Describe a situation where you had to work or closely associate with someone from a background very different from your own. What challenges did you face and how did you resolve them? (250-1000 words)
Hi, please proofread, comment on my essay response. I wonder if I met the require of the prompt of describing the challenge and if I was being too long-winded, especially in the fourth paragraph. Thank you!
It was an unexpected call from an unexpected person. The secretary of Singapore's most renowned interior design firm just called me, asking if I was able to tutor the director's son, Henry. Henry's full-time tutor had gone on vacation, and his parents urgently needed a replacement tutor to prepare him for the International GCSE. Somehow the secretary chanced upon my number in the classifieds and thought I was a suitable tutor to fill that role. What was different about this teaching "gig" was that the parents requested that the lessons be conducted 5 times a week, compared to 1 time a week for my other students. Of course I jumped on the opportunity without hesitation, as the remuneration was the highest since I started freelancing as a private tutor after graduating from high school.
While reflecting on how lucky I was to score such a high-paying gig, I also began to worry that there were challenges ahead of me during the tuition. Since I come from a low-income family and have hardly encountered people who come from a very privileged background, my mind pictured a spoilt, snobbish and apathetic teenager who had little interest in learning. He was going to give me a hard time by refusing to pay attention and do the assignments I set for him. Bracing myself for such a situation, I was ready to establish myself as a strict teacher from the first lesson.
On the day of the first lesson, I travelled to Henry's house - a three-story detached house. I had never stepped into a detached house before then, and when I entered, it felt like I was in another country. I thought the exterior was impressive, but the interior of the house made me think, you get to live here every day?! As I was being led into the living room by the domestic worker, I was greeted by two friendly huskies, apparently very well-fed. While waiting for Henry, I surveyed the living room, and made a conservative estimate that it alone was twice as large as my house.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, Henry came down the stairs and greeted me. He apologized for the wait, and introduced himself with such friendliness that disarmed the austere demeanor I have been meticulously putting up. During the lessons, he respected me by being very attentive as I explained concepts and clarified his misconceptions. He thanked me every time I corrected his mistakes. Since Henry is a French-American, I occasionally had difficulty deciphering what he had said due to his accent. I would ask him to kindly repeat what he had said more slowly, and he would apologize for being unclear and then patiently repeated what he said.
When the lesson ended, I felt really guilty for having a prejudiced view of Henry even before I met him, just because he comes from a more privileged background than I. He is not spoilt, snobbish and apathetic. He is extremely well-mannered, humble, and even more passionate about learning than I am. I changed my teaching method accordingly - to a more encouraging and probing approach instead of a more authoritative slant that I initially intended. As a result, I enjoyed the teaching process, and look forward to Henry's passionate curiosity every lesson. Our friendship also blossomed through our shared interest in basketball, and till this day, I still keep in contact with him and he would invite me to play basketball every other weekend. The interaction with Henry felt like a slap to my face for being so narrow-minded. Even though I was his teacher, Henry has taught me a more valuable life lesson - to never judge a person from his background.
Hi, please proofread, comment on my essay response. I wonder if I met the require of the prompt of describing the challenge and if I was being too long-winded, especially in the fourth paragraph. Thank you!
It was an unexpected call from an unexpected person. The secretary of Singapore's most renowned interior design firm just called me, asking if I was able to tutor the director's son, Henry. Henry's full-time tutor had gone on vacation, and his parents urgently needed a replacement tutor to prepare him for the International GCSE. Somehow the secretary chanced upon my number in the classifieds and thought I was a suitable tutor to fill that role. What was different about this teaching "gig" was that the parents requested that the lessons be conducted 5 times a week, compared to 1 time a week for my other students. Of course I jumped on the opportunity without hesitation, as the remuneration was the highest since I started freelancing as a private tutor after graduating from high school.
While reflecting on how lucky I was to score such a high-paying gig, I also began to worry that there were challenges ahead of me during the tuition. Since I come from a low-income family and have hardly encountered people who come from a very privileged background, my mind pictured a spoilt, snobbish and apathetic teenager who had little interest in learning. He was going to give me a hard time by refusing to pay attention and do the assignments I set for him. Bracing myself for such a situation, I was ready to establish myself as a strict teacher from the first lesson.
On the day of the first lesson, I travelled to Henry's house - a three-story detached house. I had never stepped into a detached house before then, and when I entered, it felt like I was in another country. I thought the exterior was impressive, but the interior of the house made me think, you get to live here every day?! As I was being led into the living room by the domestic worker, I was greeted by two friendly huskies, apparently very well-fed. While waiting for Henry, I surveyed the living room, and made a conservative estimate that it alone was twice as large as my house.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, Henry came down the stairs and greeted me. He apologized for the wait, and introduced himself with such friendliness that disarmed the austere demeanor I have been meticulously putting up. During the lessons, he respected me by being very attentive as I explained concepts and clarified his misconceptions. He thanked me every time I corrected his mistakes. Since Henry is a French-American, I occasionally had difficulty deciphering what he had said due to his accent. I would ask him to kindly repeat what he had said more slowly, and he would apologize for being unclear and then patiently repeated what he said.
When the lesson ended, I felt really guilty for having a prejudiced view of Henry even before I met him, just because he comes from a more privileged background than I. He is not spoilt, snobbish and apathetic. He is extremely well-mannered, humble, and even more passionate about learning than I am. I changed my teaching method accordingly - to a more encouraging and probing approach instead of a more authoritative slant that I initially intended. As a result, I enjoyed the teaching process, and look forward to Henry's passionate curiosity every lesson. Our friendship also blossomed through our shared interest in basketball, and till this day, I still keep in contact with him and he would invite me to play basketball every other weekend. The interaction with Henry felt like a slap to my face for being so narrow-minded. Even though I was his teacher, Henry has taught me a more valuable life lesson - to never judge a person from his background.