Community Voices
Schoolhouse Stories
Schoolhouse.world is a non-profit whose mission is to connect the world through learning. Hear from our community about what Schoolhouse means to them!
Inspired by our internet neighbor, Khan AcademyPeople still assume we lives on tree.
Nov 7, 2021I don't know where to begin. There are a lot of things I wanted to type, but it would be very messy. But know this, Without SHW I wouldn't be able to move on with my homeschool studies and generally academic subjects, especially mathematics. I am from Malaysia, so it would be weird when someone ask me what school do I attend, and I would answer homeschool or simply "I don't go to school, but I do study at home", and their reaction would normally be confused or sometimes be disgusted by the fact I only stay home. Even some of my relatives like my auntie, uncle etc would have the same reaction. And other people beside my relatives would look down on us so much, especially the semenanjung people, because all they know is that Sarawakian, especially the Iban tribe(my tribe) and some other tribes, lives on trees, unmordernised, always drinking aik tuak(rice wine, which is true, but I only drink it during celebrations and for those who have passed away like my dear beloved grandpa Aki, I'm 14 BTW) and among many things. It has truly dishonored my family eversince my parents decided homechool as our way of education, and I want to prove the haters wrong! So thank you itself isn't enough. And I am hoping SHW could extend its topics to music, history, drawing, guitar, piano, languages, martial arts, extra curriculum etc.
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Enrique C
The Importance of Sharing Knowledge
Oct 31, 2021Schoolhouse is an amazing website. The two important reasons that matter to me are the teaching and learning aspects of this website. Hey everyone! I’m Rahul, an 8th grader that lives in the USA right now. Well, sometimes when you learn something new, you have a small urge to teach someone else that. Schoolhouse gave me this option. I can teach math, which I’m the most proficient in right now. Aside from that, I can also teach “vacation” courses, such as a coding class or something else. Schoolhouse is so diverse that no matter what your interests or skills are, you can find a place in this website. That’s what was really appealing. I was introduced to schoolhouse by a relative, and since then I haven’t regretted joining. The number of possibilities is unfathomable, and everyone fits in but stays different. That’s what makes this a great organization. First, I was discouraged when not a lot of people joined my first session, but I decided I would keep going with persistence. After a while, people started joining my sessions, and my goal of knowledge being shared is being fulfilled. Schoolhouse has taught me a lot of things, not just literally, but also morally. I hope the rest of my schoolhouse journey goes well, and I hope to see this website grow and grow.
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Rahul Sai B
Opportunity To Make An Impact
Oct 27, 2021When I joined Schoolhouse in the earlier part of the year, I was new and intimidated. I felt like I was an outsider, having no experience, seeing all of these veterans. However, I started to get to know the community more. I reached out and talked to more people. I also took on additional responsibilities. I believe I am now on most teams at Schoolhouse; being a community resource curator, tutor, user support agent, support team mentor, blog writer, study spaces moderator, safety auditor, member of the WCP team, social event planner, and onboarding staff. This platform is revolutionary for learners, but even more for tutors, as it's full of opportunities and creates a real impact on the world.
