Hello, welcome to my website.
Firstly, I should probably point out that I am not a father – I just really like the concept. It has a really nice vibe to it.
My view is that I want to be a positive male role model to people – particularly to people younger than myself. We often model our behaviour on other people and if I can be a positive influence on another person, that’s a meaningful use of my time. I try not to give too much advice; I’m more about asking questions and listening.
The Dad Concept
To me ‘Dad’ is a concept that includes:
- Mentor
- Coach
- Role Model
- Friend
- Teacher
- Tutor
- And a person that has read a lot of non-fiction books
I’ve never liked the terms ‘Coach’ or ‘Mentor’, whereas I think ‘Dad’ is quite catchy in the title of the website. I mean who doesn’t like a good Dad. It also slightly amuses me using the term ‘Dad’, when I’m not – but maybe that is just my sense of humour. 🙂
My Experience
Anyway, onto my experience.
I have two and half years experience volunteering as an English tutor. I generally have about ten students a week. Spending one hour with each of them.
I am 53 years old and married. Retired. Originally from New Zealand, I have now lived in Melbourne Australia for over 25 years.
I have an extensive background working in the corporate world. Firstly, in the Banking industry, before switching to working in Corporate IT.
We have no children, so I do have quite a bit of spare time on my hands. My wife and I prefer to live a simple life. I have had three other volunteer roles where I’ve had to travel via car to volunteer. I volunteer online now and I really enjoy this method. It helps me balance my other responsibilities, interests and hobbies with my volunteering. I can just log in a few minutes before I talk to a student, rather than having to travel somewhere. I can also log in from anywhere, I don’t even have to be home.
Outside Broadcasts
I’ve done many sessions away from home, I call them ‘Outside Broadcasts’ 🙂 Some examples are:
- Sitting on a park bench
- In our garden
- In public food courts, cafes and restaurants
- Walking and exploring my local park, which has Kangaroos
- Hiking with my phone on a chest mount while chatting to a student
- Chatting from various locations around Melbourne
- Chatting from various locations around the state of Victoria while on train trips
I Love Technology
I have a love of technology, so I have purchased quite a bit of tech over the past 3 years of tutoring. I always strive to have really clear audio. Some of my tech includes:
- Microsoft Teams for the clearest audio possible. It has built in AI noise suppression.
- Excellent Internet connections at home and while mobile.
- Modern computers and tablets. A very good home webcam.
- Selfie sticks and a chest mount. Tripods for using tablets outdoors.
- I’m obsessed with headsets for the clearest sound, so that no background noise is heard.
Other Hobbies and Interests
I have a few other hobbies and interests that are easy to fit around my volunteering. In summary my other hobbies and interests are:
- Reading
- Psychology
- Journaling
- Gaming (Xbox)
- Technology
- Walking / Hiking
- The Camino in Spain
- Train trips
- and now Blogging
Reading
I guess the main influence in my life is that I have read extensively in the area of non-fiction. My role models aren’t friends, workmates or family – my role models are the very smart people that write books. And it’s really worked out for me.
Journaling
I’m also a big fan of journaling. I think it’s a great way to make decisions. To deal with the stress and anxiety of life. I have collected a large number of journaling prompts I use to explore my thoughts.
Introversion
The other interesting thing about my life is that I’m quite introverted. I like chatting to students for two to three hours each day and then it’s time for my solo hobbies. My MBTI is INFJ.
I feel like there is an under-developed introvert and there is a highly-developed introvert. An introvert who has worked on their social and relationship skills is highly-developed. I feel like I have worked on my people skills via working in customer service focussed roles for most of my career in Banking and IT (nearly 30 years). Plus, I have read a great deal of non-fiction about introversion and communication skills.
Purpose of this Blog
The purpose of my blog, at the moment, is really just to:
- Write about my volunteer English Tutor activities
- Connect with students
- Motivate myself to keep learning
