Astronauts in Olimpico Learning by Suhrith

Astronauts in Olimpico Learning

During my time volunteering as a TA at Olimpico Learning, I was not only engaged in teaching the bright kids, always full of questions, but I was inspired by their hardworking skills and growth mindset.

The first week of the 4-week long STEM camp was themed around the expansive, intimidating, yet promising topic of astronomy. The particular class of incoming 4th graders that I taught learned about the solar system — planets, sun, asteroids, and all. The theme of astronomy mingled itself into the curriculum seamlessly: buried inside their math work and reading work was the underlying, unifying theme of planets, stars, and the like. It was undoubtedly inspiring to watch the children make deep, important connections to solidify their understanding.

Even in times when some concepts, like moon phases or light-years, were veritably difficult to understand, the students persevered and pushed their boundaries to make room for more knowledge. One thing that shook me was the fact that the students were very open, always asking for help from their peers, the TAs, or the teachers when they needed it. In a world where asking for assistance is often stigmatized, I found it inspiring to see the kids work together in this fashion, and I can certainly apply this in my life as well.

It’s plain to say that the tradeoff of teaching STEM, something of my strength, to the students, and the students simultaneously teaching me tenacity and openness, something of their expertise, was surely in my favor. While I came to Olimpico Learning to enlighten others, I’ve found myself in an interesting situation: I myself am enlightened.