A helping hand

We have all had that one math class that you stumble out of in a haze of confusion and fear, unsure of what foreign language you struggled to listen to for the past 48 minutes was trying to tell you. LT administrators understand that too. They also understand how it is not always easy to ask for help in the middle of class, worried that you will slow down the pace or sound foolish. That is why LT, effective fourth quarter of the 2015-2016 school year, is initiating peer math tutoring during the lunch periods in the lower level of the library at NC and in the library computer lab at SC called the Students Teachers and Additional Resources (STAR) center.

This is an outstanding step in the right direction in reaching out to the students who are too afraid to ask for help, and give them an opportunity to learn, because, after all, that is why we are here. There are approximately 50 tutors who are student volunteers that are currently in either AP statistics, AB calculus, BC calculus or trigonometry pre-calculus Honors at NC, and approximately 75 tutors who are algebra or geometry Honors students at SC. There are 5-10 student tutors available each lunch period and 25 open slots for students seeking help. There was a mandatory training seminar the week prior to spring break in which current math teachers taught the tutors good teaching tactics. The tutors will report to the lower level for the rest of fourth quarter and will be ready to help whoever signs up the day before or morning of in the library.

The open area to the left of the computers will be converted into a more classroom-like setting at NC, complete with a whiteboard, markers, erasers and other classroom equipment. The West Wing computer lab in the SC library will be converted into a tutoring center as well during 4a/4b and 5a/5b.

The administration is looking forward to reaching out to students in a different way, and is excited about the prospect of helping students better understand mathematics and offering new resources to do this. LT has a plethora of students who are eager and excited to help others with school, and the STAR Center helps tap into those resources.

Peer tutoring is important, because the student tutor has been in the shoes of the other student. He or she can more easily understand your thought process and teach it in a way to make you understand and allow the information to click. Research has shown time and time again that peers teaching peers yields a higher outcome of understanding.

While 25 minutes may not seem like much, once a student has mastered a certain type of problem once, they can look back to that problem as a guide.

Approximately 75 percent of the people who were sent to support rooms this year were sent for math related issues. This is an additional way to reach kids and give them the highest amount of resources possible to give them the help they need in order to be successful. STAR Center is a fantastic addition to LT, and a great way for students to connect and reach out to other students.