There have been 2 times in my life that I have been involved in tutoring. Both times I was in College. I was the tutor in one instance and the tutee in the other. They both stunk (no pun intended).
Roll mental camera…
I was the tutee in the most fun college course of all time, CALCULUS. It was a 5 hour everyday of the week nightmare for me. So I had Allan, my now brother-in-law, tutor me in the subject. He was the Master Po of math Kung Fu and I was Grasshopper attempting to snatch the pebble from his hand (sorry for the reference for those of you who aren’t old enough to remember or didn’t watch the show Kung Fu). Allan was so advanced in upper math that he knew all the cool shortcuts and taught them to me. It was great until the final where I had to show my work but had no idea how to do it the way the professor wanted me to.
Being the tutor was strangely similar. I was tutoring Shelly, my now wife, in algebra. We were just dating at the time and I should have known better (just kidding Shel). I wanted to make sure that she knew how to do the work to get to the correct answer. Shelly on the other hand, just wanted the shortcut to the answer. She believed then and still does to this day that Algebra would never be used by her for any reason. In hindsight I think she is right.
I feel like I am pulled between these 2 scenarios in my faith. Many times I am around someone so well versed in scripture that I get lost in their conversation. Other times I am the one giving an opinion to someone that may give me just enough attention to spit out the answer but I lose them on the explanation. I would think everyone would be stuck in the middle to some degree huh? But man it can be confusing. So I guess I will just focus on what is important and let Him tutor me.
Do you ever feel like you are under educated in your own faith?
Or do you feel like you have so much to tell but nobody will listen?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
STUCK BETWEEN TUTOR AND TUTEE
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4 comments:
Yeah...this is great. (and thanks for stopping by my blog!)
I feel both of these...I guess it just comes down to a matter of knowing when to say something and when not...sounds like faith, huh?
What I most get frustrated by is people who say they want to know what to do differently, then don't listen or apply the Truth....
Hey...can you tutor my boys in math? :) Seriously, unless my kids were going to be engineers (they're not), I'd have to agree with your wife. However, we like to say to our kids, "Math is like life...there will be problems, and you will have to come up with a solution". So, I guess we'll keep teaching it! LOL
I think I often times feel under educated in my faith. In my circle of friends it is very easy to be the tutee, when I am around my other friends I feel I am the tutor.What it boils down to for me though is no matter if I am the tutor or the tutee, to ALWAYS continue to listen to all of them, many times the teacher can and will become the student. Sometimes I have to take the approach that is often times misinterpreted...and that is to just sit back and be silent and take it all in, it tends to go hand in hand with another belief theory that I have and it is that it is always the silent ones that you need to be aware of... I try to be the silent one that is constantly learning so that I can be the silent and wise one...One to be feared (in the eyes of the Evil One) "For we are fearfully and wonderfully made"
I enjoy being both. I love when someone that is wiser and more educated takes me under their wing and teaches me. I also love opening up a persons eyes to something that they didn't know or understand. Teaching and being taught is one of the greatest gifts that we can receive and give. Great post!
Your responses were perfect and just what I needed to hear. I guess it doesn't matter what position you are in as long as you are in it for the right reasons
Thanks
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