In Which the Merits of Tutoring are Catalogued

There are times when after eight hours of seemingly-force feeding students material that you wonder if the headaches are worth it. Is there progress being made? Is there really a difference between now and five weeks ago? 

I had a conversation once with a physics professor on the pros and cons of teaching. He said that it was not the students who didn't work and failed that bothered you as much (this occurs with every profession - people who don't want to work), but the students who put the hours and effort in and were struggling for that C grade. "If you can deal with that and still remain optimistic, then you can be a teacher." 

I have had a taste of that this summer with students not doing their homework or simply forgetting the simplest things. "What's 2x3?" several minutes go by.... "2x3?" Blank stare. "Really?! We just did this two problems ago! You're in sixth grade for crying out loud!"*

Okay, so the last part is normally in my head. Outwardly, I smile and draw it out for them or simply postpone that problem til later. 

But there have been some truly amazing parts of this summer that I would like to document for future encouragement. 

~Watching a 5th grade seamlessly slide into learning algebraic concepts. 

~Helping a 12th grader study for the SAT and grin as I hold up a section with only 3(!) out of 34 incorrect. 

~ Discussing the possibility of traveling to the Sun with a 5th grader: *after many, many odd guesses on the material** the spacecraft should be formed out of* 
"I've got it! You have the President's number, right?!" 
"Well..." 
"Tell them to get my Nobel Prize ready! It's Carpet!!" 
 
~Giving a review quiz on everything we've learned this summer and the student having only a few glitches

~Listening to a 4th grader read "My Father's Dragon" after five intense weeks of learning how to read. 

~Creating a new TV show called "MathBusters"***. In this show, we will solve the pattern of prime numbers. 

~Discussing why mayonnaise is so disgusting. 

~Reading an essay on the topic of never giving up and having "Finding Nemo" be one of the examples. 

There is so many more stories I have to write down. In summary, yes. It is worth it. 

On a side note: I got to bring my silver flask home!! And I completed two more rxns last week and didn't burn/injure myself!**** However, that was my last week of summer school. And now a whole week without lab. What will I do with myself?*****

*True story. 
**other suggestions included: diamonds, manure, concrete, hair, stainless steel and plastic. 
***Based on the show MythBusters. We even started to create our own theme song. 
****This does not include inanimate objects. One test tube and one 50 mL round bottom flask are now at the bottom of the broken glass container. 
*****Besides sleep, eat, watch Numb3rs, read lots of books and get ready for school next week. Oh, and study for the GRE and the subject GRE and write to potential PIs,etc. I think I'll be okay.