hear her feedback on how she thought it went, and literally jumped out her chair saying “that was AWESOME!” This sounds like it might be exaggerated or a lie, but I am telling you this was 100% her exact response. She told me she can’t wait to meet with Jamal again and asked if I could sign her up regularly. Ummm… I’m sorry?! You can’t wait to work with a tutor again?! Why have I waited so long to reach out for help here?
I later found out that Jamal is the founder of EBO Tutoring. Don’t you just love meeting people who are so obviously living out their passion? This is how I felt when speaking with him! We are so lucky to have an extensive community of natural helpers in Atlanta – and sometimes it’s ok to let them step in and offload a source of stress in your family.
After this experience, our family is looking forward to continued support. My goal is to have EBO Tutoring support Vivian through the summer (trying to prevent the summer brain drain!) and then help next school year with her homework regularly. Weight lifted off of this mamas shoulders – and the best part is, I now get to focus on spending time connecting with Vivian and helping her navigate these pre-teen years as simply a mom (and not a teacher, a tutor, or a principal!).
One final, but important note – I have researched the cost of tutoring and the pricing for EBO Tutoring services was very competitive! Be sure to check them out.
