Meet Maxine, one of our wonderful tutors.
A criminal lawyer with a busy schedule, Maxine still finds time to meet her student every week to help with his English studies.
Read her short reflection on volunteering with Weave.
“I went to the Weave Gala in 2018, and I was genuinely inspired by what I saw,” says Maxine. “So I sent a general enquiry, and heard they could use some help in the tutoring department — that seemed like a perfect fit given my background with kids, so that’s how I got involved.”
Maxine is no stranger to working to empower young people, and used to do a lot of work with young kids and teenagers, coaching them in areas such as public speaking and debating.
“I helped both of my younger sisters through high school,” she says, “and they had a lot of help. So I thought maybe I could assist others who didn’t have the same resources.”
Over the last year, Maxine has built a strong connection with her student.
“At the moment I’m tutoring a boy in year 10. We’re working on English. Several of his younger siblings are also in the tutoring program.”
“He’s fantastic,” she says. “He always comes to tutoring, he’s always happy to be there. We’ve seen an improvement in his marks already which is the best feeling in the world.”
Their connection has grown to be more than just homework. “He plays a lot of rugby,” Maxine explains, “so I always ask him about that. And he asks about my job and wants to hear about my cases. So we really have bonded.”
– Maxine and her student
“He has been fantastic, and seeing an actual change in how he’s going with his English has made it worthwhile. He told me about the mark he got for his most recent assessment. He was grinning when he said it and he told me that his mum was so happy with him.”
Maxine is also inspired by her student’s enthusiasm and commitment. “He genuinely puts in the effort,” she says, adding, “When we first started tutoring, I gave him homework to learn for the next week. I didn’t think he would do it, but he came back the next week and he’d memorised everything.
“I was so impressed, and he was so impressed with himself.”
It’s the little moments like this that build the confidence and trust of students. “I’d like to think it’s improved his self-esteem,” says Maxine. “I think it certainly has helped his confidence with English, and I think it makes a difference to have that one-on-one help, even if they cover the same things in class.”
Maxine enjoys her time volunteering for Weave, saying:
“Weave has many worthwhile initiatives and I would encourage everyone who is thinking about it to get involved…. What I love about Weave is everyone’s passion and commitment. Everyone I’ve met at Weave has been so genuine and dedicated.
“One of the most impressive things is how many programs Weave has. So if people are interested in getting involved there are so many different ways that you can help. Obviously the tutoring program is only one small facet of Weave, but it makes a difference on a small scale. So I can only imagine the impact Weave is having when you take in the whole organisation.”
“Everyone has been so friendly at Weave. It’s a real community.”