Starting this year at the Peer Assisted Learning Support in Timberlane High School Math Assisted Coaching Room, Math Honors Society is offering in school tutoring every day to students in need of academic assistance.

Students can enter the MAC room (Math Assisted Coaching) during a free block with a smart pass to ask teachers and student helpers for assistance. Students can even be scheduled to meet with a student by making arrangements with a teacher to leave their class. This can be a one time thing or even regularly scheduled

Math Honors Society members help out in this tutoring daily and are happy to help. Working on math does not always come easy for everybody, and connecting with teachers can be hard for some people. Working with students as math helpers can help kids listen better and understand the concepts easier. 

Mr. Penn graciously offered his room and assistance in the Peer Assisted Learning Support. He opens the doors for students to help alongside him. 

When asked about the impact of student to student learning, Mr Penn said “The PALS program made the difference between failing and passing, catching-up after absences, assessment readiness, and avoiding the snowball where falling behind becomes an avalanche.”

Mr. Penn also informed us that the program is not planning on leaving, when he said, “We need the Peer Assisted Learning Support program to continue for years to come. It is really cool that students utilizing the MAC Center Assistance and the math PALS all come in on a voluntary basis.”

Math Honors Society tutor Emma Soucy said this about her experiences in tutoring, “I like how the students are honest with you, if they don’t understand something even after you’ve helped them, they will tell you so you can try to explain it in a way they will understand better. This experience has been great and I enjoy being able to help.”     

The benefits of these programs seem to be getting better and better. More tutoring has even begun sneaking into the middle school with some very generous students giving their time to go help after school. Mr. Penn and all of the wonderful helpers are making a big impact in our school that has begun to spread positively into the community.