Speaking Without Words

How ALFA Fundación teachers go beyond teach

Speaking Without Words

How ALFA Fundación teachers go beyond teach

ALFA Foundation teachers knows that academic success is a consequence of a genuine interest in their students’s wellbeing, whom they do more than teach: they inspire them.

When you take in kids in vulnerable situations, with different family dynamics, and some with difficult pasts, having a sensibility beyond textbooks is crucial. That is why they look for silent feedback, those small differences in attitude that could be a sign of something much bigger.

Behind a lack of appetite, a distant attitude or a lack of attention there are messages that the kids are sending, sometimes without knowing. And it is ALFA Foundation’s tutor’s responsibility to decipher them.

Get to know this amazing work through three professors.

Chema
Castillo

English Head Teacher
Center 1

“It is always useful when the kids verbalize how they feel, but it’s more impactful when they do it silently.

I frequently hear from my students that ALFA’s tutors exist in a very particular space because we’re not their parents or families, so they have a trust in us that they would have with a friend. At the same time, we’re not their age, so they can come to us with somewhat deeper problems. This balance is the perfect way to be their confidants”.

Angie
Bautista

Current themes and Spanish Teacher
Center 2

“When a student comes to us and says ‘can I ask you something?’, that means there’s trust. Usually, it has nothing to do with academics, but something personal. The relationship is built little by little; it’s not always easy. It’s a steady approach. The kids see us as role models; we have to be coherent in what we say and what we do. It’s important not to break that trust and vision they have of us.

We have their academic lives in our hands and they trust us to make them work. We strive to make them feel comfortable and happy”.

Magy
González

Current themes and Math Teacher
Center 3

“We always have to be watchful, see the silent signs they send us. To establish trust, face-to-face communication is key.Our mission is to have them come to us so we can know their circumstances. That’s why, with the kids, it’s always an invitation to talk; that’s how we can be tutors.

When they approach their parents, some of them feel reprimanded. With a teacher they don’t; a dialogue is started. They have a very special place for us”.

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