A NWIndiana Life in the Spotlight: Mike Graczyk

Mike-GraczykAs the school year draws to a close, most students and teacher are preparing for their three-month break away from school and work. However, this is not the case for Academic Pointe Tutor Mike Graczyk.

Mr. Graczyk will be spending the next few weeks preparing for his summer courses. The courses include SAT and ACT Prep to Algebra I and II. Mr. Graczyk is also planning on introducing a new course based on Calculus this summer.

“I will only be (hosting) 6 weeks this summer,” Mr. Graczyk said. “I am teaching something new called the Calculus preview course. I figured it would be a good idea since a lot of people take Calc. It is my favorite kind of math.

Mr. Graczyk is already printing worksheets and planning his schedule out for courses like ACT prep. He realizes, however, that he will have to plan along the way as well. Summer classes offer the chance to act as the teacher and teach students the material the way he wants to teach it.

“I am planning on working 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” Mr. Graczyk said. “Now I am the teacher. I can plan what I need to teach them. I think about what would be good to preview for the upcoming year.”

While some student may feel discouraged when it comes to studying and learning new material in the summer, Mr. Graczyk believes it is worth it and important to do so. Just the fact that it is summer makes the experience all the more relaxing and fun, according to Mr. Graczyk.

“When we prep them, it is a very different environment,” Mr. Graczyk said. “We have smaller classrooms. It is a conducive environment for learning. We have fun, but we learn stuff as well.”

Mr. Graczyk has come up with a strategy to help motivate students to focus and do their work while teaching them courses in the summer. Mr. Graczyk offers food like he usually does, but he has added gift cards specifically for his summer students. The gift cards are based off of student’s preferences. The amount Mr. Graczyk puts on the cards depends on student performance.

“It is a strategy,” Mr. Graczyk said. “It has to do with Locus Control (in the brain). The gift cards started two summers ago. I tie it in with how well they do during the summer. It makes it fun and makes kids enjoy coming here. I get a lot of positive feedback.”

Mr. Graczyk looks to build friendships with his students even during the summer. He believes having a close relationship with a student helps the education process.

“(The gifts and care) make it more about interpersonal relationships,” Mr. Graczyk said. “It makes it more like a big brother, not student and teacher. I want to make them have fun while learning.”

Over the past few summers Mr. Graczyk has helped summer courses, he has received positive feedback and discovered that the classes have resulted in positive effects for his students after the enter the next school year.

“No one really complains,” Mr. Graczyk said. “A good portion of our students get A’s and B’s. I will take one-third of the credit (for his students’ success),” Mr. Graczyk said. “We give them the tools to have a head start and succeed.”