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Akash G
Service Project to Passion
Aug 25, 2021The journey on schoolhouse started started about 2-3 months ago. As a tutor, he had the aim of assisting learners behind on that subject or course, and teach them something new in enrichment (such as a hobby - origami!). As a new tutor, he was initially disappointed that a low amount of people were attending his sessions. This may seem like a downside, but in this story it was not. He saw each learner was unique in their own ways, each with different, amazing personalities, each with different skillsets, and each with different goals on schoolhouse. He began tutoring more and more, meeting more diverse people, reaching a couple more countries, and assisting anyone with the questions they are having. He once met someone attempting to get their GED, and also helped a person who was trying to become a tutor. He also had considerable knowledge in science, and helped a learner with heat transfer during a session on Pre-Algebra! Answering the questions learners have feels so fulfilling and amazing! It feels as if one is impacting the world immensely in a positive way! As he joined another team, tutor onboarding, and as he hosted more sessions, he realized how many different learners there were. He realized that reaching this diverse community was one of the greatest opportunities of his life. Schoolhouse showed him that: 1. No matter the # of people attending, a tutor will always have a profound impact on the learners. 2. Meeting more and more people and helping more and more people from different backgrounds and different objectives feels astonishing. 3. The community behind this initiative is the most supportive group possible. They are always there for one's queries, and everyone has a strong passion for the community. Now, he thanks schoolhouse for letting him realize his skills as a tutor, guide new people on the right path in life, and let him help others become tutors and impact even more learners. He learned so much in all fields, such as the software development side of the site, the policies present, and the qualities of amazing tutors. What was initially a summer service project type relationship became a strong passon. This is my journey! Thank you so much schoolhouse for everything you have done. I have a strong bond with it now, and will continue more in whatever way I can, whether it is helping them with whatever questions they have, or teaching them new topics for their GED (or exams!). :)
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Mahanth K
Building up Confidence
Aug 25, 2021Schoolhouse.world helped me a lot in building up confidence. I used to be kind of an introverted person who was always afraid of interacting with anyone and as I grew up I started realizing that this was giving me no benefit. One day I was just scrolling through my Emails and I found one from 'AoPS' regarding AMA by Sal and Richard on 'Schoolhouse.world' and that is how I was introduced to this masterpiece. So, I started exploring it and came to know that I can also become a tutor and spread my knowledge with others too. I always wanted a platform where I can tutor as Feynman and Sal believe in spreading knowledge not only for teaching but to gain mastery in that topic. But I was really nervous as I did not have that much confidence, but somehow I pushed myself for submitting the certification video and further. At last, I was introduced to this community and I was stunned for a bit by seeing how great it was! Everyone was so kind, friendly, and helping. There was always room for improving ourselves, and soon I gained confidence as a tutor and a volunteer! Thank you
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Daksh P
How one application has helped me teach ages I never thought I would be able to
Aug 25, 2021With classes became online in spring 2020 I was trying to figure out ways I can still learn and find motivation for things to do over the summer. As I figured a lot of my in person teaching experiences would be cancelled. As someone who wants to be a teacher I was disheartened at the news however a few months later I came across Sal's video where he explained what schoolhouse.world's vision. I was suddenly intrigued as someone who had been using Khan Academy for the past decade I thought to myself wouldn't it be so cool to work alongside him and other tutors I tried to let my personality shine in the short application and turned it in. I waited to hear back but at the same time I was trying to remember it's not the end of the world if I don't get in. Flash forward not even a month later in August I received a welcoming email as I was getting ready for one of my relative's birthday dinner I read congratulations you have been accepted and I swear my heart stopped for a second. I was like I'll just read it in the car rereading the email in the car I started getting emotional and crying my extended family looked at me confused. I managed to say I'm going to be a tutor with Sal Khan the founder of Khan Academy and my parents were just as shocked as I was not knowing I had even applied. It was then I suddenly joined the slack community and knew I was welcomed. Trying to figure out where I'll fit in I decided to observe a handful of sessions and see what worked best. As someone who's keen on creating relationships with others. I even asked Mariah like what if I don't finish all my content in one session can I have a follow up session and she replied with I could and that's when the wheels started turning. I was determined to create lesson plans something that would inspire my students to follow me as a tutor and have a good time. I was still nervous my first few sessions but that slowly started to disappear as sessions went on. I slowly worked up the confidence and was shocked at much I could achieve. Now days, I've worked with learner's who are in second and third grade all the way to someone who's getting their high school diploma. People talk about the fact they have ten to twenty students in their sessions and I'm here satisfied with just having one or two maybe five at maximum. All in all of these have brought a smile on my face and it wouldn't have happened had I decided not to fill out the application.
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Kareena S
Journey of learning, never ends!
