'I want to do my part.' Math tutors carry on
Posted on: Apr 20, 2020
As teaching and learning shifted to a distance format in mid-March, the continuation of extra help that students receive through on-site tutoring was in question.
Despite the fact that they could have stopped working for the rest of the year while continuing to receive their full stipend through AmeriCorps, Delano Intermediate School Math Corps tutors Daniel Christensen and Mike Karpen decided to stay on and join the rest of the district teaching staff in two grueling weeks of preparation for distance learning.
“DIS is so fortunate that Mike and Dan chose to continue serving students through distance learning,” said Kellie Makela, the internal coach for the program at DIS. “Math Corps offers students an extra level of support that is important to building confidence in their math skills. Mike and Dan had to learn a lot of new technology and had to completely change how they tutor in order to provide online tutoring. I’m impressed with their willingness to put DIS students first and keep this math support going!”
So why did Karpen and Christensen, retirees from the fields of finance and engineering, respectively, decide to continue on when it would have been far easier to step aside?
“I decided to continue because I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience working with the students and staff so far,” said Karpen. “I want to do my part to help the students through this difficult time as we all adjust to distance learning. When Kellie and [DIS Principal Barry Voight] asked us to continue tutoring, saying yes was easy.”
Christensen’s reason was simple: The job wasn’t finished yet.
“I started the school year wanting to help students improve their math skills,” he said. “I have not completed all the Math Corps lessons and Kellie Makela showed us a way to do lessons and interact with students online.”
Their willingness to continue set them apart. Makela said she was informed by a Math Corps program manager that the two DIS tutors were the only ones, from the schools that program manager worked with, who had continued to tutor students remotely.
“They care enough about these kids that they pushed through and worked like crazy [to prepare for distance learning] just like the rest of us,” said Makela.
A different format
Christensen and Karpen spent the two weeks between spring break and the March 30 start of distance learning to familiarize themselves with a variety of online platforms that are now regular tools for teachers and students alike, including Google Hangouts, Google Classroom and more. It was, in Karpen’s words, “quite the journey.”
The two now spend their time writing scripts and recording video lessons; scanning, uploading and reviewing assignments; and answering emails and Google Hangout video calls.
“Generally tutoring would not work well online, but most of the assignments I made were a review of material already presented to them,” said Christensen, adding that “the students’ main gain is doing the assignments to further help them master the material.”
Karpen noted that distance tutoring necessarily involves condensed lessons and less direct interaction with students, and that reality has some inherent challenges.
“It is hard when you do not have the immediate feedback or reaction when they do a problem,” he said, adding that Google Hangouts does allow individual students to contact him and work on problems together in real time. “The times that I get to speak live with a student are what is most meaningful and impactful,” he said.
While students, teachers and tutors are navigating a new educational landscape, Karpen said the groundwork for success has already been established.
“[DIS staff] could just as easily have decided to table Math Corps until the students were back in school, but they wanted to explore ways to continue our service,” he said. “They have been so good to work with.”
* For more information about the Math Corps program, which is new to DIS this year, see this article from the October 2019 Tiger Tracks newsletter.
Post Categories: Intermediate School