By Amanda Tsao
Staff Writer
Sophomores Skyler Middler and Oia Walker-van Aalst switch roles from student to teacher as they tutor the young minds at Hermosa Valley Middle School.
Middler and Walker-van Aalst tutor both seventh and eighth grade students at the middle school every Tuesday afternoon. They specialize in helping students who are enrolled in Algebra 1-2 but tutor other subjects as well.
“It is difficult for me to run around and help each and every student that I need to, so it is a great help when Middler and Walker-van Aalst are able to come and tutor the students who attend the sessions,” HVS math teacher Cindi Avol said. “My students feel very comfortable with the tutors because they are close to the same age, and they are impressed with their mathematical acuity.”
Middler and Walker-van Aalst answer any questions the students may have, explain concepts, and help the students with the assigned homework.
“Tutoring at Hermosa Valley School has been really helpful to review the old subjects that I learned in seventh and eighth grade,” Middler said. “I have been able to review old lessons and have gotten a chance to help kids better understand the math being taught to them during their regular school day.”
According to Middler and Walker-van Aalst, their involvement in tutoring middle school students has given them insight into how difficult it is to teach. They now have an understanding and appreciation for educators and what their teachers do for their students on a daily basis.
“I am extremely grateful to have had so many good teachers over the years,” Walker-van Aalst said. “They have taught me so many valuable things that I use in my everyday life. I have learned how to teach a topic, which is knowledge I can apply in assessing my teachers.”
They began their tutoring sessions because they attended similar review sessions at HVS when they were in middle school.The help they received inspired them to start the sessions up again when they entered high school.
Middler asked her former math teacher, Avol, about orchestrating the same type of tutoring sessions for the HVS students this year, and Avol helped organize and put them together.
“I am happy to help students, and even happier when [I know] I have furthered their understanding,” Walker-van Aalst said. “The experience has made me fond of helping students succeed and of diving into conversations about the material.”
The tutoring sessions not only help the students who attend, but also the teachers. According to Avol, by having Middler and Walker-van Aalst in the classroom to help her, the students are able to learn the material faster and have all their questions answered.
“The tutoring sessions are a good way to make sure I understand the math we are currently learning,” HVS student Fiona Riverin said. “It helps a lot that it is right after school because it is easy and convienient to go to. People should try coming to the sessions if they are having trouble with math because it helps a lot with the subject.”
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