Aug 25, 2021Hey there! I'm so excited to share my words on how have I been spending my time with schoolhouse. It's been more than 6 months now, I'm part of an incredible community, schoolhouse.world! For a month I was just a learner, but now I tutor along with my learning as well. I'm Simran, a high school senior from India, aspiring to study in US colleges. For complete one month, I received the best guidance for SAT, then college advice, and still continuing help from experienced peers! I was so eager to engage with the community more and got myself enrolled as a tutor. After joining in, I was stunned to see the plethora of opportunities everyday! And most importantly such quick and alltime help from the best volunteers. You, as a tutor, not only get an exposure to international teaching or handling zoom, but also working around with Google documents, Coda, and a lot more... Dealing with learners from different diversity, region, culture is just amazing. Working with peers, to know more, host collaborative sessions/series, idea jams, healthy dicussions and this list goes limitless! You get a chance to improve your leadership skills, team management, nettiquettes, communication skills, foster new ideas, full support to your new ideas and what not. The volunteers here are so helpful and kind throughout. I'm so fortunate to be a part of this exponentially growing community! I hope you too enjoy all the pleasures that I do. Thank you :)
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Simran R
Learning Never Goes Out Of Style
Nov 3, 2021My name is sarah and i'm going to write a personal story about my journey through school and how i strive to go deeper into learning I was bullied a lot in school and eventually i switched to online schooling where i could go at my own pace. I continued this for over 4 years and i'm now in the 10th grade and still homeschooled! Schoolhouse is a good place for me to go and connect with others on topics i enjoy and things i need a little extra practice in. I have enjoyed this because i am able to learn at my own speed and not have to slow down or speed up for anyone. I've come to realize over time that learning isn't uncool or nerdy. It's amazing! I always thought that if you learned to much that you were a nerd or an outcast but my mom has always encouraged me to learn as much as i can so i don't fall for scams and false promises that will pop up during my lifetime. My mom always tells me "Knowledge is something no one can ever take from you" and i hold those words dear to my heart, not just because it's true but because those words inspired me to go above and beyond my learning abilities and to never stop because learning never goes out of style :)
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Sarah M
I can't believe this finally exists!
Oct 30, 2021In a world where nothing seems to be free (mostly for obvious reasons), I was shocked to find Schoolhouse.world as a free tutoring site... I couldn't believe myself as last year I searched for a free tutoring site to help me with my schoolwork and I couldn't. All of them were way too expensive for me... but now I found this. This little hidden treasure that more people are finding nowadays. I wasn't surprised that it's by Salman Khan as well, dude he's my hero. I used and loved Khan Academy for a long time and now he made this, an even greater thing, I was amazed! At school, we all had to write about a famous/successful person we admire and it may not surprise you that I wrote about him. Making education free and accessible to everyone is the best thing ever and I'm glad he exists and that I know about it. I gotta say SHW may be the best thing that ever happened these past years, especially with the current pandemic. I'm lucky to be a part of it and I hope more people will find it too and join this precious learning community!
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Anisa I
Great Experience
Sep 23, 2021A newsletter from the Idaho State Superintendent's office stated Idaho was granted access to Schoolhouse tutoring for free. Even though I know Schoolhouse was intended for students, I signed up hoping that it would assist me, a veteran science teacher working on my math endorsement, with difficult problems while studying for Praxis 5161. It has been a great experience. Although responses are not instantaneous, they are very helpful. I am very grateful for this resource. I will be a huge advocate in letting students and teachers know of my experience. Having a tutor rather than just watching a video is a better experience. I am able to ask questions in real time while being shown how to work a problem on a shared screen. This is vital for studying upper level math concepts such as trigonometry because often these concepts are not intuitive. Thank you for working for us to have this resource available at no cost.
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Cindy R
From a random khan academy YouTube viewer to a tutor at schoolhouse
Aug 25, 2021I was just randomly scrolling khan academy India page where I saw a video about schoolhouse. I liked its concept and wanted to give it a try, I signed up and attended 2 or 3 sessions in capacity of a learner and got to know that you need not be a much experienced teacher in order to tutor at schoolhouse. So in a month or so, after completing my ongoing project of breakthrough junior challenge video, I applied for tutor. Apart from me myself learning something by teaching, one thing which keeps me here is the fact that even if there is 1 learner in the session and I could help him/her learn something, the pleasure it gives is divine.
