Tutor Spotlight: Yao Yao Mize
My name is Yao Yao Mize, and I am enrolled in a 5-year program at Boston University’s Frederick Pardee School of Global Studies. I have recently finished my BA credits in International Relations and am excited to start my graduate year in the fall. I have a passion for environmental issues and I love to travel. In Boston, some of my favorite things to do are to eat at new restaurants and have picnics with friends in a park.
I first heard about Potencia through my Anthropology minor and thought it would be an excellent opportunity to try something new. While the program seemed like an amazing way to help break down barriers and give people more confidence in work and social settings, I was a bit concerned about my qualifications for tutoring. I had helped friends out with homework before, but I had never had officially tutored or taught students much less people who could possibly be older than I was. I was nervous for my first online session because as a more introverted person, I was worried about having others rely on me to direct a class for an hour. But with the materials that Potencia had given me under my belt and my pre-prepared lesson plan, my first session went well and I got to know my first student.
For my first lesson with a graduate student named Euntaek, I didn’t quite know what to expect and I had based my lesson plan on my own lower-level experience of learning a new language. But when he was able to talk about more complex social topics, I realized I could ask more opinion and abstract-based questions rather than just the basics. It took me a while to find a lesson plan that fit my learner, but we found that reading an article and discussing it in a comparative and social context was a good method to stretch new vocabulary and ideas. I gradually became more comfortable talking to Euntaek and asking guiding questions. However, when my class took on another learner, Jiyoung, we had to find a balance within the discussion. Euntaek and I had become more confident in speaking with each other, but Jiyoung was quieter and I realized I had to direct more questions her way in order to encourage her to speak up. But since then, I have loved seeing both of my learners develop their sense of self as they continue to express themselves.
I have found it interesting to have advanced learners who wanted to focus more on pronunciation, flow, and social concepts because I am able to learn more about their personalities, opinions, and beliefs. I have watched my learners and myself become more confident and outspoken and this has helped us build a more significant relationship. They are able to speak more and are not as afraid to make mistakes in the classroom because they know that this is how we continue to learn and grow. By encouraging this not only do I learn more about them personally, but they help me to learn too. They are both from South Korea and I will often ask them questions about their culture and experiences and how it differs from America. Through their stories and opinions, I am able to better understand their struggles and triumphs, and I learn about different issues I might’ve not looked into before. Their passion and progress is motivating and it drives me to improve both my teaching and learning skills.
In teaching ESL, I have learned to become more clear and concise because of how imperative it is in explaining a concept in a coherent way. Potencia has helped me grow as a person through self-assuredness, understanding, efficiency, and patience. Creating lessons and teaching others, has helped me to develop my own skills, and at the same time it has been a meaningful way to give back to the community. Potencia is a wonderful experience that not only helps others but benefits you as well. If you would like to know more about my experience at Potencia or have any questions about joining, please feel free to reach me through my email jiayaom@bu.edu, or my Instagram @yao6461.
