LESSON REVIEW # 24A

                              Cleophas Mike McAlpin......Tutor

                              Marci Rodriquez.............Tutor

                    Peggye Turner................Tutor

April 5, 2000     "Tutors!....Front and Center! Remember...The pay ($) is very little....zero to be more exact!"

April 8, 2000...Tutoring Activity...Below

Peggye Turner is a Human Resources Supervisor for a leading Aerospace company. She is also one of our Assistant Tutors. Peggye came over to lecture the students on Microsoft Word. She brought over several manuals and floppy training disks. The students were shown basic computer operations. Thank you, Peggye, for your support. Peggye will be coming over at least once a week to continue her classes on computer operations.

Marci Rodriquez (Schoolteacher) will resume her lessons on the Spanish Language on April 6.

Mariko Mariannes (Electrical Engineer) will tutor on Electric Vehicles during the week of April 17-21

Venelyn Yanakeiff (Electrical Engineering Supervisor and member of the Los Angeles Police Band) will begin music lessons during the week of April 17-21

Melvin McArthur (Aerospace Engineer) will begin drafting lessons beginning April 24

Doctor Cheryl Ojei (Kaiser Hospital Physician) will begin her series "Adolescents and Health Issues" during April.

Doctor Gardner Beale (Children's Dentist) will begin his lectures on dental health.

Col. Aubrey McAlpine (USAF Colonel, Ret. and Vice President of a leading Aerospace company) will begin his series of lectures on Investments, as well as Computer Technology.

Cleophas McAlpin (Chief Tutor) will continue his lessons and lab exercises on Electrical and Electronic Technologies). His license has been renewed by the State of California to teach such subjects..see "Tutor License".

Jarrell is now "up to snuff". The "A" student is now back on track. All of his teachers gave excellent reports on the super smart 13-year old. He had to be reminded that he had to do his 8th grade math homework, no matter how simple it was to him. He can, after all, do some calculus problems.

Jarrett got to play Abraham Lincoln, quite unwillingly, I might add. He had to recite "A nation divided against itself cannot stand" until he had said it loud enough for people in other cars on the 405 freeway to hear it. Jarrett had a habit of talking too softly before he received a scorching lecture on his need to raise his voice to let all know that he is a very smart 11-year old. Jarrett is studying the Civil War in his school and he has become a great "Abraham Lincoln" for me. He has also become a great historian of the Civil War Era. Our "Van Lessons" have done the trick!

Monique was given the task of grilling Shamus on fractions. Monique is not "up to snuff" herself on the 9's but being a tutor gave her a newfound desire to memorize them. She lectured Shamus like she was a professional tutor.

I gave all of the students a lecture on geometrical figures found on a practice SAT exam. I covered circles, rectangles, triangles, cubes and cylinders. We reviewed the formulas for each and worked problems related to each. I ended with the right- triangle and the Pythagorean Theory.

It was then on to homework for those who had it. The rest of the students were separated into work groups. Jarrell worked with Cole to construct a Radio Shack project related to switching capacitors in a circuit to notice the different tones produced by that action. He constructed the circuit in approximately 15 minutes and it worked perfectly. 

James and Jeremiah introduced Monique and Gabrielle to basic fractions. Jarrett toyed with our science fair kits and marveled at our solar-powered motor and cars. Jarrett, Monique and others took to the soldering iron and the solder a short time afterwards. There went more solder, wasted, for a good cause, I might add!

Our tutoring session was focused and intense. The students made me very proud because of their attentiveness and order. Brittani gave the younger girls a lecture on their behavior with regards to boys and it was well received.

It has become difficult to relate all that we cover in our Sessions. We cover a great deal of material each time. Tomorrow, I shall take several students to the Hobby Shop where they will continue to work on their model cars. I will continue to teach others math and science. I will continue to have others use the digital volt-ohm-ammeter to make electrical measurements. I will continue... to continue ...to continue......to tutor.

Others will be joining me..very soon!

A Minor Setback...

The early afternoon hour (6:00PM) was shattered by the sound of breaking glass. Loud screams followed. I ran to the front porch to watch as students pointed to the guilty party who had broken a window out of the van.

Our van sat with a cargo window completely shattered. Students placed hands to mouths in gestures that symbolized "I am so glad that it wasn't me who slammed the door and broke the window."

I only asked the guilty party if she was hurt and relieved her mind that "accidents happen."

Brittani immediately grabbed a broom and started sweeping. I had the inclination to lecture the students on the layer of paraffin between two sheets of glass. I wanted them to know about safety glass in automobiles. 

The crisis was over and the students returned to their lessons. The 15-minute break was now over.

On Friday, I took the van to an auto glass shop and had the window replaced to the tune of $215. Quite a setback! I took the van after I had visited Damel at his school in Compton and Monique at her school in Gardena. I spoke to school counselors regarding each of my new students. The counselors were cooperative and thankful for my visit. 

I met with our Computer Tutors, Rita and Orlando Alexis, at a  Cerritos mall at 7:00PM. There were questions that needed answering about our Internet Website provider and how to set up e-mail accounts for the new Server. We ate good food at Friday's Restaurant, prayed for Rita's speedy recovery from an upcoming surgery and forgot about the setback of breaking glass. 

Saturday April 8, 2000 

Tutoring Activity:

Basketball practice was held at 11:00 AM. I picked up Mario, Kimberly, Jarrell and Michael and brought them to Curtiss Middle School in Carson. The practice lasted until 1:00 PM. It was then on to the Hobby Shop and the ABC educational equipment stores on Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. I purchased a model car for Damel and educational tools for the Tutoring Service. The total cost was $60. Some of the students worked for one hour on their model cars while others shopped at the ABC store. 

Next, I took 4 students to the movies and 4 others to Jeremiah's home. I returned to pick up the 4 students and to take them home after the movie was over. I lectured Monique upon numerous occasions about her behavior in school and what we expected of her. 

I will convince Monique that she is an "A" student and then work very hard to make her into one. She has received a steady dose of guidelines from students and tutors.