Meeting Whitney again was like talking to old friend, but the interaction was much more intimate this time and I could easily feel the love and concern she has for her students and others. When I first met Whitney, I could already sense that she is the type of tutor who always put her students first and doesn’t just concentrated on their results but also their physical and mental development. However, Whitney has evolved, her world is no longer just about the wellbeing of her students but also the happiness of all those who surround her. Whitney is not just a tutor but also our friend.
【2022 Top Pro】Whitney — Teaching & Life Lessons
Updated: Feb 10 2022
【2022 Top Pro】Whitney — Teaching & Life Lessons
It’s not all about test results
I am most impressed that Whitney is not only concerned with her student’s school performance but also their physical and mental development. Whitney and her partner Chloe insist on small-class teaching because they want to be more hands-on and quickly respond to student needs. However, the pandemic has put a halt to in-person classes from 2020 to 2021, and teaching through a computer monitor is definitely a challenge because it has made learning very static and uninteresting for her students. In response to the situation, Whitney worked on making her lessons livelier by revising her teaching materials and creating interactive materials (such as videos) to give her students an all-rounded learning experience.
However, Whitney noticed that some of her students don’t have the resources to print the learning materials, so she decided to create both electronic and online versions and post the hard copy to her students in advance, enabling them to be fully prepared for class. Despite the increased workload, Whitney thinks it is worth the time if her students can learn efficiently.
Whitney and her partner, Chloe insist on small-class teaching because they want to cater every student's needs.
Students and family are equally important
During our interview, I asked Whitney about her goals and expected a conversation just about her students, but she surprised me and mentioned her family, she said, “My ultimate goal is to spend more quality time with my family.”
Spending more time with her family doesn’t mean that Whitney will care less about her students. On the contrary, she wanted to recruit more tutors with the same teaching philosophy to join her and Chloe but the pandemic interrupted her plan to expand her tutoring centre, and in-person classes at schools were suspended. Whitney calmly responded, “That’s fate. When the right time comes, you will know what you should do. There is always a way out.” The past 2 years have taught Whitney to just go with the flow.
Even though things didn’t go as planned, Whitney still values teacher development and teaching methods and takes extra care when hiring tutors. She shared, “I want other tutors to have the same attitude, teaching philosophy, and goals as I do, making sure that we can work well together.” Whitney wants to ensure that the love and care her students received remain unchanged even when she is not present.
"When the right time comes, you will know what you should do. There is always a way out."
Facing the pandemic, Whitney choose to "go with the flow".
Setting goals and discovering personal values
Whitney places great importance on the discovery of personal values. She explained, “Personal values vary from person to person, it all depends on where you want to position yourself in society.” From Whitney’s point of view, “being able to help her students is super rewarding”; therefore, she also makes an effort to collaborate with different organizations and social workers to tutor other students, including SEN students. Whitney’s patience with students from all walks of life is the reason why she has been awarded Top Pro multiple times.
Aside from teaching, Whitney started a new venture this year and collaborated with illustrators to publish a picture book that shares the learning stories of different students, hoping that these sharings can inspire other students to overcome their difficulties and challenges.
Note
Whitney was unwell on the day of the Top Pro photoshoot and her partner Chloe came in her place. I had to schedule a phone interview with Whitney and our conversation was uplifting and inspiring. Her experience and life philosophy have prompted me to think more about my own goals and future, even if it means diverting from the norm (such as giving up a full-time job to become a slasher or freelancer). As Whitney aptly put it, once you find your place in society, there will always be a way out, just like how Toby provides a platform for slashers and freelancers to show off their expertise and work on their self-development.
