Hi friends ! I hope that you are well !
I have shed many, many tears after receiving the letter from my wife requesting a divorce. And I continue to find this a tough economy while looking for work.
Nevertheless, I have not yet completely given up.
More below the fold:
One of my professors strongly recommended that I start my own tutoring business. Although I have continued to interview, I have decided to pursue this with vigor. I put up fliers in the most helpful buildings on campus. I already have received four calls and begun tutoring.
You may recall my background: two bachelor's degrees: 1 in political science economics and history and the other in mathematics, a master's degree in mathematics, academic excellence award winner as ph.d. student, certified to teach bilingual education: 4-8, ESL EC-8, Generalist EC-8, and mathematics 4-12.
My students that I have started tutoring were very happy with their academic growth after our last sessions and said that they would spread the word about me. I am also putting myself on Craig's list and starting my own website. I have testimonials from students whom I have taught and/or tutored. I am also looking to include recommendations from around 10 professors who know me well.
The website is free for now.
I am going to continue to work - either returning to McDonalds (I am welcome to do so. You may recall that I was working contract manual labor for a company that produces products that make it easier to drill for oil but got heat sick, vomited everywhere... They thought that I just was not meant for manual labor - not used to it.) or finding some other job. I will do this because the tutoring business will gradually build itself up, but it will not be sufficient income immediately. My professors believe that I will be very successful as a tutor and will soon be able to support myself from income as a tutor. My dad is helping me pay rent for the next several months. Nevertheless, unfortunately, I do not have enough to pay my basic bills. I am very, very frugal. Still, I have not yet paid my car payment (about $200) nor my car insurance (about $100). I am almost completely out of gas. I have a little food, but will need to return to the store before the end of the month. If I get more food and gas, then I won't be able to afford my car insurance. After the food and gas that I will need for the rest of the month, I won't have enough for my car insurance payment and will have nothing for my car payment. I would greatly appreciate any help so that I don't lose my car and car insurance and can continue getting to work (tutoring and return to mcdonalds). I have a paypal account. My email for that account is rp1079@txstate.edu . I am not a student this semester (I was when I first started up paypal). My email that I can actually access and use is rp1079@hotmail.com . I can be reached at 619-481-4663. The number is a California number because my sister put me on her plan and gave me a phone.
I am considering selling a percentage of the business if anyone wants to serve as a venture capitalist (lol).
Here are some of the testimonials / recommendations from students and professors:
Thank you so much for all you did to help me graduate ! - John (Senior)
You have a heart of gold ! - Jesus (fifth grade)
Thank you so much for being such a wonderful teacher. You made such a difference to our class. - Hailey (sophomore)
Thank you for being such a great teacher ~ Thank you so much for your help ! - Rachel (sophomore)
Dr. Ferrero - Associate Professor of Mathematics at Texas State University San Marcos -
The grades his students have obtained in the standard test are a clear proof of their understanding of the contents of the course. Finally, there is an anecdote that I find worth mentioning. Mr. Proctor is currently doing student-teaching in San Marcos Texas. This is a relatively small town, and words spread out quickly. For that reason, I have heard excellent comments about his teaching directly from one of his students who mentioned that, "Now I understand Math a lot better because the student teacher explains it so well!" When inquiring about who was that student-teacher, I learnt that he was Mr. Proctor, and I was not surprised because I know he is a natural educator.
Obviously, I finished my student teaching which went very well and went on to teach.
The website is very much under construction and for some reason, right now, people must enter a password to view it. I am trying to remedy that situation.
Thank you very much for the kind comments and thoughts. I am a person who really will carefully consider advice, esp from my DKos family ! I am not the fount of all wisdom.
I loved teaching my 7/8th Math ESL class and my fifth grade bilingual class, and I greatly enjoyed my student teaching and teaching as a gia at the university. I am not a super strict person (very much a compassionate kind of teacher / person). So, tough students, like gang types, are not a good fit for me. My personality is best suited for working with younger bilingual / ESL students or AP classes in high school or college students.