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Akshat B
Finding an Outlet with Schoolhouse
Aug 25, 2021When my teacher posted on our google classroom about schoolhouse, I initially passed over it. Then, after my teacher brought it up again, I checked out the website. Right away, I was intrigued by the concept of a platform for people to learn for free—from peer tutors. After exploring the page, I got an account and was waiting for something to redirect me to a free trial or a purchase page. As a result, it surprised me that there wasn't a catch, and a legitimate, reliable website was providing tutors for free. I immediately started the certification process and now, after months of tutoring, I am so glad I stumbled on this website. It truly gives me an opportunity to learn how my peers think, to see people grow in their learning process, and to find a way for me to help people. Through Schoolhouse, I realized how much I enjoy teaching people and the satisfaction at the end of a session, when you realize that though it may be a little thing, you showed them something new. Whether it be a new way to think, a solution to a problem they were stuck on, or just correcting something, it's something new. The entire process is humbling: even as a tutor, you find out there is so much you don't know. I feel like I found my space at Schoolhouse, a unique way to use the knowledge I've gained over my years of study. The community makes everything 100% better: the number of times I've deferred to my fellow tutors is countless. Through constructive feedback, compliments, and just fun conversations, you realize there's always room to grow. My students are also amazing: they bring a fresh perspective to a conversation, they're always so sweet, and overall, are just great people. As the summer comes to an end, when people ask me what I did this summer, I'm proud that I can say I gained more experience as a tutor at Schoolhouse.
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Anvika A
Snow Days are the Best Days at Schoolhouse
Aug 25, 2021Whenever the website is down due to a bug or outage, we call it a snow day. A couple of volunteers including Kareena S create wording about it. We come together and post this message, "SNOW DAY! We are facing technical issues and all classes over the next day are currently cancelled. Class signups are also on hold..." It is amazing to see bright minds coming together to ensure that information is being communicated smoothly. It shows the diversity and community that schoolhouse fosters.
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Varun C
Motivation to learn
Aug 25, 2021I found schoolhouse at a time when my school was closed and I didn't know what to do to improve my learning and connecting with others, because everyone was in quarantine and I had a different perspective of the outside world:), I was very pumped to learn more and more and from OTHERS that I don't even know! And I really liked that very much (I still do). This kept me very busy instead of sitting around doing nothing all day. And when school started this week (aug 16) It was very funny to hear what others in my class had been up to which was basically sitting/ sleeping all day doing nothing. My teachers were very satisfied to hear that I was learning and working while everyone was doing nothing. even my classmates were shocked about the time I woke up every morning to attend session.
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Jia M
Tutoring Makes Us Think More
Nov 3, 2021I was in 12th Grade preparing for my final exams and various competitive tests in April 2021, when I got an email from my school about a peer-to-peer tutoring platform. I'd wanted to hold online tutoring sessions independently after my Medical Entrance Test (NEET-UG) but I wasn't sure about the means and the marketing. Schoolhouse made me think of accelerating my tutoring plans, thus helping me in my own tests as well. I understood that all of us were struggling with online classes with large class strengths during the pandemic, and a smaller class size with more personal attention would be better. It would be a two-way benefit as the learners get a chance to learn from more tutors than they would in school, and tutors can improve their concepts. For example, if I have an exam close to my session, I take a review session with my learners where they ask good questions. I now have the opportunity to interact with learners with varied interests and backgrounds, some who come for exam help and some who come for concepts which they don't usually get a chance to learn. Many times, learners ask questions that startle me! I wouldn't have thought about it before, but the questions make me think differently and I look into the questions they ask. I also interact with an extremely supportive amazing community where we all help each other when we need it. Nowadays, I seem to relate with my teachers often on the struggles they face during online classes. Tutoring has also helped me in my success across competitive exams in India. I was apprehensive about giving my email and name to register on a site, but now that I look at it, Schoolhouse.world has been very safe and when my confidence level is low, I have my fellow tutors who give me the best advice!! I'm really happy to be a part of this initiative to help students in these times!!
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Lakshana M
My Journey At Schoolhouse
Oct 29, 2021I joined Schoolhouse in August 2021, hoping to find a new outlet to tutor others and give back to the community. I didn't expect to be welcomed into such a wonderful, tight-knit community. Throughout my first few months of Schoolhouse, I enjoyed all of my experiences, both as a tutor and part of Schoolhouse teams. Everyone at Schoolhouse is compassionate about learning and willing to work together to make this platform as amazing as possible!
