RES 5040: Teacher as Researcher (spring 09)

There I was, in the office. Typical, for this time of the week. But it was shaping up to be something altogether different this time. I had approved the interviews with both of them, and I knew I was prepared. What if Larry or Abe didn’t show? Looking at the notes I had, feeling the breeze of the climate system in the office (cold as always), and listening up for students who needed help, I was as ready for this as I could be.

Why this, why now? As usual, in these types of stories, the motivation was a lady. A persuasive one. She needed information and knew how to get it. But I was her agent on this one, and I didn’t know if I was up to the task. Sure, sure, she helped me along with the preparation, and the motivation. The execution left me on my own. My due diligence done, I had only to wait for the opportunity to get at the facts of a case that had been years in the making. My questions were good, the office was familiar to all the participants, and there was no reason for my subjects to suspect anything. They knew in advance that I would be recording every word, and the basics of the interview topics. Maybe I’d catch a break and get them both together. A focus group might get one of them to think of something valuable that they’d miss on their own.

While I hoped for the group, I was dealt a deuce. When Abe was available, Larry was with a client, and vice versa. They would have to be talked to individually. OK, that was that. Abe showed up outside the office, and I reminded him of his prior agreement. He’s been tutoring with us for several years, and is one of our “go-to” guys in math. He tutors everything from basic arithmetic to pre-calculus, and has for several years. That made him valuable, particularly to me, as my math ability only extends to reading last night’s box scores on the sports page. A young guy, just 21, he could relate to the students he worked with pretty well. The older ones liked him also, as he is unfailingly positive and upbeat, and an expert in math. I asked if he was ready to go, but he said he wanted to step outside for a cigarette. I did too, and I don’t even smoke. It was that kind of night.

When he got back, around 6:15 p.m. (not dark yet, but getting there) we settled into the office where so much business has been done over the years. Notwithstanding the draft from the “heating” system, the well worn office chairs, and the textbook cluttered bookshelves, it is a welcoming place. Abe and I have talked about tutoring many times, so the familiarity made for a very easy conversation. However, the formality of it being for a specific task was a little strange. Not uncomfortable, just different. His answers were mostly expected, regarding the things that tutees do to make themselves successful: mainly preparation and motivation, and their variants. More than gender, age, or any other factor, these two key factors are the ones that students need at the start of the tutoring cycle to best assure success. Regarding the ways we could improve what we do, it was difficult to come up with anything substantive. Maybe an outsider was needed for that. But there just wasn’t time. The deadlines were thunderheads gathering in an ever-shrinking distance, and nothing was going to stop them. We had to move forward, now, with what we had.

When it was over, there was no celebration, no big event of any kind. We both went back to work. That’s the way it is around here; somebody can always use help with proofreading or proofs, formatting text or solving for x. This is who we are.

When Larry’s session was over, his interview would begin. But that’s another story.

Conrad Martin