Tutoring help solve the needs many have at the moment, which is to solve a particular question or to get the grade needed; however, it didn’t help solve the bigger problem, which was needing help to begin with. It didn’t solve why we needed help when the education system was to provide an enriched program, why we couldn’t get the answers we needed at school when they have provided these options and why we couldn’t feel comfortable enough to ask others for help when needed. In this episode, we dive deep into not just the reasons behind tutoring, but how it can just be a band aid to the deeper root problem. Check out our sponsor je.me.debrouille on instagram to find out more on solutions to help your child succeed!
Your child needs help, tutoring! Sadly, that’s not always the solution and I’ll tell you why.
As a minority student in the TDSB, my parents instantly invested in a tutor to help me flourish academically. Since I was a French Immersion student, my parents had me in French tutoring for extra support. The message was clear. I needed to work harder to fully understand the content. It was this narrative that restricted me from pursuing a career that I would love.
I want in on all things educationTutoring helped me solve the needs I had at the moment.
I was able to solve a particular question to get the grade I needed. But, there was never a question of why I needed a tutor in the first place. Why couldn’t I get the answers I needed at school? Why did I need a tutor from my cultural community to help me learn the content better?
When a student does not understand the curriculum content, we instantly think about getting them a tutor to fix the issue
However, have you ever thought that maybe the school and the curriculum wasn’t being taught in a way that was relevant to your child? If I didn’t put the pressure and blame on myself while growing up and spent more time understanding how I learn best, I would not have needed a tutor. This would have allowed me more time to pursue the subjects that were more relevant to me. Instead, I ended up going to university to pursue a career that made everybody else happy.
I learned through tutoring that I needed to adjust in order to receive the grades that made all of the adults in my life proud of me. This lesson carried on throughout my life until one day, I had enough. I decided that I wanted to finally pursue my passion. With my best friend Korina, we got to work on creating courses that we wished we had growing up.
At Roots to Routes Academy
We have a high school credit course that is built for us. We offer a Grade 9 Mathematics course with a global curriculum focused on cultural literacy, where all students will learn and receive materials that teach them more about themselves and the world. Our teachers are not only OCT certified, but they reflect the population that they serve. We believe that by creating the space for students to celebrate their uniqueness, students will feel empowered to create change in the world.
If you are interested in our courses and would like to learn more, please pencil in a 30 minute call that works best for you. We would be honoured to hear your story and to learn how to celebrate your child!
To hear more about Korina’s journey on navigating the education system, her insight as a Black teacher, and as an advocate for her students, listen to our podcast, More Than Just A School on Spotify or through our website here.
Let’s create change, one course at a time!
With love,
Ramya Selladurai
Co-founder of Roots to Routes Academy
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