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Maya B
finding schoolhouse.world
Aug 26, 2021Hello, my name is Carl in the year of 2020 I needed some help with math because am working on earning my high school diploma ,one day in July of 2020 I was on google I saw this video of Sal khan talking free tutoring , and how you can grow to become a tutor I knew of Sal Khan from T.V and Khan Academy ,so I listen and I didn't wait so I sign up right away, next day or two I receive an email from school .world they accepted me as a learner I was super excited I few days later I sign up for a session some how I got this 13 year old young man name Sachin Syal that moment change everything at first I was Embarrased because here am adult asking a 13 year old for math help but this guy was very smart in math a few days later in another session I told him I am working on earning my high school diploma I asked him can you help me and he said yes other tutors came on board this one tutor and tutors has made huge impact on my life it been amazing being a part schoolhouse.world am ways sharing schoolhouse with others I got a co-worker to sign up and another co-worker thinking about signing up.
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Carl C
A New Worldview
Aug 25, 2021Schoolhouse.world has helped me meet and connect with people from all over the world, from so many different backgrounds (yet somehow we share so much in common). It has showed me that there are people who genuinely want to learn, and people who genuinely want to help. I first came onto this site as a learner in July 2020 desperate for AP Calc help, and now most of the sessions I tutor are for AP Calc. That's crazy to me, but something about Schoolhouse's environment and its people has pushed me to slowly get out of my comfort zone. During COVID and virtual school in 2020-2021, I almost forgot what human connection was like, but Schoolhouse really showed me that sometimes the worst possible situations can still make way for the best things, too.
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Karen J
Helping Me Stay On Track
Aug 25, 2021Schoolhouse has helped me prepare for school by helping me understand the topics I need to learn. The website was available to me when my school and extracurricular activities were canceled. I have been able to fully understand all my subjects from the Skeletal System to Piecewise Functions. There is a wide array of sessions to choose from. I have also been able to learn a new language using schoolhouse. After my sessions on Schoolhouse, most topics were easier to understand and finish. I have also attended SAT practice sessions as well as sessions on the application process to college. Schoolhouse has been able to keep me ahead of my classes in school and interest me in new topics.
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Katie F
Selfish to Selfless
Aug 25, 2021The reason I joined School House is probably not like most, it wasn't because I was motivated to teach(though I am now) or wanted to increase my knowledge but it was because I was applying to a school and wanted another thing to list on my resume. This was the selfish intent I actually joined School House World with but it has turned into so much more. As soon as I hosted my first session that intent dropped away. I got such positive feedback and engaging learners that I knew I wanted to teach more and help impact learners in that same way. Ever since I have tried my hardest to tutor(for 25 sessions) not for an achievement but to help others in the way those first learners taught me a lesson in character. A little into my time at School House World I became more and more active in the community of tutors. I became invested in seeing SHW grow and expand and this led me to try and join multiple teams. Currently, I am apart of the User Support, Onboarding Buddies, and Auditing team and happy about it since each role allows me to make a difference here at School House World. To conclude, I joined for a selfish reason(to add to my resume) and the result was amazing as now I was able to increase my teaching skills, learn how to make an impact, interact with other tutors, and learn character skills such as patience, perseverance and most importantly 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.
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Noreen M
How a Big Brother is helpful
Aug 25, 2021My brother has been a part of schoolhouse.world since December and he was annoying me to join schoolhouse to receive help with Mathematics and SAT Exams which I will soon take. I initially joined with the impression of only being a learner, get ready for the different exams I will take this year and then leave. However, something attracted me to be a tutor and when I finally got certified, I was introduced to an awesome community of people! My onboarding buddy was really helpful and answered all my initial questions. Mariah, the Head of Community hosted a session for new tutors so we would meet and discuss the problems we faced in our first sessions. I got to personally meet a bunch of tutors who were facing the same initial problems I was! I soon got to be a part of various teams on schoolhouse and all of them led me to meeting a different kinds of awesome people from all around the globe, be it the welcoming tours team, the user support team or the auditing team. All of them made me feel at home virtually which is a great feat to achieve! It has been a great journey for me and I cannot wait for the next chapters I will go through here at schoolhouse!!
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Hitansh A
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