Second Meeting 02-24

The meeting with Elodia today went very well. I gave Elodia a binder with notebook paper for her to be able to put the things we learn in the binder. In our last session, I wrote down the process of logging in to my.tcu.edu to show Elodia her sick and vacation hours, but she did not have anywhere to put what I wrote her. This binder is her new reference to go over what we learn and to put homework, processes, and new information in. I also brought the GED book that was given to me. We began to go over the very beginning of the book, the table of contents. It talks about what is necessary to pass the GED. We talked about each of the five “tests” that are necessary and the scores required. I then tell her we’re going to focus on one test within the overall test. We choose social studies, because that’s what I feel most confident in teaching her. Spencer might teach her math, if there is time, because he is confident with that section. We then discuss the 5 sections within the social studies test subject. She didn’t really know what social studies was so we discussed how it was the study of history, government, economics, civics, and geography. I even had to elaborate on what some of those descriptions were. I explained that she would need to know U.S. and world history, such as the study of particulars wars and such. I explained geography was the study of land, oceans, and other natural resources and that there would be explanation of those. Spencer and I both explained economics as the study of taxes, businesses, and how those businesses work together to either make a country’s economy strong or weak. I tried to go slow and be very thorough in her explanation. She asked a few questions about how things would be taught. She was a little overwhelmed and nervous about the material. She said she only had an elementary school education. I reassured her and told her that we would be going extremely slow and just take things one day at a time. I encouraged her to ask questions and really tell me if she is starting to be overwhelmed with the information. I told her that I would rather only get through one section but be extremely solid and confident in the information, than rush through and confuse her with a lot of information from more sections and have her be nervous and not do well on those sections on the test. Reassuring her was good because it definitely relieved a lot of worry that she would not learn the information and got her excited and ready to learn. I told her that we had been through this too and we had to ask our teachers lots of questions and tell them when we felt overwhelmed. I really just wanted to know that she could express when she was uncertain, overwhelmed, or unsure of anything, because I really don’t know what I’m doing and I want her to be comfortable enough to tell me when she doesn’t understand the way I am explaining something. This definitely eased some of her anxieties. She opened up about how excited she was and talked about her daughters and grandchildren. She is ready to learn and even encouraged homework! I could tell she really wants this so I only hope I do her justice and teach her well she can at least begin to be ready to get her GED.