Motivation is Key

An Autobiography By: Christine Kelly ENG 305 Dr. Lipszy

!"# sitting in #y thir$ gra$e lassroo# an$ %rs. % %urray as&s the lass' ()hat $o you *ant to be *hen you gro* up+, (A tea her, ! reply' *ithout ta&ing a se on$ to thin& about it. No*' it"s #y senior year in high s hool an$ so #any options an$ opportunities are running through #y #in$. %y tea hers &eep as&ing #e' ()hat is your #a-or going to be in ollege+, (! thin& ! a# going to #a-or in e$u ation' but !"# not sure yet., %y ertainty has .altere$ be ause o. #y pressuring .eelings o. sel./$oubt an$ ! a# le.t *on$ering *hat ! really *ant to $o *hen ! (gro* up., 0hree #onths pass an$ it is no* the *inter o. #y senior year. ! ha1e -ust been hire$ as a stu$ent tutor at #y s hool"s C234 progra#. C234 is an a.ter s hool progra# .or stu$ents in gra$es &in$ergarten through eighth gra$e that runs .ro# three until .i1e 4%. )hile atten$ing' stu$ents .inish their ho#e*or&' parti ipate in learning a ti1ities' an$ play a 1ariety o. ga#es. A.ter the stu$ents ha1e .inishe$ their sna &s 5to$ay it"s #il& an$ bananas6' *e bring the# upstairs an$ separate the# by age group. 7tu$ents in gra$es &in$ergarten through .ourth gra$e are in one lassroo#' stu$ents in .i.th gra$e an$ higher are in another lassroo#' an$ the last lassroo# is the ho#e*or& roo#. 7tu$ents o. any age *ho ha1e ho#e*or& go to this lassroo# until they are .inishe$ *ith their *or&. 0his a.ternoon ! a# assigne$ to *or& in the ho#e*or& roo# an$ ! a# gi1en the tas& o. helping a se1enth gra$e stu$ent na#e$ C8. 9e has a large reputation *ith the tea hers .or being stubborn an$ har$ to han$le. A or$ing to %rs. 2ose' super1isor o. the progra# an$ C8"s pre1ious ele#entary tea her' C8 is .re:uently sent to the prin ipal"s

o..i e .or pi &ing on his .ello* lass#ates an$ .or re.using to listen. ;ran&ly' ! $i$n"t &no* i. ! *as going to be able to han$le or help C8. 9e has blon$ hair' blue eyes' an$ is *earing a )); *restling t/shirt. 9e is sitting in the .ront le.t orner o. the lassroo# *ith his te<tboo& lose$ on his $es&. 9e is staring blan&ly at the bla &boar$ an$ .i$$ling *ith his pen il. C8 loo&s up at #e as ! *al& into the roo#. ! *al& o1er to hi# an$ pull up a hair. ! as&' ()hat ho#e*or& $o you ha1e tonight+, (%ath' but !"# not $oing it., ()hat i. *e go through it together+, ! suggest *hile getting a pen out o. #y ba &pa &. 9e loo&s at #e *ith un ertainty an$ e1entually snaps' (;ine., C8 loo&s up at #e *ith his big blue eyes as i. he is surprise$ that ! ha1en"t gi1en up on hi# right a*ay. )hen he sees that ! a# not going any*here' he pulls his noteboo& an$ his agen$a out o. his ba &pa &. )hile he loo&s at his agen$a *e tal& an$ $is o1er that #ath is both C8"s least .a1orite sub-e t' as *ell as #ine. !roni ally enough' that is the ho#e*or& that he has .or tonight. As it turns out' C8 is 1ery apable. 9e ans*ers #ost o. the :uestions orre tly an$ *hen he $oesn"t' *e go o1er the# again in or$er to .i< his errors. 0o #y surprise' #y pri#ary role is not to assist hi#' but instea$ to &eep hi# on tas&. 9e .re:uently stops $oing his *or& to tal& to #e about s hool' ho#e' an$ e1en his .rien$s. ! listen a ti1ely to his stories but &eep re#in$ing hi# that *e ha1e to .inish *or&ing be.ore .i1e 4%. ! a# i#presse$ that C8 is e<hibiting beha1iors that are the opposite o. the ones $es ribe$ in his reputation *ith only a little #oti1ation an$ support .ro# #e. 0he longer *e are *or&ing together' the #ore *illing he is to open up to #e.

!n the hour an$ a hal. that *e *ere *or&ing together to at h up on the #ath ho#e*or& he ha$ negle te$' ! .oun$ out a lot about C8"s ho#e li.e. !t turne$ out that C8 ha$ a reason .or a ting out in lass. 9is parents got o.. o. *or& al#ost as soon as he *oul$ get ho#e .ro# s hool' an$ there.ore his gran$.ather *oul$ ha1e to pi & hi# up e1ery $ay. 9is gran$.ather *oul$ then $rop hi# o.. at ho#e *here his ol$er sister *as in harge e1en though she $i$n"t pro1i$e hi# *ith any super1ision. 9e tol$ #e that he lo1es o#ing to s hool so that he an tal& an$ hang out *ith people. =ne<pe te$ly' C8 an$ ! nee$e$ ea h other .or #oti1ation. A.ter being gi1en the on.i$en e he nee$e$ to o#plete his assign#ent' C8 oul$ barely ontain his pri$e. 0he s#ile on his .a e sho*e$ all o. his teeth an$ still sti &s *ith #e to$ay' espe ially *hen ! nee$ so#e reassuran e about be o#ing a tea her. C8 ser1e$ as #y #oti1ation to ontinue rea hing to*ar$ #y goal o. being a tea her. Being able to rea h C8 an$ help hi# to realize his potential *as an in re$ible .eeling that ! $on"t thin& ! *ill e1er tire o.. %y #oti1ation see#e$ to ha1e been su ess.ul at the en$ o. the $ay *hen C8 as&e$' (Do you thin& you oul$ help #e *ith #y ho#e*or& to#orro* too+ )e #a&e a great tea#>, as i. he *as loo&ing .or*ar$ to .inishing e1en #ore o. his *or&.