wessam hazaymeh

One of the most meaningful community engagement activities I have participated in that shaped my view as a student and leader was tutoring. I helped tutor a kindergartener in English and Mathematics. This student attends online school, so it poses another level of challenges as she navigates home life, focus, learning and more. As a college student, I am so fortunate to have had a “normal” learning environment because now that I have online learning, I have those foundational skills which help me navigate these trying times. During our tutoring sessions, I would look for new ways to encourage her to learn. I came to the realization that she was often shy and did not want to make mistakes despite being so bright for her age. I found techniques that affirmed her, motivated her to try and encouraged her it is okay if we do not know the answer, but we can always find out. For example, I would ask her to explain something to me rather than me correcting her right away. I passed my expert power on to her to help her take the lead on this learning. Other techniques included using her hobbies to show her learning is fun, such as filming a “YouTube video” to teach the viewers how to read or using learning applications on my phone to encourage her to memorize the alphabet.

This insight is connected to the transformational leadership theory. The transformational leadership theory goes beyond a transaction, but rather pushed the leader to change the status quo and appeal to the followers’ values and sense of higher purpose. This insight exhibits a transformational framework because my role as the leader went beyond helping the student finish an assignment. My purpose in this role is the empower and motivate the follower, who is the student, to take action towards learning and connect it to her values in life. I used my passion and enthusiasm for learning as a tool to further encourage and inspire the student. This concept of motivation and inspiration as the main focus of the transformational leadership theory was practiced throughout all of our tutoring sessions because of the techniques to motivate the student. Not only was it the motivation, but it was also the “passing of the torch” to have the student grow from a follower to a leader as a means of positive affirmation that the student can be confident in teaching others and to learn from a mistake rather than feel embarrassed. 

The artifact I have chosen from this insight is a drawing the student made for me. This student loves to draw and color, but she combined that with learning by writing a sentence and also writing her name on the drawing to provide evidence that she created the drawing. To add to this, the student recorded a video that her mom sent me. In the video, the student practiced the reading and writing techniques we learned together. This artifact is evidence that transformational leadership and patience can go a long way in encouraging the future generation. It is difficult to maintain a positive attitude, especially when teaching young people, but the energy you project to them will greatly influence their learning experience and their passion for education.

She now sees reading and writing as a fun experience rather than another assignment to worry about. This artifact reflects the passion and motivation I have towards learning that I was able to influence and encourage her to apply her learning in the classroom to something she enjoys. I used the methods I observed from previous teachers and professors I admire to be a tutor she would admire. This artifact proves just that and more.