Students who are completely clueless in their classes have an option; fail the class or get help. Tutoring could be that help, and it is available in a variety of places. Tutors are highly accessible through schools and local companies.

Terrapin tutoring, a local tutoring company located in Montgomery County, offers workshops and tutoring for students who need the extra help in all subjects.

“Our first goal with students is to build a friendly relationship because we know that students learn best when they feel comfortable with their academic coach,” Elliot Rosen Executive Director of Terrapin Tutoring said.

While teachers in classrooms have to explain the material to over 20 different brains who all process and learn information differently, students can easily get lost, and then they are too shy to speak up and ask a question when they do not understand. Having one-on-one time with a tutor can help students focus on the concepts that are the most difficult for them personally.

In addition to being a math teacher at RHS, Carmen Tong tutors math to students outside of school as a part-time job. She says she likes to try to provide easy-to-read notes and helpful visual organizers for the student as well as creating games and fun methods to test a student’s knowledge. This makes it more interactive for the student so they are more likely to understand the concept.

“My main goal is to make sure that they not only know how to solve a specific problem, but that they can comprehend the underlying concepts of the question. if the student is presented with a more challenging problem (on a formative assessment, for instance) that looks different, they can still transfer their understanding of the core concepts to the problem presented,” Tong said.

There may not be enough time for students to thoroughly reinforce the concepts in the classroom with a teacher, so seeking a tutor after school or on the weekends would be convenient and benefit a student’s busy schedule.

“We highly recommend asking for help from a teacher, tutor, or parent as soon as possible because it’s just not fun to struggle when help is just around the corner” Rosen said.

Often times, students usually wait until the end of the quarter or semester to acquire help with their subjects because of final exams and unit tests. Although, attending weekly sessions with a tutor throughout the year would be more beneficial when it comes to truly understanding the concept. Meeting with a tutor outside of the classroom would also improve a student’s understanding of the subject which would reduce stress and build confidence.