TLC 10 year anniversary

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Student tutor helps a peer with their work in the TLC.

Avery Jerva, staff reporter

 

For many years, the Titan Learning Center (TLC) has helped students in various subjects, and this year they are celebrating ten years. According to Joy Cooper, TLC coordinator, the TLC has helped bring the whole school together and she hopes it will continue to do that.

According to Cooper, the TLC is not just for the students who are seeking a tutor, but also for the student teachers who are learning to provide a quality service while at the same time are teaching themselves in the process.

“I think my tutors get so much out of it, they are focused on really listening to someone and asking really good questions, and having to explain something in their own words, cements it in their mind in a deeper way,” Cooper said.

Other than staying informed on important school topics, the tutors learn good social skills that they can use in a variety of aspects in their lives.

“One of the things that we talk to our tutors about both the adults and the kids, is that it is not just about the skill of tutoring, it is the whole picture,” Cooper said. “It is from when they walk in the door and you greet them to when you say good luck on your test.”

According to sophomore Christina Chrones, the TLC does a great job to not just give the answer away, but instead, they thoroughly explain the steps taken to reach the final answer.

Cooper said, “We want to make it more than just giving you the answer, we want to help build tools that you need to be successful.”

According to Chrones, the TLC has continually helped her with many different subjects and the tutors are very helpful.

I struggle in certain subjects and need help completing my homework sometimes,” Chrones said. “The TLC helps me complete and understand my homework. It is a great learning process.”

According to Cooper, not much has changed since the TLC was opened ten years ago except for when Glenbrook South moved to the block schedule.

“Trying to anticipate when are our highest needs going to be, that was very different,” Cooper said. “On the eight-period day I knew before school, lunch periods and after school, we were going to be busy…  now that students have potentially 90 minutes to get help and almost feels like it’s more humane.”

According to Chrones, the thing that keeps her coming back is the fact that she knows she is in a safe environment so that if she does not know how to do something, the tutors will just help her through it.

The students and teachers are not there to judge you if you have a hard time understanding something because it is their job to help you finish your homework and understand it,” Chrones said.

The TLC continues to be a safe haven for students, whether it be that they need help in a certain subject or just someone to talk to, Cooper explained.

“I want people [students] to know that we are an inclusive diverse place. Both in terms of background and experience of our tutors and what we provide and so sometimes we might not know the answer to a certain problem, we might have to think through how to get there, so for kids were interested in a quick fix like rip the Band-Aid off, because I want them to know that it’s more about the process of how you are learning.” Cooper said.