Tutor: Friends and Colleagues
Better than friends or colleagues
Despite a heavy load of writing and teaching and a fair bit of eating and sleeping, my last week has basically been all about talking with other tutors:
THURSDAY: My joint presentation with Mike McGibbon about the TestBright/Mathchops orientation curriculum (register for a free beta version HERE)
FRIDAY: Pre-game festivities for Pranoy Mohapatra’s wedding
SATURDAY: Pranoy Mohapatra’s wedding (LOVELY!)
SUNDAY: Recovery from Pranoy Mohapatra’s wedding
MONDAY: The first TestBright dSAT Curriculum Discovery Seminar (register for the next one on November 20 at 2pm EST HERE.)
TUESDAY: NTPA Board meeting
WEDNESDAY: The National Test Prep Association annual Town Hall and NTPA Winter Workshop planning
This calendar leaves out all the 1-1 and small group meetings and chats with other educators outside my own practice. All in all, not a day goes by where I’m not talking to a tutor from another company.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
There’s a magical moment in every lucky professional’s life when many of your colleagues become true friends. Maybe the shared interest or common background or industry jargon is to blame. Maybe you find yourself collaborating on cool projects. Maybe you just develop a deep respect for someone who does what you do and, in doing so, respect yourself a bit more.
Whatever the reason, I truly enjoy the company and camaraderie of other tutors. So many pros in private education come across as smart, funny, caring, and interesting. This is a cohort that is lighter than most in terms of drama but heavyweights when it comes to conversation and conviviality. I mean, when you get tutors representing more than 20 separate companies at one event, it runs the risk of feeling like work, but this crowd didn’t seem to mind:
Neither did the groom—a respected educator and leader in our field:
So don’t be so quick to compartmentalize people in your life as friends or colleagues. Sometimes, friends AND colleagues are better.
Tips, Tools, And Thoughts
Why right‐brain teaching is half‐witted: A critique of the misapplication of neuroscience to education
Here’s our neuromyth of the week.
Personal Discipline: What Is It and How To Create One
How is your practice of self-control, self-awareness, and adherence to predetermined standards going?
What is the Paper Ceiling?
Interesting data point: between 2012 and 2019, 69% of new jobs created were in occupations which require a bachelor’s degree or higher for entry.
Assessing college readiness for the pandemic generation
What do you think?
Remote work vacation easier, disconnecting harder
Do you unplug enough when you’re away?
And about that whole “making friends with colleagues” thing…
The National Test Prep Association’s annual Winter Workshop is set to take place the afternoon of December 12th and the morning of December 13th at The Eliza Jane in the vibrant city of New Orleans. Join more than 50 of the top minds in test prep for presentations, workshops, panels, and general revelry. Register while discounted rooms are still available!